The Forgotten History of Catholic Fasting & Abstinence

In today’s special episode published on Ember Wednesday, I address the forgotten history of Catholic fasting and abstinence based on a talk I gave to the Young Adults of St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, IL

For more information, pick up a copy of "The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence," of which even many Catholic priests said that 95% of it was new to them. 

Fasting is one of the chief means of penance we can perform to make satisfaction for sin, as our Lady of Fatima repeatedly called for. However, in a modern Church that legislates fasting only two days a year, we find a woefully lacking answer to Heaven’s incessant calls for penance and reparation. Understanding the decline of fasting over time in the Church should inspire us to observe these older customs and to encourage other Catholics to do so for the purpose of making satisfaction for sin.

While the purpose of fasting has remained the same, how fasting is observed has changed. As more Catholics seek to rediscover the traditions of earlier centuries and piously observe these traditions, they are often confused by the changing disciplines and exceptions for certain times, places, and circumstances. St. Francis de Sales remarked, “If you’re able to fast, you will do well to observe some days beyond what are ordered by the Church.”

“The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence fills a great lacuna in the life of the Church. Matthew’s articulate and cogent account of an integral Catholic way of life is one which gives rightful place to the body and its healthy, holistic, and holy subordination to the soul and spirit. Matthew’s book is not only a call to arms, but a call to the recovery of the vital narrative memories of the saints of yesterday, who in their fundamental anthropology, struggles, and strivings are no different from us, the saints of today. With sobriety, intelligence, and authentic piety, The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence serves as a point of reference, understanding, and motivation so that the strength and the joy of our forefathers may be ours in the here and now.” (Father Cassian DiRocco)

Read more >>

Why & How to Make a Family Necrology

What Is Necrology

A necrology refers to a list or record of individuals who have died, especially within a specific community, organization, or during a particular time period. In the context of the Church, religious orders will keep necrologies to record the anniversary of the death of the members of the Order. This gives the community the opportunity to remember to pray for the repose of the soul of its members – even members who died long before the current members were alive. In so doing, we are performing a spiritual work of mercy for souls.

Why Make A Necrology

While we often think of praying for the dead in the month of November, all year we have ample opportunities to pray for the souls of the departed. Through almsgiving, penance, and fasting done with the intention of freeing souls in Purgatory, we can directly help the souls in the Church Suffering. And these souls, when freed from their purgation, shall certainly pray without ceasing for our salvation. 

As we know by Faith, the souls of the suffering in Purgatory can benefit from the prayers and sacrifices of the souls on earth who pray and make reparation while in the state of grace. What have you done for the souls of our brothers and sisters in purgatory who suffer because of their sins?  They cannot pray for themselves but you can free them from their sorrows by making reparation for their sins!

How to Make A Family Necrology

Many people enjoy making family trees and researching their genealogy. And while it may be interesting to learn where your forefathers lived, we should not stop at merely researching their names and dates. These were real people. Their souls are still alive. They are still family members even if centuries separate us from them. We have a familial obligation to pray for their souls. When all who knew them on earth have long since died, we can still pray for their souls each and every year on the anniversary of their death and their birthdays. 

Step 1: Start with the family members who have died that you personally knew on earth. List the names, birthdays, and anniversary of death for everyone in your family tree that you know of. 

Step 2: Next, you can use resources like Ancestry.com or other websites to find the names and dates of other, more distant family members. When you find them, add them to your list.

Step 3: After you have a list, add a recurring reminder to your digital calendars so you can pray for the repose of the soul of each person on the anniversary of their death. If you do not use a digital calendar, make a list ideally in date order (i.e. January through December) and print it out. Keep it near your home altar or prayer corner. Refer to it often so you are not only living liturgically by commemorating the saints of each day but also by recalling the death of your family members and recommending their souls to God.

Step 4: As part of our daily prayers, we should also pray for all our forefathers and ancestors whose names we do not know. To this end, the following prayer for the forgotten dead can be one we print out and say each day:

O merciful God, take pity on those souls who have no particular friends and intercessors to recommend them to Thee, who, either through the negligence of those who are alive, or through length of time are forgotten by their friends and by all. Spare them, O Lord, and remember Thine own mercy, when others forget to appeal to it. Let not the souls which Thou hast created be parted from thee, their Creator. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

May the Lord, in His loving compassion, have mercy on all of our ancestors. May any in Purgatory be soon released and enjoy eternal beatitude in Heaven.

Read more >>

A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 83

In today’s episode, on the 17th Sunday after Pentecost, I address the following:

1. Ember Day Reminder & Their Cultural Importance
2. How & Why to Avoid the Near Occasions of Sin

I would like to thank CatechismClass.com for sponsoring this episode.  CatechismClass.com, the leader in online Catholic catechism classes, has everything from online K-12 programs, RCIA classes, adult continuing education, marriage preparation, baptism preparation, confirmation prep, quince prep classes, catechist training courses, and much more. It is never too late to study the fullness of the Catholic Faith, and CatechismClass.com is the gold standard for authentic Catholic online formation. During the Season after Pentecost, we celebrate many incredible days, such as the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Ss. Peter and Paul, the Assumption, and so much more. Save 25% with discount code Pentecost25 on their special course.   

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

Read more >>

A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 82

In today’s episode, on the Nativity of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, I address the following: 

1. Customs for Our Lady’s Nativity
2. Customs for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
3. Reminder on Upcoming Ember Days

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin conveniently on the go. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic renderings of Latin words. PrayLatin.com offers prayer cards in various formats, including Latin-English rosary pamphlets with the traditional 15 mysteries. Shop for additional Latin resources like missal booklets, server response cards, and more. Visit PrayLatin.com today.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

Read more >>

A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 81

In today’s episode, on the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, I address the following:

1. A Reflection on the 15th Sunday after Pentecost
2. September Devotions in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows
3. The Feast of St. Pius X
4. The Errors of Modern Philosophy

I would like to thank CatechismClass.com for sponsoring this episode.  CatechismClass.com, the leader in online Catholic catechism classes, has everything from online K-12 programs, RCIA classes, adult continuing education, marriage preparation, baptism preparation, confirmation prep, quince prep classes, catechist training courses, and much more. It is never too late to study the fullness of the Catholic Faith, and CatechismClass.com is the gold standard for authentic Catholic online formation. During the Season after Pentecost, we celebrate many incredible days, such as the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Ss. Peter and Paul, the Assumption, and so much more. Save 25% with discount code Pentecost25 on their special course.   

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

Read more >>