Initiative of Prayer and Fasting from now through October 2019 (and the Synod)

A call has been issued by Card. Burke and Bp. Schneider to fast one day a week and, daily, to recite one decade of the Holy Rosary in the lead up to, the prosecution of, and the immediate aftermath of the upcoming Synod of Bishop which will deal with the Amazon.

The Instrumentum Laboris or “working document” for the Synod is deeply troubling.  A proof that it is troubling is the division that it is causing.   Some are questioning certain elements are veering into heresy.  Others defend … well, not sure… perhaps the document but surely the intention behind the document at those who produced it by launching accusations of “schism”.

The whole thing smacks of the sort of diabolical plot that calls precisely for prayer and fasting.

If you are not used to prayer and fasting, this is a good time to get used to it.  Start small if need be.  One decade isn’t hard.  Just set a time and do it.  Especially in the family home.   Fasting?  We get good at things by doing those things.   Start small and see what happens.   One day, one meal.  Cut down.  Offer it for the working of the Synod and God’s guiding hand.

And GO TO CONFESSION!

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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14 Comments

  1. Ellen says:

    I’m in for this.

  2. Elizabeth Rose says:

    I am in, too

  3. carndt says:

    Going to a lecture on Spiritual Warfare at my parish tonight. Will definitely announce this.

  4. carndt says:

    I’m in and started today.

  5. Gaetano says:

    Our pastor sent a parish-wide email about this. We are doing it together as a family.

  6. Gab says:

    Dumb question but is the call to recite one decade of the Holy Rosary meant in addition to the daily Rosary already said?

  7. Chris Garton-Zavesky says:

    I’m in, but I have a clarification. If one prays the family’s rosary for this intention, and doesn’t pray a separate, distinct decade, does this satisfy the intent?

  8. JonathanTX says:

    Only a handful of bishops are speaking out about the dangers of the Amazon Synod.. out of 5501 living bishops in the world.

    Are the rest complicit with the goals of the working document? or just not paying attention?

  9. Julia_Augusta says:

    I’m starting with the Ember Days – Sept 18, 20 and 21.

    [How about a decade of the Rosary every day and one day of fasting per week?]

  10. Benedict Joseph says:

    “Diabolical plot.”
    That’s it in a nutshell with no ambiguity. The truth straight up.
    The Rosary is every day for years. Five more Oreos in the bag. When they disappear the fasting begins! [Should be quite shortly.] It will be a long walk into Autumn.

  11. Pingback: Fast Reminder | New Amsterdam Perennialist

  12. Toan says:

    I started intermittent fasting…a lot of people do this type of fasting purely for health reasons, but clearly it can be done for spiritual purposes also. Basically I fast for 16 hours and can eat the next 8 hours, then repeat. Sometimes I extend the fast to 18 hours, as happens when I’m busy. I’m aiming 5 days per week. Coffee in morning is OK.

    I’m finding it’s doable–it takes intentional effort to restrain my eating (particularly since I work from home usually), and yet it doesn’t negatively affect my mood or effectiveness at work, which has been my excuse for not fasting much in the past. I recommend it.

    The app called Zero helps get you started. It’s helpful when you’re not yet in the habit of doing this type of fast.

  13. CanukFrank says:

    Started today. Currently fasting (as per current Church guidelines; 2 small ‘snacks’ + 1 main meal) on Weds (for my son) and fasting and abstaining on Fridays for “Special Intentions” ( which will be this).

  14. Imrahil says:

    Yes, I plan to take do that. I by now, without pressure, fast and abstain on Ember Days anyways (though the abstaining today will be difficult), so one day in the week should be fine. In fact, the bigger change for me is, though I regret to say it, the daily decade, especially if said (as I plan to) as a distinct prayer time (i. e. not while cycling to work or doing sports). But I think I can even now say it has proved beneficial even beyond it own scope, and suddenly worked out into a whole rosary so far – one decade distinctly, four on the bike.

    Note that while I am convinced that fasting and praying for the Church are good things, and also that there is peculiar danger right now and that Cardinal Burke, Bishop Schneider etc. are “our guys” as it were, my (attempted) participation in the prayer and fasting does not mean any final judgment on my side whether the Instrumentum laboris is as bad as they say ad does contain the errors they say. The time for that is when I shall have studied the matter; until such time, I suspect and fear they are right.

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