Today we enter Lent

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, a time of conversion and a climb towards Easter. It is also a day of fasting.

In the Old Testament, we recall Judith: she fasted and asked the people of her city to fast, thanks to which she was able to defeat the enemy. The parallel between the Virgin Mary and Judith is made evident in St. Luke's Gospel (Lk 1:42 / Jdt 13:14-1). 

Today, Mary accompanies us in our fasting.

During Lent, as in the Eastern Church, we sometimes sing the great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, a song that encourages us on the path to conversion. The Virgin Mary is discreetly present:

“He who is born of you, O Mary, is the shepherd of our souls; He came forth from the bosom of the Father to seek the lost sheep. He took her on his shoulders and brought her back to Paradise”. (Saint Andrew of Crete, Grand Canon, 4th Ode VII, 5)

During Lent, the mother of Jesus accompanies us. Conversion concerns our personal life, our family life and our working life. In this, Mary and St. Joseph provide a great model for us.

At Lourdes in 1858, no fewer than fourteen of the eighteen apparitions took place during Lent. The remaining four apparitions “bracket ” this period: two before and two after. Mary first spoke to Bernadette during the apparition following Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. She asked her: “Would you do me the favor of coming here for a fortnight? Thirteen apparitions followed, interrupted by two one-day breaks. It was during these thirteen apparitions, the first ones taking place during Lent, that Mary asked that we pray for the conversion of sinners, and insisted on penance.

Françoise Breynaert

Marian Encyclopedia