Living Lent Under the Mantle

Lent, which begins March 1, is a good time to spiritually walk with Mary, who is both the model Christian and our Advocate who will powerfully appeal to God for the graces we need to repent of our sins, become virtuous, and persevere in divine love. So here are a few ways we can live Lent under the mantle of Our Lady:

1. Ask Mary to help you make a good, thorough Confession to cleanse your soul during Lent. That'll be more pleasing to Our Lady than anything else.

2. Spend Lent with Our Lady by reading the Gospels and good books about the Blessed Mother.
Read the New Testament, asking Our Lady, the Mother of the Word, to guide you and open up your heart. She can give insights and lead us closer to Jesus. Also, seek out good books and other material on Our Lady (see my recommendations at marian.org/13th/bookshelf). Every day, read at least a page or two from good book about Our Lady. Bonus: In Lent of the 100th anniversary of Fatima, consider reading good books about the Fatima apparitions and Our Lady's calls.

3. Every day, pray the traditional Dominican Rosary or the Seven Sorrows Rosary.
There are so many graces attached to the Dominican Rosary! It's a powerful spiritual weapon, helping us fight sin and darkness in our own lives and our society, as I showed in Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon. At Fatima, Our Lady asked for the Rosary to be prayed daily in her honor, asking for peace in the world.

The Seven Sorrows Rosary is another ancient Rosary that can be very helpful today. During the approved Marian apparitions at Kibeho in the 1980s, Our Lady promised: "If you say the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows and meditate on it well, you will find the strength you need to repent of your sins and convert your heart. Pray my Seven Sorrows to find repentance." Contemplating the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady is a great way to accompany the Blessed Mother on the way to Good Friday during Lent, and very pleasing to Our Lady.

4. Make or renew your Marian consecration. Start your 33-day preparation in Lent. Even if it doesn't end on a particular Marian feast day, that's okay. To learn how to make your consecration, see my fellow Marian Fr. Michael Gaitley's 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration.

5. Wear a blessed Miraculous Medal. Our Lady promised St. Catherine Laboure, "Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck." As you wear it, remember to pray every day, "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."
CRBK

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