Did you know St. Michael’s Lent starts this week on the Assumption? Are you doing anything during this Lent in prep for Michaelmas?

If you did not know, St. Francis of Assisi started this devotional to pay homage to one of his favorite saints. You can, too! Seek victory and healing by making a summertime Lent in honor of St. Michael the Archangel.

During his life, St. Francis of Assisi observed a 40-day, Lent-like period of prayer, asceticism, and fraternity in preparation for the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. The devotional practice enjoyed a cult following its recent popularization by Exodus 90.

It is heartening to see that the practice of reciting St. Michael’s Chaplet, the Rosary of the Angels, is gaining popularity this season. Many find the daily recitation of this chaplet not just a routine but a source of immense spiritual strength. The St. Michael Chaplet helps us recognize St. Michael’s ability and desire to protect us and asks him to intercede in our lives in times of struggle.

With this late summer Lent, people are aspiring to gain the Archangel’s protection in battle, strengthen their bodies and souls against the powers of evil, and grow in humility through greater reliance on God and less on themselves.

This year, we celebrate the 800th anniversary of St. Francis receiving the great grace of the Stigmata—the Five Wounds of Christ—upon completing the first St. Michael’s Lent. This significant milestone should inspire us to begin or continue this practice.