Exodus 90 and Magnify 90 Program A
s Catholics, we are called to be in the world, but not of the world — and sometimes, we need that little extra push to strengthen our relationship with the Lord among all the distractions of our everyday lives. Through the Exodus 90 and Magnify 90 programs, men and women can drown out the noise, deepen their prayer lives, and grow in fellowship with their brothers and sisters in Christ. “Exodus 90 (for men) and Magnify 90 (for women) are intense 90-day journeys that focus on the depths of your prayer life,” says Andrew Goldstein, who leads men’s groups for Exodus at the parish. “Exodus 90 gathers men into an intense experience of prayer, asceticism, and fraternity as they follow the journey of Moses and the Israelites through the desert from bondage to freedom. Magnify 90, the women’s companion program to Exodus, centers around the feminine genius, bringing women into a deeper awareness of virtue.” “Each week focuses on a different virtue, and a different woman saint for each virtue,” says Jackie Shirley, who leads women’s groups for Magnify at the parish. “Both of these experiences have grown organically from a few families that were interested in it four years ago,” Andrew adds. “They have since guided hundreds of men and women into a deeper prayer life.” The ministry meets once a week over a 90-day period, which usually coincides with Lent, but can also take place during other times of the year. “Both Exodus and Magnify are rooted in daily reading and reflection,” Andrew says. “Each has a different set of asceticisms to follow — for men, abstaining from screens, snacks, alcohol; taking cold showers; a daily holy hour, and extra times for Mass and confession.” “For the women, 30 minutes of prayer is required daily including Mary’s Magnificat, Litany of Humility and Trust, as well as the Rosary. We also abstain from snacks between meals, screen time, alcohol, and meat on Fridays,” Jackie says. “There are different choices for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding who may not be able to fast or abstain, which is awesome because it makes Magnify accessible to all women — you’re never called to do
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anything you can’t physically do.” The program includes asceticisms to help participants evaluate what things may be taking their focus away from God. By removing these distractions completely, participants can more clearly see where they struggle and directly address those struggles. “None of these things, like snacking or TV, are inherently evil, but we don’t always realize that we make them into idols,” Jackie says. “They put our relationship with God on the back burner, and we fill ourselves with things in this world that may not be very good for us. To listen to what God is saying, you have to clear your head of the things that are taking your mind off of Him. The specific asceticism you need might not be on the list, but going through Magnify 90 will show you what you need to take away from your life so that you can hear God. It’s similar to what we do during Lent — it reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it this way forever, but it’s all about creating a more balanced life.” “It provides men the opportunity to be formed in faith by chipping away at our vices and our deepest struggles as modern-day men,” Andrew says. “It cuts straight to issues of over-drinking, pornography, lustfulness, gluttony, over-eating, lack of exercise, lack of free time, exhaustion, not feeling connected to God, and so on. These are things that so many men experience year after year, and without an intense regimen to address these things, it’s easy to let them run the daily lives of men. The program
