“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 the Daily Scripture & Reflection | Our Spiritual Guides, Frs. Innocent & Angelus Montgomery, will journey with us through this St. Michael's Lent as we reflect on our place in God's creation and read from St. Paul's letters to the Ephesians and Colossians.

30 Minutes of Silent Prayer | Time spent in silence with the Lord draws us into his transforming presence. The world today is full of frenetic activity and distraction. Take 30 minutes each day to be silent before the Lord and open up your heart to his inspiration.

Pray the Nicene Creed | The Nicene Creed is the symbol of our faith, which teaches who God is, the order and structure of creation, and his plan for its redemption. It should serve as the rule for faith and life.

Get a Full Night's Sleep (8 hours) | During St. Michael's Lent, we are arming ourselves for spiritual battle and to be healed through the saving power of Jesus Christ's victory over sin. Grace builds upon nature, however, and getting a full night's rest will be essential for this journey.

Wake Up at the Same Time each day | Waking up at a consistent time each day—even on weekends—is one of the simplest and most effective ways to get enough sleep and grow in discipline.

No Snoozing the Alarm Clock | St. Josemaria Escriva called the act of waking without snoozing a "heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and … up! The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body. If, with God’s help, you conquer yourself, you will be well ahead for the rest of the day."

No Social Media / News | Do not allow the news of the day to distract you from making progress toward freedom and healing in Jesus Christ. Remain focused on what truly matters most, the complete vision of reality set before us in faith.

Check in with your Anchor | As your fraternity is forming, pair off with another member of the group for daily check-ins. Share the highs and lows for the day and ask for prayer intentions. This can be a short text message, phone call, or by sending updates here in the Exodus 90 App.

Fast on Wednesday and Friday | We offer up Wednesday and Friday as special days of penance during St. Michael's Lent in memory of Christ’s betrayal by Judas and death on the Cross. Fast on these days by eating only one meal and two small meals (which added together are smaller than one meal).

No Meat on Wednesday and Friday | In addition to fasting on Wednesday and Friday, abstain from eating any flesh meat also. Fish, eggs, and dairy products are permitted.

Cold Shower Wednesday & Friday | Take cold showers on Wednesday and Friday, keeping your normal shower schedule. The difficulty of this practice reinforces the overall discipline we are building as we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God. Make this act an offering of love to God and offer it for the intention of others.

Hold Vigil for 1 Hour at 2am Friday Morning | Break your sleep at 2am on Friday morning for an hour keeping watch with the Lord. The ancient practice of holding night vigils will be a powerful weapon in our spiritual warfare during this summertime Lent. Conclude your hour reciting the St. Michael Prayer.

Weekly Fraternity Meeting | Once a week, everyone in your fraternity should meet to pray together and share the ups and downs of this journey to freedom. Stay faithful to the commitment you made to your brothers, doing your part to make your fraternity a committed band of brothers.

Celebrate the Lord's Day | Every Sunday is a Little Easter and should be observed with joyful celebration and rest. How many of us unknowingly resent the Lord's Day by succumbing to the Sunday blues? Pattern your day for prayer, family, and friends. Relax one of your disciplines in honor of the Resurrection.

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?"