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Prayer, Fasting, Abstaining…. Mortification
Everyday when I drive home I listen to the Catholic Radio ( 950 / 930 AM ). In Kansas City we did not have Relevant Radio, but we did have EWTN Radio (1090 AM). I really enjoy listening to Catholic radio and even had Sirius for unintrrupted EWTN and also The Catholic Channel. I was a regular caller in on “The Catholic Guy” program - I even won a Popener.. but I digress
Usually on my drive home I get to listen to the replay of “Go Ask your Father”, a call in program where anyone can ask a priest just about anything (I enjoy all the priests but Fr. Rich Simon has really grown on me). Tonight a caller called an and stated that if we wanted to really see the end of Abortion in this country we need to add fasting to our prayer. Shes was very upset that she didn’t hear fasting preached and wanted to get the word out that by fasting is the way scripture says we should add to our prayer.
This started the wheels in my brain turning, when we first started attending the Extraordinary Form with the FSSP and ICRSS in Kansas City they would constantly preach about mortification. Depriving ourselves of our desires for us to grow in holiness. Some of the recommended mortification methods that were suggested were: when you kneel to pray, kneel on your hands. cut back on simple little pleasures, waking up extra early to say prayers, and of course fasting and abstaining. At the time I stopped putting cream and sugar in my coffee, drinking it straight black (another suggestion from them) and it was very difficult for me at first but then it became quite enjoyable. Now I can not drink coffee with cream and sugar, as it tastes quite odd and out of place to me.
So what is the point of this post you may ask? Well dear reader it is this: Today is Friday, will you join me in abstaining from Meat today - and every Friday - as a little mortification for your prayer intentions. I am fully aware that this is no longer required per Canon Law when you replace it with another small act of penance through the day (an extra rosary, time with the Blessed Sacrament, etc.)
With these slow, deliberate acts for our Lord, may we humble ourselves for the conversion of sinners.
St. Jose Maria Escriva + Ora Pro Nobis
