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5 days ago · Saint Michael’s Lent is a traditional observance of prayer and fasting practiced from the feast of the Assumption on Aug. 15 to Michaelmas Day, now known as the feast of the Archangels on Sept. 29.
1 day ago · St. Michael’s Lent is a powerful way to increase devotion to and call upon the archangel for help and assistance, especially during these unprecedented times. There are not any specific requirements, but here’s a handy meditation booklet for guidance.
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).
Aug 17, 2024 · St. Michael’s Lent is a lesser-known but deeply spiritual tradition within the Catholic Church, observed from August 15th (the Feast of the Assumption) to September 29th (the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel).
- Michael in The Bible
- Angels in Late Antiquity
- East to West
- The Changing Image of St. Michael
- Enter: Francis of Assisi
- Francis and The Angels
- The Lent of St. Michael
- Not For The Faint of Heart, Or The Laity
- The Personal Is Universal
- What Does The Church Believe?
To truly understand the historical context of St. Michael’s Lent it is necessary to examine the cult of St. Michael—from its origins in the ancient Near East to its rapid growth in the West during the Middle Ages—beginning with Michael’s presence in the Bible. The references to Michael in the Old Testament are few, but not insignificant. The Book o...
In the centuries after the New Testament was written, there was variance in beliefs among groups of Christians. The fourth century saw much debate among theologians, as they attempted to establish doctrine and centralize power in the newly-legal Christian religion adopted by Emperor Constantine.7 The Nicene theologians saw Christ, the Son, as consu...
The cult of St. Michael had been growing in the East for some time when—in the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries—it spread to the West by way of Italy.18 Southern Italy became an important center of devotion to St. Michael, particularly Monte Gargano19 where he is said to have appeared in the sixth century, leaving behind nothing but the imprints...
Henry II was just one of many emperors and kings seeking Michael’s protection and favor, and the saint’s popularity only grew over time as these powerful men passed their devotion to him down the generations. The cult of St. Michael got another big boost in the eighth and ninth centuries when Charlemagne and his successors promoted it. St. Michael ...
It was into this medieval world, so in love with St. Michael, that Francis of Assisi was born near the end of the twelfth century. The son of a merchant, St. Francis could have lived a life of relative luxury—and he did for a period of time—but instead ended up devoting himself to God and to pursuing poverty as a way of life. As a young man, Franci...
Shortly after his conversion, Francis worked to rebuild three crumbling churches in the area around Assisi, including one consecrated to Saint Mary of the Angels. Francis believed this church was particularly favored by the angels and made his home there out of his reverence for them. Indeed, Francis’s love for the angels was lifelong and profound....
The passage above is one of several references to Francis’s practice of keeping St. Michael’s Lent found in Bonaventure’s “Major Life,” so it is clear that this spiritual practice was both important and ongoing for Francis. St. Bonaventure also noted, “[Francis] had an unshakeable love for the Angels . . . [and] each year he fasted and prayed in th...
His extremely intense devotional schedule would result in Francis having just the month of October and a few weeks scattered throughout the year when he was not fasting. Of all these fasts, St. Francis established just two that he felt were appropriate for the laity:32 The Lenten Fast before Easter, and the Christmas Fast, from the day after Martin...
Even if they weren’t all fasting in honor of St. Michael, Francis’s fellow medieval Catholics did believe that each soul was endowed with a personal guardian angel, a concept that traces its origins to the Bible. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus seems to affirm the existence of guardian angels when he says, “See that you do not despise one of these littl...
Medieval Catholics were mostly right about angels. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that “From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their (the angels) watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the...
Oct 30, 2021 · Though St. Michael’s Lent has begun a resurgence, it is still unknown to the majority of Catholics. A term given to the period between the Assumption, August 15, and the feast of St. Michael, September 29 by St. Francis of Assisi, St. Michael’s Lent is another period in the year to devote to prayer and fasting.
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Aug 14, 2019 · Similar to Lent that occurs before the feast of Easter, it excludes all Sundays. It was during this fast that St. Francis received the stigmata , the holy wounds of Jesus Christ.
