How Our October Challenge Works
Following a transformative St. Michael’s Lent—a season of prayer, fasting, and fraternity focused on healing through spiritual warfare—October marks a return to Ordinary Time and the next phase of our journey to freedom in Christ. Where St. Michael’s Lent called us to engage in battle against the devil and his demons, breaking free from the Pharaohs that have kept us wounded and enslaved, in the month of October we will shift our focus to the renewal and restoration of our hearts, preparing us for a mission. Having fought the spiritual battle and embarked on the quest of healing in Christ, we are now invited to take the next step toward wholeness by embracing wisdom, the fear of the Lord, and the noble quest for peace.
Now is the time to root ourselves more firmly in the virtues necessary for sustained spiritual health and growth. Building on the healing and victories gained through spiritual warfare, the daily readings and reflections from Sirach will guide you in seeking divine wisdom, helping you cultivate a life of deeper meaning and purpose. As lay men, we are not only responsible for defending our hearts from darkness, but also for leading a renewal of the Church and the world.
Each day, we will reflect on our role in this renewal—both personally and within our families, communities, and the Church. The wisdom of Scripture will be our guide to embrace the duty of a man of peace, justice, and integrity, while also deepening our relationships with God through the fear of the Lord, a fear that is not terror but reverence and awe for his holiness. As we strive to live out these virtues, we find a profound freedom that allows us to walk in God’s light, bringing peace to our homes, workplaces, and society.
Where St. Michael’s Lent helped us battle external forces that sought to keep us spiritually broken, this next phase is about strengthening the internal foundation upon which you stand. It is about becoming a man renewed in Christ, capable of leading with wisdom and bringing about the peace the world so desperately needs. This journey is not just for your own sake, but for the sake of the Church and all who look to you as a model of authentic masculinity and Christian leadership.
Through a renewed mind and a healed heart, you are being equipped to not only live in freedom but to be an agent of renewal in a world that often feels lost. Peace, wisdom, and holy fear will be your armor as you step forward, continuing the work that began in St. Michael’s Lent, but now with the power to rebuild, restore, and lead with the light of Christ.
- Read the daily Reading & Reflection from the Book of Sirach.
- 20 Minutes of Silent Prayer each day.
- Examine your Day.
- Regular Fraternity Meeting.
- Cold Shower Fridays.
- No Meat Fridays.
- Make one Holy Hour each week.
- Celebrate the Lord’s Day on Sundays & Feasts
It is never too late to invite a man into your fraternity. As you start, there may be men who want to join, especially in the first few weeks of St. Michael’s Lent.
🚀 After Our October Challenge
November is a month traditionally set aside to remember and pray for the dead. Death is a reality that generates a wide variety of reactions: fear, anxiety, obsession, or even complete disregard. How should a Christian man see and think of death, and how does this differ from the way our culture sees it? What duty do we have towards the dead?
- During the octave, the faithful can obtain one plenary indulgence each day for a departed soul by visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead.
- On All Souls Day in particular, another plenary indulgence can be obtained by visiting a church and praying an Our Father and the Creed.
- Additionally, a partial indulgence for a departed soul can be claimed on any day by reciting the Office of the Dead. In honor of this observance, we will pray together the Office of the Dead each day of the octave.
Every day, we pray for God’s blessing on all Exodus Men and their families. This prayer rightfully extends not only to the living but also to all those Exodus men who have died. In the last year, we have collected the names of more than 40 Exodus men who have gone before us, and entered them into our Book of the Dead so that we can remember and pray for our brothers in perpetuity. The Book of the Dead will be available on the app’s Home Tab throughout the month of November. If you know of any Exodus Man who has died, please send us his name, date of death, and a link to his obituary at support@exodus90.com.
During the month of November, we continue our baseline Plan of Life, incorporating any personal disciplines we feel will help us to continue making progress toward freedom and healing in Christ.
- Read the daily Reading & Reflection from the Gospel of Matthew
- 20 Minutes of Silent Prayer each day.
- Examine your Day.
- Regular Fraternity Meeting.
- Cold Shower Fridays.
- No Meat Fridays.
- Make one Holy Hour each week.
- Celebrate the Lord’s Day on Sundays & Feasts.
- Pray for the Dead
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👉 Lastly:
Our October Challenge will be challenging, but do not be afraid. There’s no such thing as a perfect journey.
More than 100,000 Exodus men have come before you. And tens of thousands of men from all over the world are on the road right now, praying and sacrificing for you too.
May we, united together in prayer and sacrifice, and after the pattern of Jesus Christ and our Fathers in the Faith, become the renewal that we seek in the Church and in the world.