“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”
1 Peter 4:1-2 ESV
Suffering in the flesh = sanctification from sin. Our passions will rule us if we never starve them. The Church is spiritually malnourished in the west, largely because there is virtually no suffering in the flesh. We have food sources on every corner, making us fat. We have porn just a few clicks away, making us impotent. We have luxuries like heat in the winter and air in the summer. We have hot showers and cozy beds. Nearly all that we have excludes the idea of suffering in the flesh, and we wonder why sin is such a rampant issue here.
Because of this, it can be hard to know how to truly live in the truth of these words from St. Peter. I suggest that for us westerners, it means that we have to intentionally IMPOSE suffering.
Historically speaking, the ancient Christians took fasting far more seriously than any of us here in the modern west do. We should be fasting from food, media, hot showers, etc. If we want to share in the suffering of Christ, making our passions subject to us through starving them has been the practice of the Church for years.
In many ways, this ties into the devotion from yesterday. If we want to discipline our bodies, we must exert self control. If we want to exert self control, we must incorporate fasting of various kinds into our lives.
Our culture teaches us to endlessly consume. Christ teaches us to live sacrificially. We can’t do that well unless we learn to do the opposite of consumption: fasting.
This is the first video reflection for the Great Fast.
Welcome to the Mere Catholicity Locals Community! Here, you will find like-minded Christians with a desire to live ecumenically and pursue Christ in all things.
The Mere Catholicity movement runs only through listener support. The work that I (Jonah) do requires time and money. Without the financial support of my Locals community, I would not be able to continue making content. Simple as that. It is only thanks to this group that I can continue providing you with content that (hopefully) both edifies and challenges!
The good news for you is that joining the community itself is completely FREE! Once you sign up, you will be able to see most posts, live streams, and even content posted by other users. However, you will only be able to observe. You will not be able to comment, post, or see any exclusive content. This might be a good way to see if you want to support later down the line. So please join! Even if you cannot afford to give at this time!
Now, for those who do wish to give ...
Friends - as I consider the various platforms that I operate, I find Substack to the most conducive to the model of online ministry that I am aiming for. Though I still plan to post here, as many of you still support me through this platform, Substack is where I will be focusing the majority of my time. If some of you wish to move your subscription from here to Substack, you are welcome to do that. Those who continue to support here, I will continue to post here — mostly the stuff that is behind the paywall on Substack so that you are getting the exclusive content regardless of where you are subscribed.
Hope you all are doing well. Lord bless you.
- Rev. Jonah
I've been gone again for a time preparing for my ordination. I was ordained a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church on March 8th, 2025.
It was a joy beyond words. I am now back in full swing with ministry, media, and work.
I hope you all have been doing well. More to come soon.
Good morning everyone. I wanted to quickly update you on the Mere Catholicity Podcast. I’ve been posting videos on my channel, but it has been quite sometime since my channel has had a podcast episode release.
With my new job as a classical teacher, scheduling interviews has been a challenge. However, my plan is to use my summer breaks as time to double down on planning and recording new podcasts. The idea will be to record a ton of interviews that will then slowly release throughout the school year, expiring around the time the following summer arrives. This will ultimately result in a consistent once a month interview.
All that to say, the podcast will resume here in May or June of 2025 with some excellent interviews lined up!
Blessings on your Sunday!
