Witness: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

This Lent, walk the road to Calvary with those who witnessed the Passion firsthand.

Dominican friar and popular Godsplaining podcaster Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, is your guide on that journey in this daily Lenten devotional. Witness brings you face-to-face with the people of the Bible who encountered Christ in his Passion―saints and sinners, friends and enemies, the faithful and the afraid. From the Good Thief to Pontius Pilate, Martha to Barabbas, these figures reveal the depths of the human heart―flawed, fearful, hopeful, and deeply loved.

Each week of Lent, Witness focuses on a key virtue, inviting you into the scripture stories of those present with our Lord:

Week of Ash Wednesday
“Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
Embrace your mortality and Christ’s mercy with Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, Bartholomew, and the Bad Thief.

Week 1: Repentance
“Return to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12).
Reflect with the Good Thief, Pilate, Claudia Procula, Barabbas, and Caiaphas.

Week 2: Trust
“Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Learn trust from the Virgin Mary, John the Beloved, Martha, Nicodemus, and others.

Week 3: Compassion
“Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).
Walk with Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, the angel in Gethsemane, and more.

Week 4: Humility
“Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29).
Discover humility in the voices of children, soldiers, false witnesses, and guards.

Week 5: Courage
“Take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Be inspired by Thomas, James, Philip, Matthew, and Simon the Zealot.

Holy Week: Sacrifice
“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (Luke 24:21).
Imitate those who gave what they could to Christ: the man with the water jar, the owner of the Upper Room, the centurion Longinus, and others.

A journey both for you and for a small group, Witness explores the characters of the Passion one by one, examining their choices, their failures, and their moments of grace. Some will inspire you; others may unsettle you. But all will draw you closer to Jesus, the central figure who transforms the entire drama.

“Because in the end,” Fr. Patrick writes, “the story of the Passion is not only about what happened to him―it’s about what is happening to us. Lent invites us to step onto the dusty roads of Jerusalem, to stand in the courtyard, to kneel at the foot of the Cross, and to watch the stone roll away. And in doing so, it invites us to let the miracle of redemption unfold again in our own lives.”

Each day offers

a brief but spiritually rich meditation with a quote from the Church Fathersreflective questions to guide your prayera rhythm of renewal to prepare your heart for Easter

Each week offers

meditations on a different virtue with biblical figures from the Passionbeautiful, full-color artwork to inspire prayera companion video featuring Fr. Patrick’s weekly reflection

Bonus resources: Free companion videos and a downloadable leader’s guide are available at avemariapress.com.

From the Publisher

Walk the road to Calvary with the pople who witnessed the Passion of the Christ firsthand.

Join Dominican friar and Godsplaining podcaster, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, for a deeply moving Lenten devotional and guided prayer journal rooted in scripture, reflection, and Catholic spirituality.

Witness invites you to encounter Christ through the eyes of saints and sinners, the faithful and the afraid—and discover how their stories illuminate your own. Through daily reflections, guided journaling, and prayerful meditation, this Lent becomes not just a season to observe, but a journey to live.

More than a Catholic Lent book, Witness is an invitation to deeper prayer, authentic conversion, and spiritual renewal as you prepare your heart for Easter.

Each week of Lent, Witness focuses on a key virtue:

RepentanceTrustCompassionHumilityCourageSacrifice

Art by Valerie Delgado of Pax.Beloved

Mary Magdalene

The Angel Gabriel

The Children in Jerusalem

The Risen Christ

Foreword by Jonathan Roumie

“The same dedication and tenderness Fr. Patrick has shown me throughout my journey [portraying Christ on The Chosen] reveal the kind of shepherd he will be on yours this Lent. He pours out his gifts in this devotional through each day’s meditations, reflections, and prayers. With his characteristic spiritual wisdom and grace, he turns our attention to the individuals—and, at times, the groups—who each played a part in the divine drama of Christ’s eternal offering. In these pages, Fr. Patrick’s devotion and insight invite you to step into that sacred story—to walk alongside those who were there, and to feel as though you could reach out and touch their cloaks.”

Jonathan Roumie, Catholic actor portraying Christ on The Chosen

About Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP

Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, is a Dominican friar and author. He is promoter general for social communication for the Order of Preachers and a host of the Godsplaining podcast. A sought-after preacher and speaker, he has written widely on faith, culture, and the spiritual life, sharing the beauty of the Gospel with clarity and joy.

Briscoe earned a licentiate in moral theology degree from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. Following his ordination, he served as a chaplain and theology instructor at Providence College and as a parish priest at St. Pius V Catholic Church in Providence, Rhode Island.

He currently resides in Rome, Italy.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ave Maria Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 5, 2025
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1646804562
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1646804566
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.4 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #115,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #62 in Easter Holiday #1,426 in Catholicism (Books)
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