St. Michael’s Lent is a spiritual practice rich in history and meaning, dating back to the 13th century. Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the Catholic Church’s most beloved saints, received the stigmata on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) and began this devotion in honor of Our Lady and Saint Michael the Archangel.
Origin and meaning
We learn about the the tradition of St. Michael’s Lent as described in “The Little Flowers of St. Francis” by St. Bonaventure. Similar to Lent before Easter, St. Michael’s Lent is a 40-day period of prayer and penance that begins on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15) and ends on the feast of the Holy Archangels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael (September 29). This time of devotion is an opportunity for the faithful to renew their faith and grow in union with God.
The devotion of St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis had a great devotion to St. Michael the Archangel. He lived this 40-day period with deep reverence and a spirit of penance. According to St. Bonaventure:
“Two years before his death, having begun a Lenten retreat in honor of Saint Michael on a very high mountain called Alverne, [Francisco] felt more abundantly than ever the softness of heavenly contemplation, the ardor of supernatural desires and the profusion of divine graces.”
St. Michael’s Lent has been kept alive by the Franciscans over the centuries, making it popular with lay people as well as religious. Despite not being part of the Church’s official liturgical calendar, this devotion is a rich opportunity to immerse oneself in prayer and penance, as St. Francis did, in order to draw even closer to the Lord.
Spiritual Practices
Ways to observe St. Michael’s Lent include:
- Daily Prayer: Pray the Litany of St. Michael or other prayers dedicated to him.
- Penance: Choosing some kind of fast or choose something to give up to offer to God, such as waking up at dawn or abstaining from a specific food.
- Charity: Find a way to demonstrate love to those most in need in a concrete way, such as through the corporal works of mercy.
- Confession and Mass: Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Mass regularly in order to be open to God’s graces.
Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us! St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!