Priestfit Summer Challenge 2017

Welcome to the Priestfit Summer Challenge 2017! Like our initial "Presentation Challenge", we draw inspiration from a solemnity which invites us to consider how we are offering ourselves in service to the Church as Priests. In this 31 day commitment to eating clean, being fit, and praying well, we will offer tri-weekly reflections on these subjects from co-founders Frs. Ryan Rooney and Casey Jones. We encourage all our participants to create goals and participate actively in our Priestfit Priest Support Group, this is really the heart of the challenge, where we will find support and encouragement in one another. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Please use hashtags #priestfit and #priestfitsummerchallenge. Inspired by the second reading on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul, we consider the theme: “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed.” If we take our Lord by his word, we will have become ever more attentive to our physical and spiritual health for the sake of our ministries. Like St. Paul, in this challenge we will "pour out" ourselves as a libation, an offering to the Lord for his people. We will run a race and compete well for the advancement of God's kingdom, which is intricately dependent on the help of its ministers! (See 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18, 2nd reading of the solemnity Prize Awarded? Well it’s a challenge! In addition to the crown of righteousness for which we all compete, the challenge participant who shows the best overall transformation while actively participating will be awarded a Priestfit Gym Performance T-Shirt as part of our launch of fourthcoming Priestfit "Swag". To be considered for the shirt, in the Priestfit Priest Support Group, please post at least a beginning and an ending photo, your goals (weight loss, maintenance, muscle gain, prayer goals), and continue to actively participate by checking in on social media using our hashtags. Some suggestions are: checkins at the gym, pounds lost (You don't need to publish your weight, but know that you are among brothers and there is no judgment) pictures of meal prep, short video checkins in our support group, motivational quotes, prayers, and pics on Facebook and Instagram. This challenge is for priests who want to better themselves by eating clean, being fit, and praying well, from those just starting out to our fitness gurus. The winner of the shirt will be the one whom we determine has the most inspiring transformation and participation in our facebook support group and public presence using our hashtags. Don’t have facebook? After consulting with several experts in the field, we have taken the advice to keep our Support Group as a private priest’s only Facebook group. This means, even if you just use it for this challenge and nothing else, we would like to encourage you to sign up for facebook. To join the support group, the only requirement is that you are an ordained Catholic priest and you want to take the next step to improve your health. Copy/paste this in your browser to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/931904440274066/ Our prayers for you as you begin this challenge. We hope to continue to inspire our brother priests and the wider church to support a healthier presbyterate in body and soul. May the Lord be your strength, and of course, Eat Clean, Be Fit, and Pray Well! -Fr Ryan Rooney

-Fr Casey Jones