Magnificat’s new Lenten Companion will available in three formats: as a booklet, an app for iPhone, iPad, and iPad Touch, and an eBook (on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo, and other electronic reading devices).

Screen shot 2013-02-05 at 9.24.35 AMThe 2013 “Magnificat Lenten Companion” is spiritual guide designed to help people grow closer to Christ, especially during the Year of Faith. “The Year of Faith, which the Church is living, aims to inspire in every believer’s heart a greater awareness that the encounter with Christ is the fount of true life and of sound hope,” according to Pope Benedict XVI.

The companion features original reflections on the Gospel reading from the Mass of the day written by 14 contemporary faith witnesses, including award-winning poets and authors, bloggers and parish priests, homeschooling moms and missionaries, retreat directors and catechists. Contributors include new authors as well as Magnificat favorites Anthony Esolen, Heather King, Rita A. Simmonds, and Fr. Vincent Nagle. Edited annually by Dominican Father Peter John Cameron, editor-in-chief of Magnificat, the companion is presented in a practical, page-a-day format.

A spiritual staple for more than 350,000 readers each year, the Lenten Companion contains an array of essays and devotional prayers for growing in faith, a Lenten Penance Service, The Way of the Cross with guided meditations, specially-commissioned poetry, and high-quality reproductions of sacred art masterpieces.

The Lenten Companion App also offers two liturgical components not included in the booklet and eBook editions: the complete Order of Mass with the daily Scripture readings and a cycle of prayers for morning, evening, and night inspired by the Liturgy of the Hours. In addition, the App comes with a special audio feature: chants for Lent and Easter (to listen to while reading or praying).

Magnificat is it its 15th year of publication in the United States and has a monthly circulation of more than 250,000. The day-by-day format includes Scripture readings and liturgical prayers for daily Mass; prayers for morning, evening, and night; daily meditations by spiritual masters; profiles of the saints; blessings and hymns for special occasions; and sacred art commentaries.

For more information, visit www.magnificat.net.