Be the Renewal
As we approach Ash Wednesday, I wanted to share with that I have been following the Exodus 90 spiritual program since the first of this year and it has truly been transformative in my life. Its called Exodus because its modeled on the progress toward freedom as an analogy of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and freedom from Pharoah. It draws inspiration from that book. The 90 is just a reference to the length of the program: 90 days. That’s 90 days of renewal; 90 days of purgative stage spiritual development; and 90 days progress toward illumination. The Exodus 90 program is accessed through your smartphone. Full participants need to register (enter an email address or phone number). No payment is necessary for the trial, but if you wish to get the full version there is a nominal fee.
The program is not really novel in that it is modeled after many great (and ancient) spiritual formulae. By that I mean that it’s built on the three tried-and-true disciplinary practices of Prayer, Asceticism, and Fellowship. The prayer portion consists of a daily Holy Hour, readings from the bible and some commentary. There is also a morning devotion and a nightly examen. These alone are game changers (to borrow Fr. Gary’s tagline).
Fellowship is achieved by joining your journey to that of men within a fraternity of eight, including one man as your anchor. My fraternity consists of men from all walks of life, different ages, etc. My anchor is a Long Island district attorney. We check in daily by posting messages on the app, and each week we have a meeting of the group via Zoom (we are all in the Northeast, but scattered from NJ to ME). We’ve formed some strong bonds that I suspect will go beyond this 90 day program.
The last portion is the asceticism. It includes things like refraining from excessive internet and phone use, avoiding snacks between meals, following a daily exercise regimen and refraining from alcohol. The tougher parts (for many of us) includes fasting every Wednesday and Friday. And the big one is taking only showers with cold water. I’m not smart enough to tell you the theological underpinnings of these acetic practices, but I can tell you that meeting the challenges has taught me about what it truly means to abandon “self” and follow the greater guide of a life lived in Christ. The ascetic practice reminds me of the need to be grateful, to know that we are called to endure suffering bravely, and to appreciate that which we often take for granted. And it causes me to remember the words of the prayer of our patron St. Joseph, “having always death before my eyes.”
Some men struggle with one or another of these disciplines. Some men choose to omit some practices or modify to meet their personal needs. In the end, I suspect the benefit of Exodus 90 is not contingent upon what you do as much as how you choose to experience and interpret it.
If you’ve read this far, then let me share that the reason I am sending this is to encourage you to think of joining the upcoming Lenten version of Exodus (the next “season”) which spans those 40+ days. You will be joined with the men of Exodus 90, and if you are interested, we can form a Forge fraternity and walk the road together. Maybe we can even end up akin to Damascus. To learn more about Exodus, check it out here. You will need to enter an email or phone number to view, and if you decide to join there is a subscription fee. Have a Blessed Lent—Exodus or no—and I look forward to seeing you all soon.
