St Michael’s Lent
In addition to keeping the pre-Easter Lent every Catholic keeps, St, Francis had the habit of making a second "Lent" every year, starting on the Feast of the Assumption and ending on the Feast of St. Michael. During this time, he would fast, abstain, and engage in penances and mortifications to discipline himself, acquire the virtues, and honor God. In fact, it was while he was engaged in this "St. Michael's Lent" at La Verna on Mount Penna in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy in 1224 that he received the stigmata (you can read more about this in Part I, Chapter LIII of "The Little Flowers of St. Francis").
To emulate St. Francis and make the 40-day St. Michael's Lent in his honor, in honor of Our Lady and of St, Michael the Archangel, and for the purpose of consecrating yourself to St. Michael on his feast day, do the following:
Obey the precepts of the Church, including attending Mass and going to Confession as needed.
Fast and abstain, as you would during Lent, from the Feast of the Assumption on August 15 to Michaelmas (the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel) on September 29 or otherwise make some daily sacrifice to God on those days.
Light a candle before an image of St. Michael, and pray the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, all of the supplications and accompanying prayers (the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be), and the Litany to St. Michael every day from the Assumption to Michaelmas. All of these prayers can be found below.
On Michaelmas, make the Act of Consecration to St. Michael the Archangel.
Note that the period between the Assumption and Michaelmas consists of 46 calendar days, but, as in the pre-Easter Lent, Sundays and holy days don't count and aren't penitential, so this devotion consists of 40 days' worth of partial abstinence and fasting.
