Paintings for Liturgical Seasons: Lent

I'm thinking about painting works for the liturgical seasons. In particular, I'm thinking about how to represent the concepts of Lent in visual form?

• It is a season of preparation
• A friend remarked "Simplicity IS Abundance"
• Purple is the liturgical color for Lent
• Marked by making a sacrifice
• The cross
• The wheat grain
  
• Sack cloth
• Thorns
• Fractals?
  

A friend of mine said it is a challenge!