Posted on February 28, 2026 View all news
“And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16–18)
Lent places before us a demanding but liberating call: fasting and abstinence. In a world trained to indulge every appetite immediately, the Church teaches us to say “no” — not because food or comfort is evil, but because our souls must govern our bodies, not the other way around.
Fasting is not about minimalism for its own sake. It is training. When we willingly embrace hunger, we discover how often we eat not from need but from restlessness. When we abstain from meat, from unnecessary luxuries, from constant stimulation, we strengthen the will. Discipline grows. Clarity grows. Freedom grows.
This is how virtue is built — through repeated, concrete acts. You cannot become patient without resisting impatience. You cannot become chaste without governing desire. You cannot become holy without self-denial. Fasting is necessary for virtue. Done faithfully, it strengthens the interior life.
But Lent is not merely private struggle; it is also communal renewal.
On March 3 at 6:30 p.m., we will gather for our Musical Oratory of Lent at Old St. Mary’s— an evening that draws the heart upward through sacred music and meditation. It is a fitting reminder that discipline is not dour; it makes space for beauty.
On March 19, we celebrate the ninth anniversary of the establishment of the Cincinnati Oratory on the Feast of St. Joseph. St. Joseph is the model of disciplined silence, steady work, and faithful obedience. His hidden strength built the Holy Family. May his example strengthen our own resolve this Lent. We will have a Solemn Mass at 6:30 p.m. at Old St. Mary’s.
Finally, on March 25, we celebrate the titular feast of Old St. Mary’s, the Annunciation of the Lord. Solemn Vespers will be held on Monday, March 24 at 6:00pm, and Solemn Mass on Tuesday, March 25 at 6:30pm, followed by a social. The Annunciation reveals the highest fruit of discipline: Our Lady’s fiat. Her “yes” was possible because her heart was already ordered to God.
This Lent, let us fast with purpose. Let us abstain with intention. Let us grow in discipline so that, when God asks something difficult of us, our answer — like St. Joseph and Our Lady — will be ready and firm: Fiat.