What are you giving up for Lent?
Commence Your Fasting Discipline with a 40-Day Lenten Journey Towards One Meal a Day
Is real conversion possible? How does one undergo a total 180-degree change of direction? This idea of a metanoia—often translated as “repentance”—suggests so much more than sackcloth and ashes. While a humble and critical self-reflection may be a prerequisite for reconfiguring one's desires and priorities, it’s often not enough. Prayer has long been my go-to practice when I’ve lost my way and don’t know where to start. But I have often found the complementary discipline of fasting to be the missing piece that makes my aspirations to do and be better real.
Over the past several seasons of Lent, I have revisited and refined a 40-day guide to aid the development of a sustainable fasting habit. This program is based on the ancient monastic fasting tradition of eating just one meal a day – a core plank of the moderate yet disciplined rule established by St. Benedict for aspiring “Cenobites” in the 6th century AD. The rule was written as a kind of litmus test for one’s readiness to renounce the world and live for Christ within the confines of a monastic community. In honor of the founder of Western monasticism, I have named my guide The Benedict Challenge.
Originally presented as a video course in 2021, I updated the material into a series of weekly Substack posts last Lent. This year, after extensive improvements, I have finally arranged the ideas into a compact book that combines important background on fasting—its history, traditions, and modern science—with a suggested Lenten discipline. I’ve also added a 100+ page daily journal to provide additional structure for the 40-day journey of spiritual and physical transformation.
Over the course of the 7 weeks, the fasting protocol transitions participants from the customary three meals (no snacking!) spread over 12 hours to eating just one meal a day by the end of Lent. Woven throughout is a system for identifying and overcoming our destructive habits (read: demons) through the discipline acquired from rigorous prayer and fasting. Lastly, the journal takes a page out of my friend David Clayton’s book The Vision for You, and provides a template for daily and weekly reflections about your vocation.
Are you moving in the right direction? If not, why bother moving forward at all?
I’ll be the first to admit that fasting and Lent do not initially scream “Fun!” I enjoy my breakfast of hamburger and eggs, washed down with coffee or tea containing liberal portions of cream and honey.
However, there is something energetic and vital about fasting that has been lost over time—something that the early saints knew well. The Catholic Church’s fasting discipline began to decline centuries ago, and this decline has accelerated in the past 100 years. Today, there are only two days each year when fasting is required: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Even on these days, the One Meal requirement has been watered down with the allowance of two “collations” or smaller meals leading up to dinner.
I document the reasons behind this decline at the beginning of the book, although my concern is less with the reasons for the death of Catholic fasting and more focused on practical ways we can reinvent fasting as a living tradition. There are many trendy guides to “intermittent fasting” for weight loss, life extension, and the like. However, few connect these physical benefits to the deeper spiritual riches available through fasting. When coupled with prayer and sincere repentance (metanoia), I have found fasting to be a vital aid in my spiritual life. My aim is to contribute to a revival of this lost tradition – making it accessible for modern Catholics seeking a clear rule rooted in the wisdom of the saints.
Join the Test Cohort
Tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. While the paperback is still pending publication (hurry up Amazon review staff!), I have prepared a temporary abridged PDF version with the basic roadmap and first two weeks of the journal, which I will share with those interested in a preview.
I invite you to join a test group for the program and provide feedback. If you join, you'll receive:
Advance access to the fasting roadmap
First two weeks of the daily journal + the first four book chapters.
A link to a private group where I’ll be hosting weekly informal video calls for support and accountability
Opportunity to shape future iterations of the program
There is no cost except a commitment to attempt the first week and share any feedback. For those who wish to continue, you will be able to purchase the full paperback journal starting later this week for $14.95. Lastly, you do not need to be Catholic or even Christian to participate, although I wrote the book to appeal to Catholic men.
What Are You Getting Yourself Into?
You’ll have to read the abridged guide to find out exactly what the program entails, but the key emphasis is on establishing a sustainable rhythm of fasting, avoiding the extremes of austerity practiced by certain monastic orders during the later Middle Ages. Such stringency often proved impossible to maintain long-term and is part of the reason for the decline.
The essence of the Benedict Challenge, following its namesake’s original rule, is a return to the original monastic fasting tradition of One Meal a Day. It’s become popular to give up certain things for Lent. This protocol provides flexibility for additional abstinences from indulgences like sweets or alcohol (should you decide you need to eliminate them). However, these sacrifices should not obstruct fidelity to the central pillar of the One Meal a Day fast.
If you’re feeling lukewarm about your current direction and are open to a deeper encounter with the living God, I hope you’ll join me for the next 40 days.
As we turn the page into Ash Wednesday, I leave you with the words of St. Benedict from his Rule as final motivation to begin this challenge with boldness:
“[W]e must prepare our hearts and our bodies to do battle under the holy obedience of His commands. If we want … to attain everlasting life, while there is still time, while we are still in the body, and are able to fulfill all these things by the light of this life, we must hasten to do now what will profit us to eternity.”