Ninevah 90 Challenge & the 100-Year Anniversary of Fatima

[Paganus]

Well I had a rough week. The first week was A-OK and I thought, gee, this isn’t so bad at all! Then as of the 20th, I was down with the cold all this week. I was able to keep some of the fasting going, the Rosary novena no problem but the Angelus was not done on schedule (6/12/6) but I did my best so I’m not going to give up. The TV/internet time was blown…but I’m raring to get up and get started at this again this week.

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good! They don’t sell Angelus clocks anymore, so my Angelus can be a moveable feast as well. It’s all good.

I am going to really try getting to Confession on Tuesday so that I have a fresh start for Lent. I found when I’ve done this in the past it does help give me that extra boost at the start of Lent.

Amen! We all swarmed the confessional on Saturday and - it makes a HUGE difference! Love it. I used to get to go twice a week… now once a month is all I can manage. But it’s key!

I do believe this challenge is pleasing to God and graces are being poured on us to help us do this.

Ditto! Have you tried the musical fasting? I think it’s completely optional, but I spent the first two weeks in silence. Now Gregorian chant sounds like carnival music! Just in time for… Carnival! Neat trick, that. Unfortunately I don’t see any hard rock on the musical menu. This is going to be interesting.

 

[Paganus]

How is your Ninevah 90 going?

Day 29 and looking forward to listening to polyphony for two weeks. It’s been fun listening to Gregorian Chant for two weeks. Interestingly I have noticed that I kept returning to the Chant album performed by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. It just seems to have a better sound than my other chant albums. If I kept this up I would have to start saying my prayers in Latin.

Wednesday-Friday bread and water fasting now feels absolutely routine.

Starting to have trouble keeping up with my prayers. Somehow we missed our rosary over the weekend (!). We’re playing catch-up today. I also need an Angelus app that rings the bell at 6-12-6.

 

[Saber_Mom]

I have an Angelus app by Magnificat. It has helped tremendously. I am also doing Nineveh 90.

I have done well with praying, but exercise and fasting - just horrible. I’m sure the Lord is very disappointed in me. My willpower is weak.

 

[Paganus]

I have an Angelus app by Magnificat. It has helped tremendously. I am also doing Nineveh 90…

I will have to get that app!

I have done well with praying, but exercise and fasting - just horrible. I’m sure the Lord is very disappointed in me. My willpower is weak.

Disappointed? I don’t think he expects us to succeed in everything we attempt - just as long as we do our best. If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly.

I am not looking forward to fasting on St. Pat’s tomorrow, but for some reason the USCCB has not made it a Solemnity. I’ll have to offer it up - and have my pint and my feast on Sunday. :irish3:

 

[Saber_Mom]

Our Bishop has dispensed us (is that the right word?) from the obligation.

However, I am not fasting on Fridays and Wednesdays due to my chronic illness. I do the normal Ash Wednesday/Good Friday fast. Two small snacks and one meal - probably not even that. But I do need protein to get through the day, so I eat.

My kids are looking forward to corned beef from friends of ours. I’m trying to talk them into waiting a day. Our bishop said that if we do have meat today, we are to abstain another day. I feel we might as well abstain today anyway.

 

[Paganus]

Our Bishop has dispensed us (is that the right word?) from the obligation.

God bless your Bishop! May the sound of happy music, and the lilt of Irish laughter, fill his heart with gladness, that stays forever after. :shamrock2:

However, I am not fasting on Fridays and Wednesdays due to my chronic illness. I do the normal Ash Wednesday/Good Friday fast. Two small snacks and one meal - probably not even that. But I do need protein to get through the day, so I eat.

I would go ever further - anyone who is fasting and is turning into a grump should quit! It’s no good if it’s not benefitting you spiritually. Fortunately, there are many things we can fast from that do not involve food.

My kids are looking forward to corned beef from friends of ours. I’m trying to talk them into waiting a day. Our bishop said that if we do have meat today, we are to abstain another day. I feel we might as well abstain today anyway.

Well, I survived and nobody noticed, so I feel great about that. I have corned beef and all the trimmings, Irish soda bread, and a pint of something Irish that isn’t Guinness (never again!) and lots of music and dancing to look forward to on the Third Sunday of Lent, so I’ll take it. Erin go bragh!

 

[Saber_Mom]

I hope you are enjoying your Irish feast today, Paganus!

I had thought that the kids were going to go to a friend’s house for St. Patrick’s day festivities, but that was pushed to Saturday, so we enjoyed grilled cheese and tomato soup.

I ordered some fasting bread from a website that was recommended from someone else doing Nineveh 90, but it has yet to arrive. I hope that it will be able to help me through the day on Wednesday and Friday so I can be compliant, but like you and my priest here very wisely said, better to not fast than to be a grump and bring everyone around me down.

Many blessings to all of us on this journey!

 

[Paganus]

It’s Friday and I can’t wait for Monday! How many people can say that?

Why? Two reasons:

1. On Monday, I can listen to Classical Music for two weeks. With the musical fast schedule I’ve been following as a supplement to Nineveh 90, there were two weeks of silence, two weeks of Gregorian chant, two weeks of Polyphony, followed by two weeks of Baroque music. I am really looking forward to being able to listen to Ludwig van again.
2. On Monday, as part of the wrap-up of Nineveh 90, I am beginning the 33 Days to Morning Glory, which should be great fun. I just read the Introduction and I am pumped. We’ve had this book lying around my house for years, but I never liked the cover. Isn’t that funny? I like the painting that they used for the cover art, but they focused on Mary’s peaceful face. I would have used her feet crushing the serpent. Different strokes for different folks. Anyway, if you have been put off by the placid cover at all, the inside in very different, very energetic. The text is in a very contemporary conversational style. The daily meditations and prayers appear to be efficient: focused and fruitful. I am looking forward to it.

How about you? Are you looking forward to the next phase of your Nineveh 90 journey?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

How did this go for people? I didn’t find out about it until April, which I thought was too late to be starting, but I am considering picking three months and doing my own version of the program later in the year.
It looks like an intense “boot camp” that would likely help me focus and remove some of my bad habits like junk food and lack of exercise as well as encouraging prayer.
Now that it’s ended, I’d be interested in perspectives from the people who did it.