Lenten campaign 2026
This content is free of charge, as are all our articles.
Support us with a donation and enable us to continue to reach millions of readers.
“Anyone need a high chair, stroller, or bag of baby clothes?” My friend texted our parish moms and tots group last week.
Like so many of us, she was decluttering. I’m right there myself; in the past few months, a number of closets and cabinets in my home got a big overhaul.
The cold winter weather has many people stuck inside, and naturally we turn to decluttering and cleaning out our homes. After all, if we’re in a space a lot, we want it to function well for our lifestyles.
Not only winter but also Lent is a natural time of year to declutter. One Catholic mom and content creator, Ann Marie Heasley, cleverly brought together the two in a popular Lenten challenge: 40 Bags in 40 Days.
Here’s how this viral challenge works — and why it can be spiritually fruitful.
What is 40 Bags in 40 Days?
Heasley hosted the first challenge all the way back in 2011. It’s grown and become incredibly popular over the past 15 years.
She explains it all on her lifestyle website, White House Black Shutters, where she wrote:
What is the 40 Bags in 40 Days decluttering challenge?
It is a forty-day period (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you go through your home and declutter one area a day. The 2026 40 Bags in 40 Days™ Challenge starts Wed. February 18.
Since I started hosting the group challenge in 2011, millions have learned about #40Bagsin40Days and countless participants have changed their life, created more manageable homes, and refocused their outlook.
The spiritual value of this challenge
Truly, 40 Bags in 40 Days isn’t just about physical clutter. In the big picture, it’s about building an attitude and approach of detachment from material possessions.
Detachment is a little-known but important virtue that’s been called a “secret ingredient” of the saints. It means freeing your heart from excessive or disordered attachment to worldly things.
Many saints shared how important it was for them to be detached from things of earth in order to set their hearts on things of God instead. St. Augustine famously wrote, “The love of worldly possessions is a sort of birdlime, which entangles the soul and prevents it flying to God.”
Lent is a time for poverty of spirit and "doing without," so 40 Bags in 40 Days fits the character of the season very well.
Heasley addresses the spiritual dimension directly, describing how this challenge can build a healthy attitude of detachment:
Our 40 Bags in 40 Days™ Decluttering Challenge coincides with Lent, the 40-day time period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
Lent is a time of prayer, sacrifice, and self-denial. Getting a bit uncomfortable and offering the sacrifice for good intentions; to improve yourself for the better of those around you. Anyone can benefit from these practices, regardless of religion or if you don't do Lent.
Could I donate unused clothing to those in need? Do we let food go to waste? Am I spending money on new possessions or helping those in need?
Jesus doesn’t care how roomy my closet is, however, I care about how wasteful I've been and what I can do to improve. In addition, material items also take time to maintain, manage, and put away. Time that could be better spent with loved ones, teaching our children, making our spouse or family feel valued. Time spent helping others, volunteering for a good cause, in church or in prayer.
Detachment is so important for spiritual growth, and this challenge is a great way to get started with practicing it.
If you’re considering trying this challenge, we do recommend adding another Lenten discipline as well, such as prayer, fasting, or spiritual reading. While obviously worth doing, decluttering doesn’t quite fit into any of the three Lenten pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. You can find a few Lent sacrifice ideas here and here.
That said, Lent is a natural time of year for this challenge, and it’s a great way to make more space in your life and home for the things that matter most.
