Many of us will embark on retreats (the Register team has one at this time every year) and engage in other spiritual devotions. And many of us look to the Communion of Saints to intercede for us in a special way.Every Lent, we have the opportunity to clear our hearts and souls of the debris of the world and properly prepare for the elation of Easter.

With that in mind, I want to call to your attention the “saints of Lent” for inspiration.

Within our 40 days of prayer, penance and almsgiving lie the memorials of St. Katharine Drexel (March 3), Perpetua and Felicity (March 7), Dominic Savio (March 9), Patrick (March 17) and Joseph (March 19). And let’s not forget the Solemnity of the Annunciation, which is March 25.

Among these individuals you will find the rich (Drexel) and the poor (Savio), the high-born (Perpetua) and the low-born (Felicity), the free man (Joseph) and the slave (Patrick). Their examples are epitomized by the Blessed Mother at the Annunciation, where she said to Gabriel the Archangel, “Be it done unto me according to your will.”

As my friend and mentor Mother Mary Angelica said, “Jesus is giving you such an opportunity to be holy, holier than all the saints that have ever been, because the world is in such need of shining lives.”

May we all use this Lenten season to strive for just that.

God bless you!