Happy Easter! We have officially entered into the Easter Octave, and Beth is encouraging all of her listeners to stop delaying and to enter fully into this time of feasting. But wait! She said feasting: Not binging. What’s the difference? You’re about to find out.

“Try redefining Feasting for yourself. Your life will change immensely.” - Beth Bubik

Beth begins this episode warmly applauding your Lenten journey, and reassuring you that God is pleased with all of your efforts, even if they weren’t “perfect.” She also discusses the deep significance of this Octave of feasting in the Church, and gives her listeners a better understanding of the complementarity of fasting and feasting. 

But what is feasting? Feasting is “to dwell with gratification or delight,” and “to eat sumptuously.” Doesn’t sound like drive-thru burgers, does it? Binging, on the other hand, is to “indulge in an activity, such as eating to excess.” It seems counterintuitive to eat to excess while feasting for Christ, doesn’t it? In order to guide your feasting, Beth suggests having a Feasting Plan.  

• Consider going to Mass daily and Adoration frequently during the Octave
• Read the Acts of the Apostles
• Cook amazing meals that are appealing and satisfying, and eat to enough
• Plan fun activities with family and friends
• Enjoy the beauty of nature
• Look for the good, the true, and the beautiful
• Do some research into Church teachings

And finally, be patient with yourself - learning to place God at the center of our feasting and fasting takes time. If you’d like a guide through this process, join Beth’s Delay and Pray Coaching Experience. Through this program, you won’t just learn to fast well: you’ll learn to feast more fully than you’ve ever feasted in your life.

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Today’s Links:

The Easter Octave - Article by Jennifer Gregory Miller

With Christ Through The Year - Book by Bernard Strasser

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As we enter into Holy Week, Beth is suggesting a special intention for your fasting and prayers - namely, priests.

“By virtue of the cross alone must the priest-apostle, with the lively faith of Saint Peter, let down his net into the troubled sea of this life, certain that sooner or later the divine Master will make him an instrument of salvation to many.” - Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli

Beth begins the episode by meditating on the profound healing and hope that comes from pondering the love of a God Who underwent such a humiliating death to bring us closer to Him. She particularly dwells on St. Peter, suggesting that, in him, we can find a representation of our own relationship with the Lord, as well as a symbol of priests everywhere. She reminds us that priests are humans, called to mission, fighting to keep their gaze on the Lord, just as St. Peter frequently did in the Gospels. 

Beth shares her personal experiences of the priests she has in her own family, describing them as human beings who live for the glory of God, but also need friendship and prayers. In particular, she shares the inspiring story of her nephew, Fr. Jacob, who overcame his sugar addiction and became capable of fulfilling his heart’s desire to go on mission for the Lord through the graces of spiritual fasting. But not just his own spiritual fasting - His mother, grandmother, aunt, and others were also fasting for his healing. The power of fasting is profound! 

In light of this, Beth suggests two courses of action for you to incorporate for priests. First, consider offering up your Friday fasts/abstinences for them. Second, dedicate at least one hour a month of Eucharistic Adoration for priests. And if you want to learn more about fasting for priests, join the Delay and Pray Program! Fasting for priests can change the world. 

A Prayer for Priests

Divine Savior Jesus Christ—thank you for the Eucharist and Priests who are inflamed with the fire of your love—seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of our souls. Protect them, Lord. And, cover them with your Love.

Saint Peter—pray for us.

Holy Mother of God—intercede for your Priests and pray for us all.

Amen.

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Today, Beth is talking about fasting our loved ones back to the Church, or into the Church for the first time.

“The Catholic Church is hemorrhaging young people.” - Brandon Vogt

In this episode Beth is discussing the statistical anomaly that we are facing with our young people in the Church today: namely, that 50% of young people are leaving the Church before the age of 23. She also touches on the topic of the older adults who have not returned to the Church since the pandemic began. This crisis in the Church concerns all of us, and Beth is talking today about the steps you can take, with the Lord’s grace, to turn the tide back in favor of Sacramental lives.

Social and mainstream media, politics, music… we are constantly consuming information that works to erode our relationship with God. But there is an answer. The results of society’s influence can be reversed through Spiritual Fasting. In her own personal experience of coaching her Delay and Pray Program, Beth is watching her clients fast their children and husbands back into pews, and their grandchildren into baptism. Just as Christ was willing to suffer intensely on the Cross for the sake of all of us, these men and women are finding that the sacrifice of food and drink is well worth the reward of seeing their loved ones come fully back to the Lord.

In his book, “Return,” Brandon Vogt lists seven ways that parents can help their children rediscover the Church, and emphasizes the need for a plan to go along with this goal. Today, Beth is helping you devise that plan. First, she outlines a simple prayer plan that you can begin implementing today, followed by a fasting plan for delaying sugar, flour and alcohol on specific days during the week. Finally, Beth is offering a few thoughts that you can practice thinking that will keep you leaning into peace and trust in the Lord, no matter what is happening with your loved ones. These steps won’t just save you and your children - they can save the world, too.

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In today’s episode, Beth is interviewing Michelle Dunne, a Catholic strengths and mindset coach who helps her clients claim their abilities so that they can focus on their unique contribution to their family and the world. Beth and Michelle are discussing “The Mystical City of God” by Venerable Mary of Agreda, a mystic who received private revelations about the life of the Blessed Mother. They also discuss the link between this book and the Delay and Pray program, and how Our Lady can propel you forward on your spiritual fasting journey.

Beth and Michelle begin by discussing their personal impressions of the Blessed Mother, and how their devotions have shifted and deepened while reading The Mystical City of God. With her fierce obedience and her balanced temperament, Our Lady reveals the secrets to self-denial and emotional stability. Along with these deeper truths, the book also shares little nuggets of insight that fire the imagination around the home life of St. Joseph, his lovely Spouse, and their beautiful Child.

Can you imagine being given 10,000 angels at birth? Beth and Michelle discuss Our Lady’s intercessory prowess, gifted to her because of her obedience. They also talk about the Sacraments - Do you know how many were actually founded on Holy Thursday? You might be surprised! A tunic that grew with the Christ Child, the timing of His first words… This book transports you back in time and gently lifts the curtain on the hidden lives of the members of the Holy Family. It’s impossible to witness these moments and walk away unchanged.

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Delay and Pray Links:

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Mystical City of God:

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Podcast

Michelle’s Links:

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Today, Beth is talking about emotions: the truths, the myths, and everything in between. If you want to know how to create the emotions you really want, and how to deal with the emotions that you really don’t want, this is the episode for you.

“A goal is not achieved by one Massive Action, but by one Thought Model at a time.” - Beth Bubik

Beth begins with a review of the Thought Model, and how five simple letters can change your life. She also explains the science behind emotions, and why they can drive us so powerfully if we let them. Referencing St. Thomas Aquinas and Fr. Chad Ripperger, she explains the way our intellects work and how putting emotions through reason results in interior freedom. 

Did you know there are three types of emotions, but only one that Christ and His Blessed Mother utilize? Beth is also debunking three myths about emotions, and explaining why your feelings can resemble a beach ball. Using the example of a time when she spent thousands of dollars on a program that did not meet her expectations, Beth offers practical tips on dealing with your feelings in the moment, and preparing for similar emotional experiences in the future. In short, Beth is giving you back control over your own emotions - a control you might not have realized you could have. You just need to ask yourself this question: “How do I want to feel?”

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Almsgiving is the topic of this week's Delay and Pray podcast. Listen as Beth explains how almsgiving is greater and much more than something we just do during Lent.

“Almsgiving is a form of Charity that helps us to get out of ourselves and give to others in creative and generous ways.” - Beth Bubik

In today’s episode, Beth is talking about the last and least considered pillar of Lent: Almsgiving. The biggest takeaway? This isn't just about money. It’s about self-gift: serving others with your wealth, your time, and your God-given talents.

Throughout this episode, Beth offers examples of unique ways to incorporate this pillar of Lent into your life. In one story, an ink cartridge becomes a chance to encounter the Lord through financial almsgiving. She also shares a beautiful memory of her father, who taught her the true meaning of almsgiving through his words and actions toward her grandfather. Even silently entering into a friend’s pain can be a form of almsgiving. 

This Lent, Beth is inviting you to allow yourself to be a gift to others. Don’t just write God a check and call it good. See how He might be calling you to give creatively with your time and your talents as well. And remember: He is the God who multiplies loaves and fishes. Whatever you give, He’ll give back more.

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If you are looking for happiness then consider spiritual fasting. Follow Beth in this episode as she explains how spiritual fasting can help you achieve goals of happiness and more.

“If feeling our hunger can awaken our spiritual senses,

never feeling hunger can dull them.” - Christopher West

In today’s episode, Beth is discussing the second pillar of Lent: Spiritual Fasting. Through the redemptive suffering of spiritual fasting, we can win souls for the Lord and deepen our relationship with Christ… all while reaching our weight loss goals. 

Do you want to be rich, happy, and thin? Beth shares some interesting insights on that desire, and the indispensable role of spiritual fasting in achieving it. She also shares why dieting doesn’t work, and uses the example of a pregnant mother to emphasize the power of willingly delaying gratification for the good of someone else.

Whether you’re on a specialized diet for health reasons, or want to experience the joy of feasting more fully, Spiritual Fasting is the key to finding happiness in every area of life. Who wouldn’t want that?

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Links for Lent

Are You Missing Out on the Real Benefits of Lenten Fasts?

Delay and Pray Links:

The Catholic Fasting Coach

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During the season of Lent, prayer is a powerful and necessary part of the journey. Tune in to the episode to discover ways of using prayer during Lent.

“Try shifting the mindset of the hinges of your day from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to morning, evening and night prayer… eventually you will find yourself eating at God’s table in the kingdom.” - Beth Bubik

Lent has begun! Today, Beth is dedicating the episode to an in-depth look at the first of the three pillars of Lent: Prayer. Prayer is our “vital and personal relationship with the living and true God,” (CCC, no. 2558) and today Beth is going to suggest various ways to pursue this personal encounter with the Lord.

She relates her own journey into a deeper prayer life, when her nephew, a client, and a book in a pew led her to discover the Liturgy of the Hours. She also shares a unique interpretation of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, and how the mechanism of a door can be a symbol of your relationship with God.

Starting small is the key to building up your prayer life. This Lent, Beth is encouraging you to start small, get creative, and find the prayer life that moves you. 

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Episode Links:

https://www.wordonfire.org/pray/

https://us.magnificat.net/

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The desert of Lent is a journey that leads us closer to Christ. Beth opens up how her personal journey through Lent has helped shaped her own life.

“Hide yourself in a love more penetrating than a brush fire, more overwhelming than a deluge.” - Fr. Patrick Reidy, C.S.C.

The countdown to Lent begins! In this episode, Beth is preparing for the approaching Lenten season by giving her listeners a clear explanation of what Lent requires, as well as optional (but dynamic!) practices. She is discussing the requirements of fasting and abstinence, the redemptive power of uniting our personal sacrifices to the Lord’s sufferings, and the life-changing results that can come from allowing Christ to fill the desert within us.

Beth shares her first experience of “going into the desert” during Lent 2020, and how fasting opened doors that seemed impenetrable. She also describes the immense power of Lent 2021, as she led her first Lent Course with Coaching, and began fasting for healing in her family relationships. Listen in as she shares a deeply personal story about an encounter with Christ’s wounds during Holy Week, and reassures her listeners that the mortifications of Lent will always result in greater delight on Easter morning. 

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Links for Lent:

Lenten Season 101

Is It A Mortal Sin Not To Fast Or Abstain from Meat During Lent?

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The Catholic Fasting Coach

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The season of Lent can be an amazing and transformative experience. But we have to plan for it. With proper planning and spiritual preparation, Lent can be a time that we look forward to and embrace, instead of a time that we dread and want to avoid.

“These forty days are just the beginning of a new you in body and soul.” - Beth Bubik

In Episode 12 of the Delay and Pray Podcast, Beth is helping you prepare for the best Lent of your life. Transformation comes through Christ, but Beth encourages you to make a few plans to commit to this journey with Him. With insightful questions and personal testimonies, she’s offering three specific ways to plan for a transformative Lent. 

1. Get motivated before Lent
2. Create a Lent calendar
3. Start Spiritually Fasting

Can weakness motivate you during Lent? Beth thinks so. She also discusses her personal experience in using a calendar during Lent, planning everything from Mass/Confession times to what books/movies she wants to enjoy. And in learning to delay sugar, flour, and alcohol, Beth has a pro-tip: delaying is hard - don’t make it harder during this learning process. Let your healthy options be well-seasoned and delicious. 

Immerse yourself in Lent, and watch as it gets easier year by year. And one day, you’ll find yourself saying with Beth, “I can’t wait for Lent. I love it.” 

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