It's the day America and the world have been waiting for! Months of speculation by media talking heads, countless polls, rallies all over the place, and the specter of serious competition have all led to this: the unveiling of the 2017 Lent Madness bracket.

Tim and Scott met months ago to discern the bracket. Then the Celebrity Bloggers worked on their biographies for the first round. The Foodie-in-Residence cooked up some new recipes. And the Bracket Czar has been creating a bracket poster suitable for framing or perhaps even veneration.

Sure, you might wonder why we're going on about Lent when Lent Madness isn't for another 118 days (not that we're counting, the online counter does that for us). As Tim says, “Hey, if people can drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August, they can surely deal with Lent in November. Plus it’s either getting jazzed about saints, or dealing with a bunch of depressing politics. So you’re welcome for the gift of frenzied speculation and anticipation as we look toward the season of Lent (Madness).”

Meanwhile Scott contrasts the political news cycle with the sanctoral news cycle. “While the news has been full of sinners, well, sinning, in Lent Madness we get to look at God's grace working in the lives of, um, sinners. Like us.”

Speaking of the news cycle, don't forget to watch the SEC's brand-new episode of Monthly Madness, with exclusive tidbits of Lent Madness news!

This year Lent Madness features an intriguing slate of saints ancient and modern, Biblical and ecclesiastical. 2017 heavyweights include Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, Florence Nightingale, Stephen the Martyr, and Sarah the Matriarch. It also includes several notable matchups including Augustine of Hippo vs. Augustine of Canterbury (All-Augustine Anarchy); Fanny Crosby vs. G.F. Handel (Battle of the Bands); and Joseph Schereschewsky vs. Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (Clash of the Consonants).

The Saintly Scorecard has been updated for the new season with great biographies, fresh recipes, and a new round of Pocket Lent trading cards. Pricing continues to be $1 each if you order 30 or more. This year, you can buy single copies ($3 each) or packs of ten. The bargain kicks in when you buy three or more bundles of ten, since they're just $10 for ten scorecards! At that price, buy a few hundred and plan to sell them on eBay later for millions! Bracket posters are scandalously inexpensive at only $11 for one, or $10 when you buy two or more.

So head over to the Lentorium right now! Stock up on mugs and such. And order Saintly Scorecards and bracket posters so you can prepare for the Lent Madness season. Bracket posters will arrive in time for Christmas (can you imagine a better stocking stuffer?) and the scorecards will ship in early January, in plenty of time for Lent.