The Way of Asceticism

Asceticism is about saying “no” to lesser things so that we can say “yes” when God asks greater things from us. By denying ourselves, we learn to depend upon God for everything and to ask our brothers for prayerful accountability,

“If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Asceticism means acts of self-denial. Though it is often underemphasized in our time, throughout Church history we see the importance of asceticism in the teachings and lives of the saints.

Asceticism is about saying “no” to lesser things so that we can say “yes” when God asks greater things from us. By denying ourselves, we learn to depend upon God for everything and to ask our brothers for prayerful accountability, support, and encouragement.

The disciplines of Exodus 90 have been crafted intentionally for men of our time, and they have become profoundly fruitful in the lives of more than 100,000 men all over the world over the past ten years. We encourage you to accept them as they are and not to change, modify, or outdo them.

If there’s a discipline you’re not able to do for good reason, simply share that with your anchor and fraternity. If you need to work yourself up into a discipline over the coming days or weeks, it’s perfectly fine to walk before you run. What’s important is that you start, make progress, and strive towards the standards that have been set before you.

To review the Exodus 90 disciplines, check in with your fraternity, or log your disciplines in the Exodus app, click here.


There are hundreds of Exodus Communities all over the U.S. You can find a local community near you by downloading the Exodus 90 app today:

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