Real Life Disciples: Lent is coming – Are you ready?

Lent is coming – for some of us it started early! There are many men and priests throughout the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City who have taken on the ascetical journey of Exodus 90. I should say “Lent on steroids!”

The Exodus 90 routine has a man embracing a set of ascetical practices that make most of our previous Lents seem like kid’s stuff: short cold showers every day, regular intense exercise, no alcohol, no desserts or sweets, no snacking between meals, no soda or sweet drinks, no TV or movies or video games, a commitment to seven hours of sleep each night, and there’s more, but you get the idea. And, all this for 90 days! It’s pretty intense. Check it out on their website if you’re interested in learning more (www.Exodus90.com).

What is “asceticism” you might ask? Asceticism is actually a pillar of Catholic belief. It’s rooted in the cross and the great mystery of how God saved us all from our own sin. God the Father sent his son to take on our punishment, and to die a self-sacrificing death on the cross. That path opened up self-donation as a means to holiness, and a powerful way to offer up our prayer to God. We call it redemptive suffering – in our suffering, we can participate with Christ in his redeeming act on the cross. Our suffering, offered up in prayer to be joined with his.

Unfortunately, in our modern culture the practice has been all but lost for most of us.

“Think about the western way of life today. Many (probably most) of us rest each night in climate-controlled homes. We rise each morning from our comfortable bed, take a hot shower and grab food out of our refrigerator to enjoy breakfast. The worst part of our day is when we arrive at work and are forced to endure the elements for nearly 30 meters as we trek across the paved parking lot from our car to our office space. Yet, we are still tempted to complain” (Exodus 90, Pillars of Exodus 90 section).

This kind of sacrifice, as I said earlier, is at the heart of our Catholic faith. Suffering is considered a great blessing in the eyes of the Church, and the Church calls us to “partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2205). In our modern context, we are surrounded by comforts and conveniences.

“Many of the world’s comforts, though good in and of themselves, can actually hinder us from fulfilling this call, because they steal our opportunities for sacrifice. … Let’s think about this honestly. What do we (men in our western culture, at least) have to complain about? What do we have to offer up? Ask yourself, what daily suffering do I actually have to offer up to God for my family? Acts of asceticism quickly become indispensable to our spiritual work as Christian men once we realize the power of suffering in the spiritual life” (Exodus 90, Pillars of Exodus 90 section).

In the days leading up to the launch of this program on Jan. 21, we were led through the exercise of naming our “Why.” To undertake such a set of ascetical practices, for such a long period of time, you better know why you’re doing it. For me, this “why” came back to the state of the Church today with all the scandal and reports of priests and even bishops who have caused great harm to others. It has shaken me somewhat. I even have learned of some reports that involved priests I knew. I found myself yearning to do something to contribute to a solution.

The problem is so big, and even systemic, I didn’t know where to start, until I learned about Exodus 90. For me, this became the perfect way to respond to this crisis with something I knew would be hard, but I also knew would make a difference. I think many of the men doing this right now are drawn to it for similar reasons.

Exodus 90 may not be for you. I’m still not sure it’s for me! But, Lent is coming, and better to be thinking now about what the season holds for you than to get caught off guard with that question on Ash Wednesday.

Let’s make Lent different this year. Don’t start with the question, “What am I going to give up this year?” Don’t settle for another mediocre year of no chocolate or no coffee. How about start with “why?” Why would I give up something? What is God doing in my life and in my heart? How is God calling me into deeper relationship with him? How is he calling me to more intentional discipleship? If you take time to really pray and think about those questions, you will know exactly what you need to do for Lent this year.

It’s my prayer that Lent in 2019 will be a significant time of discipleship for our whole archdiocese. I think the many men doing Exodus 90 – Archbishop Coakley being among them – are leading the way.

There’s something different about this year. I pray that the grace of that reality would come in full force for all of us. May your Lent be a holy and fruitful one!