#19 The Catholic Ritual That Rewires Your Brain, Body & Soul |The Alpha Renaissance Podcast
What if the ancient practice that could transform your discipline, mental clarity, and character has been hiding in plain sight for 2,000 years? In this episode of the Alpha Renaissance, I sit down with Matthew Plese — Catholic educator, marathon runner, and author of The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence — to explore the forgotten tradition of Catholic fasting. We go deep on why fasting is far more than a health hack, tracing its roots from the Jewish tradition through early Christianity and into the modern day. Matthew breaks down how voluntary sacrifice builds real mental toughness, why one third of the traditional Catholic year was devoted to fasting and abstinence, and how this ancient system addresses the three things every man struggles with — lust, lack of focus, and accountability for his actions. We also explore why men in particular are returning to Catholicism in record numbers, and what that says about our culture's hunger for objective truth, structure, and something worth giving yourself to. If you've ever done intermittent fasting but felt like something was missing — this episode is for you 00:00 - Introduction & The Authenticity Crisis 01:30 - Who Is Matthew Plese? 03:00 - The Epstein Files & Living a Double Life 05:30 - What Is Catholic Fasting? 09:00 - The Jewish Roots of Fasting 13:00 - How Early Christians Fasted 17:00 - The Evolution of Catholic Fasting Through History 21:30 - Lent: The 46 Day Spiritual Marathon 25:30 - The 3 Reasons Catholics Fast (St. Thomas Aquinas) 29:00 - Fasting vs Intermittent Fasting: What's Missing? 33:00 - Penance: The Most Misunderstood Part of Fasting 37:00 - How To Start Catholic Fasting Today 40:30 - Why Men Are Returning To Catholicism 44:00 - The Masculine Nature of Christ & The Catholic Faith 47:30 - Traditional Societies vs Modern Gender Crisis 51:00 - The History of Anti-Catholicism in America 54:30 - JFK, Vatican II & The Shift in Catholic Identity 57:00 - Ancient Wisdom vs Modern Innovation 59:30 - Where "Noon" and "When In Rome" Come From 01:01:30 - Where To Find Matthew Plese 01:03:00 - Closing Thoughts Out wherever else you listen to podcasts 🎙️ Apple Podcast ▶️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: ▶️ https://open.spotify.com/show/4LU5oM3... IG:@thealpharenaissance ▶️ https://www.instagram.com/thealpharen... TikTok: ▶️ @thealpharenaissance https://www.tiktok.com/@thealpharenai... Disclaimer: The views expressed by me and all guests are personal opinions and do not constitute Financial, Medical, or Legal advice. #catholicism #Ramadan #fasting #RamadanFasting #IslamicFasting #MuslimFasting #Suhoor #Iftar #RamadanKareem #IslamAndChristianity #AbrahmaicFaith #Abrahamic #YomKippur #JewishFasting #JewishTradition #TorahFasting #HebrewTradition #JudaismAndChristianity #FastingReligions #ReligiousFasting #SpiritualFasting #AncientFasting #FastingTradition #InterfaithFasting #FastingAcrossReligions #ReligionsOfTheBook #FastingForGod #FastingAndPrayer #FastingAndSpirituality #FastingAndHealth #FastingAndDiscipline #FastingAndMentalClarity#DrTaqFreeman #TheAlphaRenaissancePodcast #AlphaRenaissancePodcast #motivational #CatholicFasting #CatholicFaith #Catholicism #TraditionalCatholic #CatholicMen #Fasting #IntermittentFasting #FastingBenefits #MentalClarity #Discipline #MasculinityMatters #MenOfFaith #AlphaMale #MensHealth #ManUp #SelfImprovement #PersonalDevelopment #MindsetMatters #MentalToughness #GrowthMindset #Faith #Spirituality #Christian #Christianity #GodFirst #AlphaRenaissance #Podcast #PodcastClips #MensPodcast #NewEpisode #TradCath #ReturnToTradition #MenAndFaith #AncientWisdom #Lent #Masculinity