Exodus 90 offers men a prayerful opportunity to grow

A 90-day spiritual exercise focused on fraternity, asceticism and prayer, Exodus 90 challenges men to leave behind the distractions and temptations of the modern world. By removing those impediments that can enslave, men instead fill their lives with prayer and sacrifice, allowing them the freedom to become who God made them to be.

In recent years, men around the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City have taken on the challenge of Exodus 90, finding many benefits.

Exodus, the second book of the Old Testament, tells of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, from slavery to freedom. Their adventure was a bit longer than 90 days – for 40 years they wandered in the wilderness, relying on God and each other for survival. Once they finally arrived in the Promised Land, they were a changed people. 

A key aspect of Exodus 90 is that participants do not go on the journey alone, as fraternity stands as one of the main pillars of Exodus 90. Groups are formed every year at parishes and among colleagues and friends, providing much needed, built-in support. 

Deacon Paul Lewis, of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Mustang, first took part in Exodus 90 in 2019. 

“One of the most important parts of Exodus 90 is to find a good group of guys to walk with,” he recently shared. 

The expectation is that groups meet each week to discuss the highs and the lows of the journey, to pray together and even to exercise together. By walking together through Exodus 90, strong friendships in Christ are formed. In 2019, Deacon Paul’s Exodus 90 group faithfully met each week. Nearly seven years later, his group continues to meet weekly, deepening their brotherhood through prayer and camaraderie. 

“There’s a real brotherhood that forms by going through something difficult with others,” Deacon Paul said. 

Another pillar of the program is asceticism, or disciplines. People who have heard of Exodus 90, have certainly heard of at least one of the disciplines: cold showers. By seemingly small daily sacrifices, men grow in the power to say “no” to the bigger vices of the world that hold them back.

“The cold showers weren’t fun, that’s for sure,” Deacon Paul said. “But after a week or two, you get used to them. I found other disciplines to be more difficult, but by turning that suffering over to God, I found great growth.” 

Miguel Mireles, the executive director of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine, did Exodus 90 a few years ago with colleagues from the Catholic Pastoral Center. He, too, found the various disciplines challenging, but by avoiding those things that can waste time, he was free to dig deeper into prayer. 

“Each day you’re expected to pray a holy hour,” Mireles said, “and this allows lots of time to explore different devotions. I came away from my Exodus 90 experience with a deepened devotion to the Rosary and to Mary.” 

By taking part in Exodus 90, men can go on a journey to find themselves and to forge a deeper connection with Christ. As for the number 90, that many days is the timeline believed to break old habits and form new ones. 

Exodus 90 begins anew on Jan. 5. While the 90-day journey ends on Easter Sunday, the 91st day can really be just the beginning of the rest of someone’s life, as they journey towards eternity. 

As Saint Catherine of Sienna said, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” 

To learn more about Exodus 90, visit exodus90.com, or download the Exodus 90 app. 

Christopher Aderhold is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.