Today we begin our forty-day journey to Easter. The Lenten season invites us to rend our hearts, to take an unflinching look at the ways in which we have fallen short of our calling as followers of Jesus Christ. Difficult? Certainly. Necessary? Absolutely. Joyful? Yes, eventually.

As our Book of Common Prayer reminds us, during Lent we "prepare with joy for the Paschal feast." How can this be? It is always joyful when someone finds Jesus or returns to him. And returning to Jesus is something we all need to do again and again.

The world can look hopeless. Chaos and violence fill the news. Greed and fear seem endemic. It appears that evil has won the day. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers a hope-filled truth.

In the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we see the deep reality of the world. Death, evil, and sin do not, in fact, define us. Instead, our world is defined by grace, mercy, and hope. The resurrection of Jesus shows us that God's love is stronger than the worst the world can muster: stronger than the mightiest empire, able to defeat even death.

(more…)

Yes, it's time for another action-packed, fun-filled episode of Monday Madness. This one, according to Scott, is lemon scented! Tim and Scott bring you a preview of the opening contests of Lent Madness 2025. Figuring out which saint is up against which saint is as easy as ABC this year. No, seriously.

If you want maximum bracketology, you can read the Saintly Scorecard on your Kindle. Our printed scorecards sold out this year! Of course, you don't NEED to buy anything. You can tune in each voting day of Lent to read the bios right here. And if you want help remembering to do that, just sign up for Lent Madness emails by typing your address into the box on the home page of this website.

Want another fun way to study the saints? Check out these FREE Lent Madness trading cards, created by Allison Bird Treacy. Print your own cards for home, church, or your workplace. We love it when fans are inspired to join in the holy fun of the Saintly Smackdown!

And don't forget, it all kicks off on Ash Thursday, March 6. Happy (almost) Lent!

It's time for not just another episode of Monday Madness, but the season premiere. Tim and Scott are back with an action-packed, fun-filled episode. In this installment, they explain how the lineup of saints in Lent Madness 2025 is unprecedented in the history of Lent Madness. Tune in to find out how this year's line-up is unique.

Today, as the Supreme Executive Committee reminds us, is also the last day to order your Lent Madness merch for (almost) guaranteed delivered by this Sunday, the Sunday before Lent! You can order your Saintly Scorecard as single copies for just $5, or you can buy ten for the bargain price of only $20. By the way, this year's scorecards will be worth a fortune someday. The printed matchup calendar is wrong, so you'll want to download and print the correct one. But enjoy the error-laden scorecard. Like a mis-struck penny, they'll be worth a fortune someday.

While you're browsing in the Lentorium, pick up your giant bracket posters, which sell for the ridiculously low price of $15. And the ridiculousness is compounded if you buy 5 or more, dropping the price to a steal at $10 each!

Lent Madness Quality Control Team: We are aware of the Match-up Calendar mishap in the printed Saintly Scorecard (found on the inside back cover). The line-ups are correct on the Bracket, in both the Scorecard and on the Poster. It's only the Calendar that has the wrong saint match-ups.

Our team has created a corrected PDF now available for download and at-home printing.

The Supreme Executive Committee issued the follow statement after learning of the debacle:

"Like a mis-struck penny, this Saintly Scorecard is now a collectible. That's the positive spin. And we're all about spin. They are highly valuable now, and will be cherished for generations. Buying 10 more would be the prudent thing to do."

Get your Lent Madness materials soon! First Round voting begins March 6 (aka Ash Thursday)!

If you’ve already ordered your Saintly Scorecard and Bracket Posters, our Lentorium team is currently shipping order! Look out for your shipment in the coming days!

If you haven’t ordered yet, there is still time to get the Saintly Scorecard, either as a single copy or in packs of 10 copies for churches and groups. The giant Bracket Poster is the best way to keep track of the competition; perfect for your parish hall, narthex, or living room. Of course, you can also download and print your own at home.

Order by Monday, February 24 to have your materials to hand out the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

We look forward to all the fun and shenanigans this Lent!