Exhortation for St. Michael’s Novena and Practices - The Second Period

 

In addition to the practices of meditation of the first period we will now add during the period of the Novena (Saturday, September 20, 2025, to Sunday, September 28, 2025):

 

A. The daily recitation of the Novena.

 

This includes:

1.     Daily recitation of the Prayer to St. Michael

2.     Daily recitation of the (relevant) supplication prayer to St. Michael.

3.     Concluding Prayer

4.     Daily Recitation Litany to St. Michael the Archangel

 

This text will be provided in one whole text (just in case you wanted to print it out or if you miss accessing the blog), but the texts of each relevant first, second, third etc. day will be provided on the blog daily and on the Telegram page.​​​

 

B. Our Common Practices will include us "Leaving behind" for the 2nd Period of St Michael’s Lent:

 

St Michael’s Lent General

• All juices and sweet drinks

• All desserts

• Non sacred music

• Movies

• Social Media

• Watching Sport

• Screen time

• Eating between meals

• Warm showers

• Milk and sugar in our coffee or tea

• Dessert

• Alcohol

• Fasting and abstinence on the Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays of the Novena

 

For those who would like to do a bit ‘more’ for the nine days, there is the option of:

 

St Michael’s Lent “Hard”

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Which will include leaving behind meat, dairy, eggs for the nine days except for any feast days of Double Major or above.

 

C. Our Common Practices will include us "Taking Up" for the 2nd Period of St Michael’s Lent:

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It is important that in considering the above you look for the area where you have the most attachment and challenge yourselves in these Lenten days precisely there.

 

We will “take up” the following:

• Some form of strenuous exercise for a few hours a week

• Obtain 7-8 hours sleep each night

• Fasting on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays

• Weekly Confession (where practicable)

• Daily Mass where possible

• A daily hour of Meditation and prayer (this can include Mass but a meditation text will be given and is to be read daily. Other devotional practices can be included in the hour such as daily rosary).

• Morning and Evening Prayer (the small fixed morning and evening prayer from Hamon’s Meditations is one suggestion, or the liturgy of the Church)

• A daily examination of conscience before bed

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In Christ and Our Blessed Lady,

Fr. Withoos (and the St. Michael’s Lent team)

Chaplain, IRIA Foundation