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| The Law, Scripture, Prayer, and Penance |
I have observed and attempted the Exodus 90 (E90) program. I did it for a while last year, but I discussed it with my spiritual director (a priest), and then decided that the program was not for me (I came to this conclusion after some prayer and the realization that it was negatively affecting my health). A short time later, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, in large part due to the cold showers, and then I missed days at work due to the pneumonia.
There are many who have chosen to do the E90 program, and it can be of great benefit to men, but I have noticed some flaws in the program. If any decide to undertake the program, these are my recommendations for making a good E90.
1. Everything must be ordered to charity. If someone goes out of their way to bake you some dessert, or they prepare a meal for you on your fast day, or they buy you a soda, accept it humbly and silently. Especially if you are a seminarian or a priest, many cultures will go out of their way to offer you their best, and it would be offensive not to accept it. This does not mean that you go out seeking it, but if it comes your way, do not refuse it. The sacrifice of your own will for the sake of charity is more pleasing to God than fulfilling every one of your E90 commitments flawlessly.
2. The program must be tempered by silence about that fact that you are doing the E90 program. I am not saying that you must be super secretive about it, but that you do not openly offer the unnecessary information that you are doing it. I see lots of Facebook profile pics with the E90 logo, and I hear talk of people refusing foods or girlfriends with the explanation that, "Oh, no, I cannot.... I am on Exodus 90." Such a statement only engenders pride. My advice is to definitely not say that. When I was on it, a simple, "No, thank you," sufficed, while members of my family marveled and wondered what had gotten into me. I chuckled slightly, but moved on without a word. Why? Because our Lord told us, "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father." Three times in the same chapter of Saint Matthew, our Lord says to give alms and pray and fast in secret, assuring us that, "your Father who sees in secret will repay you." Simple, but difficult.
The readings from the Mass of Ash Wednesday are perfect for E90; if you are preparing for this challenge, I strongly recommend that you reflect on them.
- The first reading of Ash Wednesday is from Joel, and it has more to do with you and your fraternity doing E90 together: "Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; gather the people, notify the congregation...."
- The second reading is a reminder of why you are doing E90 in the first place: "be reconciled to God."
- The Gospel, from Saint Matthew, has much more to do with you individually, and how you begin and live the E90 program: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. ... But when you give alms...when you pray...when you fast...your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
3. There is a requirement on no dating. This should definitely be the case for seminarians and priests (no kidding!), but for the common layman? Instead of no dating, perhaps it would be good to give a series of talks on how to be a gentleman, on how to live holy purity while dating (including on setting up safeguards to defend holy purity), or on how to communicate respectfully and maturely with the feminine sex, or on what the purpose of dating and/or courtship should be (it's for discerning marriage, for discovering whether the woman one is dating is a suitable candidate to become one's wife and the mother of one's children; any prolonged dating without this express purpose becomes dangerous to the moral virtues of purity and chastity).
Proper etiquette in dealing with the feminine sex is a desirable and necessary quality. Opening doors for women, getting up and offering them the seats when there is only standing room left, tipping one's hat to them, doffing one's hat to kiss one's girlfriend/fiance on the cheek, avoiding the use of foul language in the presence of women (foul language should be avoided anyway, but especially in front of women): these and other such skills are called common courtesy, and they show women that you are capable of being a good husband to them and a good father to their children.
4. Married men must exercise prudence in how they live the daily commitments of E90. If one is prone to respiratory illnesses (as I am), they should state up front to their fraternity that they cannot do the cold showers (my mistake was not having done this up front). If a married man is considering doing E90, it is required that he talk to his wife about it. My suggestion: if you are married, listen to your wife's advice, because she should be your closest adviser. Often, when a man truly listens to his wife's prudent advice on matters such as this, even if she is suggesting that now may not be the right time to do E90, the man usually will not regret having heeded this advice.
5. Finally, if you are going to do this program, it is best to do it sometime during or soon after high school, before you get married. And if you have ever been a Catholic seminarian, especially a novice of the Legionaries of Christ (which I was for two years), then chances are, you've already met and exceeded the E90 program, and you are not missing anything if you decide not to do it. A priest once told me that priests should not have to do this because they should already be giving everything they have to God for the salvation of souls, that the priest's whole life should be a sacrifice and a daily offering to God.
Most importantly, I am not saying not to do it at all, but I am warning that, if not done with the right intention interiorly and with the right comportment exteriorly, the E90 program can actually become a danger to the soul because of the high level of pride it can engender. So if you do it, do it well, do it in a way that doesn't make others around you have to mortify themselves, and do not publicly and gratuitously tell everyone you meet that you are doing this program. Wait to tell others until after you are done.
