The Catholic Gentleman The Right Way for Catholic Men to Fast | Fr. Ken Geraci & John Heinen
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Feb 21, 2026 Fr. Ken Geraci, a priest and spiritual director who guides men in prayer and fasting, joins John Heinen to rethink fasting. They explore moving from self-mortification to making space for union with Christ. Practical approaches like time-restricted fasting, Church guidelines, and a doable Lenten challenge are discussed in concise, pastoral terms.
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John's 15-Year Fasting Turnaround
- John Heinen recounts fasting for about 15 years as willpower-driven self-mortification before a spiritual director reframed it.
- After the reframing, he loved fasting because it became about union with Christ rather than proving endurance.
Fasting's True Purpose
- The Church's fasting rules are a minimal baseline meant for everyone, including children and the elderly.
- For able-bodied adults, fasting's purpose is deeper: to make room for loving union with Christ rather than mere self-mortification.
Build Fasting Like A Muscle
- Build fasting as a muscle: start modestly and learn from early poor attempts before deepening practice.
- Avoid immediately attempting extreme fasts; increase duration and rigor gradually as your body and spirit adapt.
