The word fiat in the Catholic dictionary takes its roots from a Latin word and translates to “let it be done.” You may have heard of it and/or think of it in relation to Mary, whose ‘yes’ or fiat to God was a sign of her total acceptance to God’s will in her life.
Just as Mary did, I have decided to take on a challenge and give my yes to God. There is a retreat called Fiat 90 - a 90 day retreat for Catholic women who want to follow God’s will and grow closer to Jesus through Mary with prayer and fasting. This includes 30-60 minutes of prayer everyday, fasting meat on Wednesday’s and Friday’s, no snacking, only listening to uplifting music (goodbye kpop.. 🥲), attending mass every week etc. If you’d like to read more about it, go ahead and search it up - I strongly encourage you to join as well! It’s not too late!
For the past week and a half, I believe I’ve done pretty well. I’ve consistently been waking up early every morning (and if you know me, I am NOT a morning person), committing to prayer everyday and keeping away from snacking when the hunger decides to creep in. That part - the snacking - has definitely been the most difficult, that I find myself wanting to just cave into what my stomach is demanding of me, but I always think about how much I would regret it if I did. It’s definitely not a terrible thing even if I did let myself go for just one day, however, I think my motivation grows even stronger as every day passes knowing that I am capable of getting through this with no shortcuts!
Fiat 90 has kind of forced me into a new chapter in my life - an almost life changing experience. I’ve realised how much of my time was not dedicated to God and that the importance of a relationship with Mary is like a key link for a relationship with Jesus. And that is exactly the purpose of this retreat - to grow closer to Jesus through His mother, Mary. Since Fiat 90, I’ve gone back to journaling more frequently which has allowed me to write down my thoughts about the day and all the other things I want to talk about with God. I’ve been praying the rosary and/or the divine mercy chaplet, and overall, I wake up every morning happy to begin a new day with Mary and Jesus.
I’ve never been one to do this, but I have a few goals this year, or a ‘New Years resolution’ as some might like to call it. Even after these 90 days, I would love to keep implying some of these prayer commitments and fasts in my life. I already miss my usual music so I’ll definitely be a bit relieved to say goodbye to that commitment, however, I’d love to continue waking up early and dedicating time for prayer everyday. With that said, why don’t you do it too? If you don’t have a New Years resolution, why not try applying one or two fiat challenges in your life? Trust me, it works wonders and it hasn’t even been two weeks since the retreat started!
God is calling you to follow and trust in Him. So, let us be brave and say a big yes just like Mary did. If I can do it, you definitely can too!
nica.
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