"In prayer you shall perceive ... the way out of every situation that has no exit." 
                                                                                                           - Medjugorje March 28, 1985

"Do novenas of fasting and renunciation so that satan be far from you and grace be around you"                                                                                                             -  Medjugorje July 25, 2005

Each year when Advent rolls around, Christians are given the opportunity to reanchor themselves to the liturgical year instead of the secular celebrations of a premature commercial Christmas completely devoid of Christ.  Even the word “Christmas” has been edged out for the more generic “Happy Holidays!” While the public square demands attention with its music, decorations, and enticements to the frenzied buying of gifts, we as the Body of Christ are offered a much more beautiful quiet time of reflection, anticipation, and yes, penance and fasting, as we wait for the celebration of Christ’s first coming.

Adventus means arrival. As we wait for the birth of Our Savior, we sing songs of expectation and not “Joy to the world, the Lord has come”….. yet. Songs like “O come, O come Emmanuel,” and “On Jordan’s Bank” better express our anticipation.

Advent has often been called “the Little Lent,” and at the same time as our post Christian culture is feasting (celebrating what, we’d like to know), we are fasting. Only in modern times has fasting been neglected, a sad abandonment of a powerful tool of spiritual warfare.

Those of us who are already fasting on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays have an opportunity to augment our spiritual offering to God in gratitude for His incarnation- “incarnation” literally meaning “coming into the flesh.” For the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day and the twelve day Christmas season, we can contemplate other ways to deny ourselves. Remember friends, one of Jesus’ words about how to know if we are true disciples is if we deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him. 

For Advent then, pray about how you can offer up more self denial. If you are currently fasting only until noon, perhaps you could increase to all day. If you are only fasting one day, perhaps you could make it two. If you are already fasting the two days, perhaps you could skip five more meals a week. Some of us are fasting on one meal a day during Advent, excepting Sundays, of course. Some are making a decision not to snack, and some have decided to eschew rich foods such as meat or sweets. Every day we make decisions on what to eat, where, and with whom. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide as to how to simplify your food. God sees and receives your every offering.

Fasting practices in history have varied so much that there is no one way one has to fast. Our Lady did say at Medjugorie that “bread and water is the best fast,” so we use that as our guide. There are wonderful breads such as Ezekiel Bread made from Biblical principles that feed your body simply but adequately. 

A sneak peak for another fast coming up in December is one of the seasonal Ember Day fasts in which Wed/Friday fasting extends to the following Saturday. The winter Ember Day fast begins after St Lucy’s Day on December 13, so we will be fasting on the 14th, 16th and 17th. 

May your fasting and prayer lead you into a richer observation of Advent, ignoring the culture’s poor offerings and reliving back true Christian culture in our homes.

Why We Fast – Our Core Fasting Intentions

1) For the Holy Spirit to reign down upon America renewing our land as the Christian, capitalist meritocracy we were founded to be.

2) For the protection of our police, firefighters, military and their families from harm and that the Lord bless their courageous generosity on our behalf one hundredfold.

3) For the protection of the families who fast with us, and for God’s blessings of abundance upon them and that true to His word, we will be able to witness that He prospered us in famine.

Would you like to learn more about fasting?

We maintain a repository of ideas and information we have learned over the last decade while fasting weekly for America. From scientific studies on the benefits of fasting, to the differences between intermittent dieting vs intermittent fasting, to scriptural references regarding the power of fasting to the history of first century Christians who stated believers are obligated to fast weekly, we hope you will find numerous insights with our free resource located here.

Together let us also implore Heaven while fasting for intentions you have highlighted:

4) For Mike Lindell who is putting himself on the front lines suing over the election fraud that has taken place and for all of the warriors who are stepping up around the nation to fight for the gospel – May The Father cover them in the blood of our savior,  protect them and their families from evil and bring victory to their endeavors.

5) For priests, ministers and all who aspire to lead others to the Lord, that the Holy Spirit will reign down upon them as at Pentecost filling them to overflowing with an understanding of what the Lord wants, courage and the desire to preach what He would have them preach and protection and strength from all evil that comes against them. 

6) For the Americans jailed after January 6th who were admitted to the Capitol building by the police, and who were not found to have destroyed any property at the capitol yet who have been held captive ever since on our own soil - That God's Spirit will move quickly to bring justice back to this land by freeing them while enlightening Americans how to bring God's justice back to our nation.

Who We Are