3 and 30 FREEDOM
january 2026
Led by the grace of God with help from our beloved Saints, we launch into 2026 striving to purge vice and grow in virtue. Using modern tools to help track and form better habits and leaning into the tenants of our faith, we aim to decrease our worldly desires and focus on elevating the presence of Jesus in every aspect of our life.
January 2026
In January, we launch 3 and 30 Freedom, building on the grace of 2025 and the rhythm of living with intention.
The idea of 3 and 30 Freedom came from a trip to Italy in the Jubilee Year of 2025. In the Porziuncola of St Francis in Assisi, I felt a gentle invitation to greater temperance in my lifestyle and to offer others the opportunity to do the same within the 3 and 30 mission field. On top of a mountain at the Abbey of Monte Cassino, I felt the voice of St Benedict offer practical help. This blend of the two Saints might seem odd ~ I thought as much when I tried to piece the two of them coming together to my aid ~ but then I read something from a priest I greatly admired, Father Benedict Groeschel, who acknowledged that St Francis himself was raised by Benedictines and that the two traditions complement each other well.
The Relationship Between St. Francis and the Benedictines
While the Franciscans were not a branch of the Benedictine Order, the two orders share an important historical and spiritual connection:
Spiritual Inspiration: Saint Francis of Assisi was profoundly inspired by the monastic ideals he encountered. He made a pilgrimage to Subiaco, the site where St. Benedict began his monastic journey, and learned about the importance of a sacred place and the tradition of "ora et labora" (work and prayer).
Land and Chapels: The Benedictines played a direct role in supporting Francis's early movement. They gifted Francis the land and the small, ruined chapel of the Portiuncula (St. Mary of the Angels), which became the foundational location where the first Franciscan community formed and grew.
Support for St. Clare: When St. Clare of Assisi decided to follow Francis and form a community of women (the Poor Clares), she initially stayed with Benedictine nuns until Francis could find a suitable, permanent retreat for her and her companions, which was eventually established at San Damiano.
Differing Charisms: The key difference was the lifestyle. The Benedictines were a monastic order characterized by stable, settled monasteries and extensive land holdings. In contrast, Francis established a mendicant order, meaning the friars owned no property and lived a life of radical poverty, begging for their food and ministering directly in the world.
In essence, Francis was influenced by Benedictine spirituality and received practical support from them, but he established a new, distinct form of religious life focused on an itinerant, evangelical mission. It is this blend of the styles of both Saints that brings us to 3 and 30 Freedom, where we find structure in our daily life and poverty in our approach to charity and how we love those God has given us to love in our daily walk with Him.
Spending time in the Porziuncola chapel asking St Francis to guide me in what God was asking of me for 2026 - I felt St Francis remind me of his call to “rebuild” God’s Church, but as the physical temple of the Body of Christ through greater temperance
On September 29, 2025, I entered the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi. We celebrated Mass just below the Porziuncola, and I offered my Mass for the intentions of all those in our 3 and 30 pilgrim group, as well as those placed on our website and Instagram page, and for those who will join future 3 and 30 programs (that’s you). After Mass, I spent some time in the Porziuncola (pictured above). I leaned my head against the ancient stone wall, breathing in deeply and opening my heart to hear the voice of St Francis. Since learning I was baptized on the feast of St Francis, I have always had a devotion to him. I prayed an entire year before the trip for an encounter with St Francis and his guidance in whatever mission work God was calling me to in 2026. I didn’t realize at the time, but found out later, that the 800th year of St Francis’ death would be celebrated profoundly in 2026 and that he would be the center of the next chapter of 3 and 30.
The exact spot I was sitting when I heard the voice of St Benedict answer my plea for help.
On Sunday, October 5, 2025, after making an arduous climb uphill in the rain to this magnificent Church, I sat before the Blessed Sacrament to prepare for Sunday Mass. Breathless and very out of shape, I asked Jesus to help me in all the areas I felt I had failed in 2025 regarding my lack of discipline when it came to my body. As I prayed the glorious mysteries, I felt a voice speak to the ache in my heart. “I will help you,” it wasn’t the voice of Jesus… it was another voice. I paused my prayer, and asked my Guardian Angel to help me discern what I was feeling. “You lack structure, you lack a rule of life.” I was disciplined in prayer, but I lacked discipline in my body. I knew in that moment it was St Benedict offering me help by way of the rules he set up for the monastic life.
When I returned home from my pilgrimage trip to Italy, an audio version of James Clear's book “Atomic Habits” appeared on an app on my phone. I did not subscribe to audiobooks on this app, and I had no idea how the book appeared - but I knew it connected back to God. I began listening to the book and found myself nodding in agreement at many of the suggestions James made in regard to forming new habits. This was the modern tool I could take into 3 and 30 Freedom to help track our progress. As a Catholic, I knew I had to be prudent in my reading and only focus on the exercises that aligned with the rule of St Benedict. I’m grateful to James Clear for providing practical worksheets that go with the purchase of his book, and I ask you to keep James Clear in your daily prayers for his conversion to the Catholic faith.
Browse The Questions Below To Help Form Your Rule Of Life By Using The Arrow Forward and Back
The video is an audio recording of the life of St Benedict for those who want to know more about his life story.
Zoom Monthly Meetings
January Zoom gathering is Monday, Jan 19 EST at 7:00 pm (eastern standard time)
Our Zoom meetings are an opportunity for accountability. We begin our meeting with Adoration (online), a time for quiet reflection with Jesus about how our month is progressing and to lay before Him our gratitude and needs.
We then proceed to break into one-on-one groups where we can share our progress with a committed Catholic journeying with our 3 and 30 Freedom group.
This group requires full participation to join; you must register for the online group.
To learn more about healthy eating, movement, prayer and time management (reading) visit the images below to be redirected to the corresponding video
