One of the key, and providential, results of Septuagesima70 has been the ongoing fruit that the programme has borne for its followers throughout the year, well after cold showers are put behind us (or some of us).

 

What do I mean? Many people have told me how what they learnt through Septuagesima70 was so good that they began to incorporate some of it in their ordinary spiritual lives. For some it was the fasting, for some the litanies, for example, for others, yes, even the occasional cold shower throughout the year.

 

This was always my hope. That this was a programme that you didn’t just liberate yourself from, but rather would be the foundation for deeper spiritual and human growth. 

 

A deep hope of mine was that perhaps some of us would feel a desire to return to the Church’s ancient practices at Lent, with the strict fast, the fast of the last two weeks for most of us, for the entire six weeks of Lent. Before you get too shocked, remember, maybe until, let’s say 80 years ago, all Catholics lived this, and under pain of mortal sin. It is fascinating to read older texts speaking of the need for dispensations - for eggs on some days for manual labourers - which would have been real, and were the concern of Bishops. We went from the occasional dispensation to the practice of hardly fasting at all.

 

Hence Septuagesima70HARD. Have you felt a desire in your soul to live the Church’s ancient Lenten practices? Well this is for you. It’s not for everyone, and I’m opening it to those who have done Septuagesima70 already. If you haven’t, then I suggest you start there. It’s not what we do, but the love and motivation with which we do it. Doing Sept70HARD is not going to necessarily get us into heaven, nor failing at it in our time will be under pain of sin, but, I might feel a call to do something for my sins, for the sins of the world, for the sins of the clergy.

 

What is it? It’s quite simple. There will be the usual first period, with one penance of the many adopted, as per usual, but this time in these weeks, our thoughts must turn to preparation for the remaining six weeks, as our ancestors did. Getting rid of most of the dairy slowly, alcohol, chocolate etc. so that temptation is not before my eyes and my lips.

 

In Septuagesima70HARD there are only two periods. The first of Septuagesima which just described and the second which proceeds from Ash Wednesday until the Triduum. We will live all of the practices of the third period throughout the whole of Lent. This is the difference. There is no intermediate period. We will fast from meat, dairy, eggs, oil, alcohol, dessert etc. It’s basically simple veggies for the whole of Lent, plenty of bread.

Naturally on Sundays there can be a release in one penance (not of food) as per usual. On major feast days there will be the usual customary release from all penances. The ember days, will be days of fasting (level one: bread and water; level two: eating at sundown).

 

Welcome to Septuagesima70HARD.

 

To subscribe to it please contact me on Telegram: @FrWithoos

 

Good luck and Coraggio!

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