Lent Is Not Just a Ritual: Pastor Samuel Rodriguez Says It Is the Ultimate Spiritual Reset

Why Lent Is the Spiritual Reset Every Christian Desperately Needs in 2026

Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) and lead pastor of New Season megachurch, is calling on believers to radically rethink the season of Lent. Writing in The Christian Post, Rodriguez argues that Lent is not a meaningless ritual or a "boring, dull annoyance" to endure before Easter Sunday. Instead, he says, it is a purposeful spiritual reset designed to realign Christian hearts with Heaven.

Rodriguez points to Christ's own 40 days in the wilderness as the model for Lent, a sacred period of personal reflection, repentance, fasting, and prayer. He warns that too many Christians today dismiss the practice as just another item on an "already overwhelming to do list."

Our hunger for righteousness must outweigh our hunger for everything else.

Rodriguez, who has advised three U.S. Presidents, says fasting during Lent is not about deprivation for its own sake. He describes it as "training ourselves for battle," a deliberate spiritual discipline that sharpens believers for the challenges ahead.

He also frames Lent as a counter to modern culture's obsessions. In a world addicted to noise, Lent offers "holy silence." In a society consumed by materialism, it promotes restraint. In a culture obsessed with prominence, Lent whispers "humility."

Rodriguez emphasizes that Jesus Himself deliberately carved out time for God and community "in the midst of the busyness of life," setting a model that every Christian is called to follow. Lent, Rodriguez concludes, cannot be minimized to "religious optics" but must propel believers toward genuine internal transformation.

Samuel Rodriguez Urges Christians to Reclaim the Power of Lent and Fasting

Lent 2026 began on Ash Wednesday, February 18, and continues through Holy Thursday, April 2, ahead of Easter Sunday on April 5. Millions of Christians across all denominations are observing the 40 day season through prayer, fasting, and acts of service.

Pope Leo XIV also issued a Lenten message for 2026 titled "Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion," urging the faithful to place the mystery of God back at the center of their lives. The convergence of Protestant and Catholic voices calling for a deeper Lent underscores the cross denominational hunger for authentic spiritual renewal.

The Crusader's Opinion

Pastor Rodriguez is absolutely right. Lent has been watered down into a social media performance where people announce what they are "giving up" for 40 days as if it is some kind of trendy diet. That is not what our Lord modeled in the wilderness. He went without food for 40 days to prepare for the battle against Satan himself. If we are not treating Lent with that same warrior spirit, we are wasting one of the most powerful weapons in the Christian arsenal. Stop treating Lent like a chore and start treating it like the spiritual boot camp it was always meant to be. Your soul is at war. Train accordingly.

Take Action

• Commit to a meaningful Lenten fast this season. Choose something that genuinely challenges you and use the freed time for Scripture reading and prayer.
• Share Pastor Rodriguez's message with your church community and small group. Start a conversation about reclaiming Lent as serious spiritual discipline.
• Download a Lenten devotional guide from FOCUS or your denomination's resources to stay grounded in Scripture throughout the 40 days.
• Support persecuted Christians who live out their faith under threat every day of the year. Give at www.TheShepherdsShield.org or through Open Doors USA.
• Invite someone who has drifted from their faith to attend a Lenten service or prayer meeting with you this week.