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Exodus 90 is a new but booming spiritual discipline: No doubt you’ve heard of the spiritual discipline program for men, as some 100,000 men worldwide participated last year.
In the 11 years since Exodus 90 began, its founders frequently fielded the question, “Do you have a women’s version?” After careful discernment, they decided that Exodus 90 was not a good fit for feminine spirituality, writing the following:
We made a discernment with a prominent and flourishing women’s religious order about the possibility. However, through their spiritual motherhood and experience of ministry to women, we realized that this is not a model of healing for women, and this was not a calling from God for our ministry.
Men and women have different spiritual needs, and Exodus 90 encourages an asceticism and self-sacrifice that may be less helpful for women, especially caregivers; instead, women often benefit from a chance to rest and practice self-care instead of pushing themselves further.
Keeping in mind the different spiritual tendencies of men and women, several Catholic organizations partnered together to create a 90-day program of spiritual renewal and physical wellbeing for women. It’s called Revelation90, and it’s designed to be “a 90-day course where women take a deep dive into their wellness habits to reveal their healthiest, happiest selves.”
Couple to Couple League, provider of Natural Family Planning resources, partnered with SoulCore Catholic fitness program and Temple+Table nutrition and cooking classes. Although inspired by Exodus 90, Revelation90 (Rev90) is not affiliated with it. The inaugural Rev90 challenge will kick off on Ash Wednesday, February 14, and end 90 days later on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13.
Enrollment in Rev90 is $40. When you sign up, you get the following:
- A premium subscription to the PeakDay app for cycle tracking
- Prayers and exercise routines from SoulCore to create habits of body-positive physical activity
- Nutrition strategies via webinars and cooking classes from Temple+Table
- A personal Rev90 journal
- Community support through an online platform
- A basal body thermometer
- Live seminars, and more
Each participant commits to tracking her biomarkers daily via the app and praying the Angelus at noon. Beyond that, she is free to customize the program and can use the resources provided to design a plan based on personal goals.
While open to women of all ages, some content is geared toward young adults. “While the journey is created uniquely by each participant and her goals, CCL is encouraging young women to sign up together and support each other through the 90 days,” Murphy said. “The materials easily lend themselves to being done in small groups such as groups of friends, dorm floors, mother-daughter teams, campus ministry groups, athletic teams, or young adult groups.”
Why Rev90? Why now? Heather Murphy, Development Director of the Couple to Couple League (CCL), explained in an interview with Aleteia,
Our culture is saturated with secular messages of women’s health and empowerment. Revelation90 is an opportunity to embrace the natural beauty of God’s wisdom in how women were created. Helping a woman understand her fertility signs, and giving her the tools to grow in her faith and wellness are the ultimate gifts. CCL and its partners are so excited to bring this opportunity to women across the country and support them in their journey.
Murphy and CCL Executive Director Katie Zulanas answered a few other questions from Aleteia, such as how Rev90 was developed and just how big of a time commitment it is. You can read that interview below.
How big of a time commitment is this program?
Part of the uniqueness of Revelation90 is that the time commitment is completely up to each woman. Using the PeakDay app, praying the Angelus, and journaling take just minutes a day. However, additional commitments can be added based on personal goals and adjusted throughout the program based on circumstances. It’s truly a flexible, customizable journey for each individual. The beauty of Rev90 is that all the resources are available throughout the program so you can add or cut back as life allows.
How was Revelation 90 developed?
CCL has had standing partnerships with SoulCore and Temple+Table. Recognizing that mind, body, and soul all have a profound effect on each other, CCL wanted to put together a more formal program to help women see these connections in their own lives. CCL curated the content and worked in collaboration with the other organizations to develop this Lenten challenge.
What are some ways it’s different from Exodus 90 even though it is somewhat of a “companion program” to it?
Men’s confidence is often tied to their internal beliefs while women are, many times, influenced by external feedback. Exodus90 addresses these internal beliefs and uses asceticism and spiritual exercises to help men achieve spiritual freedom. For women, the challenge is to spend the time and effort to understand and value the gift of their fertility and femininity–away from all the negative external feedback women receive from society. Both programs ask their participants to step away from the noise and confusion of the world and to make room in their lives for God–and they do this in a way that seeks to strengthen each in their vocation of manhood or womanhood today.
Is this the first time the program is being tried?
Yes! CCL is so excited to launch this inaugural event. Lent is a season when people are seeking out ways to improve themselves. Rev90 extends beyond Lent and ends on the Feast of our Lady of Fatima, May 13. What a beautiful way to tie this program to liturgical living! We hope to be able to offer additional sessions of Revelation90 in the future.
What can women expect from doing Revelation 90?
Over the course of 90 days, women will ideally be able to track at least three fertility cycles, establishing a baseline and some patterns. By adding in nutrition, prayer, and fitness, they will take a deep dive into their habits to reveal their healthiest, happiest selves, providing a holistic answer to the persistent health problems that women face today. There is a pre/post Cycle IQ quiz that, in addition to their journaling, will give them a tangible record of their progress toward goals.
And today we celebrate...