Why is FIAT90 so focused on Mary, the Mother of Jesus?
As Catholics, Mary plays an instrumental role in our faith and growing in virtue and grace in living out God’s plan for our lives. The Blessed Mother was the first woman to Yes to God and Trust him with her whole being and her child. And as it brought her great sorrow and pain, she continued to say Yes to God’s plan even though she was to experience the great heartbreak and piercing suffering. Our Lady knows the struggles we face each day and is there constantly to take our prayers to her Son.
Can FIAT90 be done at other times of the year?
Yes, there is a schedule in the manual and on the home page of this site, of other Feast Days and religious holidays that you can do FIAT90 as well.
Why is FIAT90 typically done leading up to Easter?
The 90 days leading up to Easter is most common, because of the aspect of Jesus living his most difficult days leading up to his crucifixion and Resurrection. And He calls us as Christians to unite ourselves in his suffering and offering up our worldly pleasures to serve him and the people he has placed in our lives.
The number of disciplines seems overwhelming and stressful, are all of them mandatory?
No each discipline is not mandatory, and we have realized from personal experience, that there is a point where there can be too many disciplines to be able to focus and be intentional about why we chose to set aside these 90 days. Leading up to the start of FIAT90, take to prayer the list of disciplines, and ask God which ones he is calling you to take on and offer up for Him. The disciplines are meant to be lived out with intention and love. When we get to a point where we are miserable and distressed trying to keep up, we are not giving God our best or the people around us. The disciplines are going to be a struggle and will not be pleasant but be aware if it is causing you distress and/or pulling you away from your relationship with Christ. That is not the intention.
(Note: the checked disciplines in the Booklet are recommended but not mandatory, these are just the ones that we know best work together and can be done in relation to each other.)
Can I do FIAT90 as a mother/ mother-to-be?
Yes! FIAT90 is for women of all ages and in any season of life. Will it look different than others? Yes, most definitely. And that is what is beautiful. You as a mother, have specific responsibilities and a vocation to care for your children. For disciplines, be choosy about which disciplines you want to live intentionally for the next 90 days. If it is only 2 or 3, that is okay! Your sacrifice in taking on those few things is wonderful, and God is going to make it good and beautiful. It is about living with intentionality, growing closer to Christ, and loving on your family.
If you are pregnant, making sure you are taking care of you and your baby and eating a well-balanced diet is priority. Fasting will look different, and that is okay. On days of fasting, you can choose to fast from just sweets, or can fast from a specific thing on those days (phone, social media, coffee, etc.) Or can take on a intentional action (intentional time with family, call a friend you have spoken to in a while, writing someone a letter, knowing you are praying and thinking of them.
I can’t do the fasting as need to maintain a balanced diet and healthy relationship with food. Is this a mandatory discipline?
Thank you for reaching out and asking this question, and no it is not. Fasting can look different for everyone. On days of fasting, you can choose to fast from just sweets, or can fast from a specific thing on those days (phone, social media, coffee, etc.) Or can take on an intentional action (intentional time with family, call a friend you have spoken to in a while, writing someone a letter, knowing you are praying and thinking of them. God will see anything you choose as an act of Love and sacrifice and will see it as a gift for him. You are Beautiful, Strong, and Loved.
Why is confession recommended to be done twice a month?
Confession during these 90 days is going to be the main Sacrament (along with the Eucharist) to give you the graces to continue with Joy and Love. Personally, I realized that as I was praying and being in the presence of God each day whether it was praying, reading, or Loving others, my awareness of my sins and the state of my soul was raw and clear. It is not pretty and can be difficult to grasp our imperfectness and mortality, but through the Sacrament of Confession we are made new.
What if I don’t have a group to do it with, everyone I asked to join me said no?
FIAT90 is not for everyone. Every individual’s faith and relationship with God is different, and this is not the end all, be all. I do want you to be able to have some sort of support group though. It is difficult to place individuals with others who may not be in the same area or season of life, but I can put you in contact with each other. Another option is reaching out to your parish and asking if there may be some woman in your parish who may be interested. That’s why I offer the posters and Q&A in a pdf file so it can be shared with those who don’t know what FIAT90 is.