Lent, Listening, and NFP
Have you ever noticed that Lent kind of makes you stop to take stock of where you are spiritually?
Lent has a way of inviting that questioning of oneself. It gently pulls us out of our routines and asks us to reflect on our relationship with God. Where am I growing? Where am I struggling? What is God calling me to this year? At its heart, Lent is not just about small sacrifices. It is about the bigger journey of becoming a saint.
The Lenten Question
This season of Lent has been guiding Christians for centuries. We see its roots in Christ Himself, who fasted for forty days in the desert before beginning His public ministry. Over time, the Church embraced this period more fully, and by the year 325 AD, Lent was established as the forty days of preparation before Easter that we still observe today.
So, that actually means that countless saints (or saints-in-the-making) have lived Lent before us. They faced distractions, struggles, and the same desire to grow closer to God. And obviously, they discovered something transforming in this season. They learned how to listen more deeply to God, to let go of what did not matter, and to love more fully. So what can we learn from them? What wisdom do they offer us today, in our marriages, our families, and our daily lives?
One of my favorite saints gives us a beautiful starting point. St. Maximilian Kolbe wrote:
“Lent is a time of grace, a time for conversion, a time to come home to God.”
Such simple words but so insightful on what Lent meant to him. Grace abounded. Real conversion happened. It was a homecoming of sorts like the Prodigal Son into God’s loving arms. That same invitation from God is just as real for us today.
In his 2026 Lenten address, Pope Leo XIV echoes this same call and invitation to come home, reminding us that Lent is a time “to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives.” In a world filled with noise, distraction, and anxiety, that invitation feels especially needed.
For couples, especially those striving to live out God’s design for marriage through NFP, this invitation is deeply personal. NFP is not simply about charting fertility. It is about conversion. It is about learning how to listen, how to sacrifice, and how to love more fully.
Listening: The First Act of Love
Pope Leo XIV writes that “the willingness to listen is the first way we demonstrate our desire to enter into a relationship.” That truth speaks directly to both Lent and marriage and all things NFP. We live in a culture that rarely slows down to listen or look up from a screen. Listening can feel like a lost art. Yet it is how we encounter God, and it is how we truly encounter each other. NFP invites this kind of listening every day. Couples begin to notice the signs of the body. They begin having conversations about family life, timing, and openness to life that might otherwise be avoided.
At the Couple to Couple League, we often see that the real transformation in couples does not begin with charts. It begins with conversation. Honest conversation. Sometimes difficult, but always meaningful. When couples begin to listen more deeply to God, to each other, and even to the quiet language of the body, something shifts. Relationships grow. It changes the way they live and love.
Fasting: Making Space for Love
If listening opens the heart, fasting creates space within it. Lent teaches us that fasting is not just about giving something up. It is about reordering our desires. Pope Leo XIV explains that fasting helps us recognize what we truly hunger for and keeps our desire for what is good alive.
In married life, this becomes very real. There are times when couples are called to sacrifice, especially when practicing NFP. Abstinence is a type of fasting. These moments are not always easy, but they are never meaningless. They shape a different kind of love. A love that is intentional. A love that is rooted in respect and self-gift rather than impulse. In this way, the sacrifices that come with NFP reflect the purpose of Lenten fasting. It is not about restriction. It is about freedom to love more fully.
One of the most practical parts of Pope Leo XIV’s Lenten message is his invitation to be mindful of how we speak. He encourages us to refrain from words that offend or hurt and to choose language that brings peace. For many couples, it is easy for small frustrations to turn into sharp words. It is easy to react instead of pause. But Lent offers an opportunity to change that pattern.
What if this season became a time to speak more gently, to pause before responding and to choose patience over irritation. In marriage, words matter. They can build connections or slowly create distance. Choosing them carefully is a real and meaningful sacrifice, and one that bears lasting fruit.
Together: A Shared Path of Conversion
Lent is not meant to be lived alone. Pope Leo XIV reminds us that conversion is something we experience together, in our families and communities. This is exactly what the mission of the Couple to Couple League has been for the past 55 years. Couples walking with couples. Learning together. Growing together. Supporting one another in living out God’s plan for marriage.
When couples learn NFP, they are not just learning a method. They are entering into a way of life. It is a way of living that strengthens communication, deepens unity, and keeps love rooted in truth. In a culture that often separates love from responsibility, this witness is needed now more than ever.
A Powerful Opportunity
This Lent is an opportunity to slow down and to come home to God. It is a time to listen more carefully to God and to one another. It is a time to be intentional about how we live and love. When marriages are strengthened, families flourish. And when families flourish, the world begins to change. That is why Pope Leo XIV calls us to help build a civilization of love this Lent. That work begins in simple and quiet places. It begins in our homes. It begins in our daily choices. Because the journey to Easter is about transformation.
Or as St Maximilian put it:
“Let us remember that love lives through sacrifice and is nourished by giving. Without sacrifice, there is no love. Let us not forget that Jesus not only suffered, but also rose in glory; so, too, we go to the glory of the Resurrection by way of suffering and the Cross.”
Written by Martha Haenni, CCL Content Editor, Marketing Events & Podcast Host.