“It is absurd not to rejoice in the soul’s health, and rather to sorrow over the change in food and to appear to favor the pleasure of the stomach over the care of the soul. After all, while self-indulgence gratifies the stomach, fasting brings gain to the soul” (St. Basil the Great, First Homily on Fasting).

Asceticism has played a role in every age of human civilization. From the very beginning of mankind, the Lord called man to fast. He commanded Adam and Eve to abstain from the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 2:17). Esau lost his birthright when he failed to fast (see Genesis 25:30-34). Samuel was given to his mother when she fasted and prayed (see 1 Samuel 1:13-16). Samson’s unconquerable heroism was brought about by fasting (see Judges 13:4). The list goes on.

When you say no to your whimsical impulses, you become stronger. When you say no to the weakness of the flesh, both the flesh and the soul are emboldened. And when you say no to vice, you say yes to virtue. As St. Basil says, “True fasting is being a stranger to vice” (First Homily on Fasting). The virtuous life is the life of the free man.

Elite performers measure their progress to signal whether they are advancing toward their goal. The disciplines tab on this was designed to help you track your progress throughout this exercise.

You can mark each discipline as complete each day, and the app will track your streak. This kind of habit tracking is helpful because it: it acts as a visual cue to remind you to complete the disciples. It motivates you to make progress and build up your streaks. It is satisfying to see the results. As you check off the disciplines you complete each day, you will start to see your strengths and weaknesses. This can give you helpful insight into where you need to improve. Building a habit of virtue takes time—a whole lifetime, really. You may not see the fruits immediately. So count these small wins as they occur. It is both helpful and encouraging to see small streaks begin to develop.

Each season contains a specific list of ascetic disciplines to help you find uncommon freedom. These practices are not empty penances. They are God’s roadmap to freedom.

By committing to this list of ascetic disciplines, you and tens of thousands of other men will seek the uncommon freedom to which the Lord is calling you. This list of disciplines touches most aspects of daily life. As you read this list, some of the disciplines may sound very easy, and some may sound impossible. Be open to whatever the Lord is asking of you—do not harden your heart.

Read Easter Reading & Reflection | Easter brings us into the Promised Land, a place of deeper communion with God that Christ has won for us in his Resurrection. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses prepared Israel to realize the Exodus journey in a life of freedom with God. Likewise, we will follow Jesus into the fulfillment of his plan for us to live in uncommon freedom as we celebrate his victory.

20 Minutes of Silent Prayer | We experience the joy of Easter primarily in prayer. By setting aside twenty minutes of silent prayer, expressed in meditation and personal prayer, we find the peace we need to live out the gifts of new life in Christ. In silence, God slowly transforms us from within and prepares us to embrace his will for us.

Embrace Your Personal Mission | After the Resurrection, Jesus sent his apostles on a mission to the nations. As Christian men, we take up our own role within the mission of the Church in our prayer, family life, and work. Easter provides us an opportunity to reflect and act upon God’s call in our lives, which he has empowered through his Holy Spirit.

Renew Your Baptismal Promises | Baptism draws us into Jesus’s Death and Resurrection. Just as converts receive Baptism at the Easter Vigil, all Christians renew the promises made at Baptism to renounce Satan, believe in God and his plan of salvation, and live out this faith. Firmly renewing these promises can become a source of renewal, enabling us to embrace our personal mission.

Build a New, Daily Habit | The new life of the Promised Land takes shape through daily concrete habits. Focusing on building one particular habit over the course of the Easter season will begin a process of lasting change. This habit can maintain newfound freedom, address a lingering problem, express the holy leisure of Easter, or propel your personal mission forward.

Regular Fraternity Social | The Christian life relies on the support of community. To express the joy of the Easter season, we celebrate as a fraternity. This includes opportunities for feasting, recreation, and leisure throughout the Easter season. You can invite family members and friends to join on occasion as well. During these events, we continue to pray together and to support one another as we embrace our mission.

No Meat Friday | Even in a festive season, Fridays remain a day of penance (except on the most solemn days, such as in the Easter Octave). The need to embrace the Cross continues even after we receive the fruits of Jesus’s Resurrection because the battle against temptation remains. These days of sacrifice help us to grow in love for God and to intercede for others.

Celebrate the Lord’s Day | Sundays are the Lord’s Day, the Day the Resurrection, dedicated to divine worship and acts of leisure that express the freedom it brings. The Lord’s Day reminds us that we are made for more than the daily concerns of this life, calling us to live joyfully as sons of the Father. We celebrate the day with our family and friends as a means of honoring God and finding rest in him.

You can also add your own personal disciplines on the disciplines tab. You may be going to pray a rosary every day or get out of bed by a certain time every morning. You can add any disciplines you are committing to at the bottom of the disciplines tab.

For a full guide, check out "How Do I Add a Personal Discipline?"