Preparing for Lent with Mary

As we are approaching that glorious (just kidding) time of year again, many are exploring, discerning, and praying about what Lenten devotions and practices should be incorporated into their lives. This year, I have been trying to get to know Mary better and grow my Marian devotion, and so I’ve put just a couple of ideas below for preparing for Lent with Mary. Our Lady always leads us to our Son, so what better way to prepare for Lent and prepare for Easter?

Marian Consecration

This is one of the best things to do for the spiritual life and through Lent. Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, has a great resource called, 33 Days to Morning Glory, which is a do-it-yourself retreat to consecrate yourself to Jesus through Mary. He explains the benefits of consecration and uses 4 saints to guide you through. I have heard so many life-changing stories connected with consecration, like men who became priests after their mothers consecrated them as small children or in the womb. This could be a family venture too!

If you’d like to do the consecration and be consecrated on a Marian feast, you can start on Feb. 20 (Feb. 21 in a leap year, like this year) to be consecrated on the Feast of the Annunciation. Check out the Marians of the Immaculate Conception for all the info.

Rosary & Angelus

Lent is an awesome time to make a resolution to pray the Rosary each day (or maybe even a decade) or set some alarms and pray the Angelus a few times a day. My husband did Exodus 90 last year and we prayed the Angelus multiple times a day, and we absolutely loved the rhythm of prayer, the focus on the Incarnation, and praying Hail Mary’s multiple times a day. One year I prayed only the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary for Lent and it was so preparatory for the whole Triduum.

Marian Books

Lent is a great time to maybe replace certain habits with other, better habits. Reading more is always a goal of mine, and maybe you’re looking for some good books about Mary. Here are a few suggestions:

• Meet Your Mother by Mark Miravalle (this book aided in my conversion so much!)
• Hail Holy Queen by Scott Hahn
• Under the Mantle by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC
• True Devotion to Mary by Louis de Montfort
• The Marian Option by Carrie Gress

There are more suggestions on this site. Reading about Mary can only lead us closer to her Son.

Mary Films & Video Series

The St. Paul Center of Theology has some awesome studies, and many times for the feast and seasons of the year, they offer a free look if you create an account and a free study. Here’s one about Mary that is fantastic.

Also, there have been some great films made about Our Lady. You could work through them each week of Lent. The Song of Bernadette and The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima are just two older, but lovely examples of Marian films. Learning more about Marian apparitions is truly faith building.

Conclusion

These ideas are just a few suggestions for preparing for the very growing season of Lent, a season that helps us prepare for the Triduum, celebrating Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. Preparing for Lent with Mary could help us grow in devotion to Our Lady and Our Lord.

We have a whole Mary section in our shop if you’d like to keep Our Lady close during Lent. Our collection includes some of the apparitions and other Marian titles.