Author Archives: paulcoholic

About paulcoholic

I am a writer and blogger whose currently avocation focuseson addiction. I am the author of two Catholic devotional booklets for people in recovery. My primary creative desire, apart from continuing the devotionals, is to write Catholic-themed spiritual fiction. I hope to explore those areas at the intersections of Faith and Reason; contemporary drama with side trips though the preternatural with rest stops in the boundaries of the afterlife. I am one of those who think there is another reality just out of the corner of your eye; you turn to look, it disappears. I try and focus on my characters as I have found that by creating interesting people I can actually sustain the writing effort. My characters need a life, and the novels they will be in help them to discover such a one as they work out their situations and each other. So, I suppose that Catholicism, addiction recovery, reading, writing, death and the fuzzy gray areas along the borders of life are interests. Oh, I also like cats and Mac computers. Or just go here: https://www.sobercatholic.com/paulcoholic/

Pope St. John XXIII and the Precious Blood

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On this latest Sacred Heart Friday post, I delve into Pope St. John XXIII and his promotion of the Precious Blood Devotion.

 

In 1960, he wrote the apostolic letter Inde a Primis, encouraging devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus. In it he describes the devotion over the centuries including some personal accounts of how important this devotion was to him as a child and later in life. In that same year, the Holy Father added the invocation to the Precious Blood to the Divine Praises:

Blessed be God.

Blessed be his holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.

Blessed be the name of Jesus.

Blessed be his most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be his most Precious Blood.

Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.

Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be St Joseph, her spouse most chaste.

Blessed be God in his Angels and in his Saints.

 

This wasn’t enough for Good Pope John. The Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ was drawn up by the Sacred Congregation of Rites and promulgated by Pope John XXIII on February 24, 1960. The  devotion to Jesus in His most Precious Blood was first popularized by St. Gaspar del Bufalo who founded the Missioners of the Most Precious Blood. St. Gaspar del Bufalo was hailed by Pope John XXIII as “the world’s greatest apostle of the devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.”

 

Here is the Litany:

 

Lord, have mercy.    Lord, have mercy. 
Christ, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy. 
Lord, have mercy.    Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. 

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. 
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. 
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. 
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us. 
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word or God, save us. 
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us. 

Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Agony, save us. 
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us. 
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us. 

Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us. 
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us. 
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us. 

Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us. 
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us. 
Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us. 

Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us. 
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us. 
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us. 

Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us. 
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us. 
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us. 

Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us. 
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us. 
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.


Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us. 
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us. 
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us. 

Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord. 

V. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood. 
R. And made us, for our God, a kingdom. 

Let us pray; 

Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven.

 
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

That’s it for this week’s Sacred Heart Friday; next week I’ll come up with something else, perhaps a bit on St. Gaspar del Bufalo and his work.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Saint Camillus of Lellis: patron of gambling addicts

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Today is the feast day of St. Camillus de Lellis. This is from the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) boldface italics mine:

He was the son of an officer who had served both in the Neapolitan and French armies. His mother died when he was a child, and he grew up absolutely neglected. When still a youth he became a soldier in the service of Venice and afterwards of Naples, until 1574, when his regiment was disbanded. While in the service he became a confirmed gambler, and in consequence of his losses at play was at times reduced to a condition of destitution. The kindness of a Franciscan friar induced him to apply for admission to that order, but he was refused. He then betook himself to Rome, where he obtained employment in the Hospital for Incurables. He was prompted to go there chiefly by the hope of a cure of abscesses in both his feet from which he had been long suffering. He was dismissed from the hospital on account of his quarrelsome disposition and his passion for gambling. He again became a Venetian soldier, and took part in the campaign against the Turks in 1569. After the war he was employed by the Capuchins at Manfredonia on a new building which they were erecting. His old gambling habit still pursued him, until a discourse of the guardian of the convent so startled him that he determined to reform. He was admitted to the order as a lay brother, but was soon dismissed on account of his infirmity. He betook himself again to Rome, where he entered the hospital in which he had previously been, and after a temporary cure of his ailment became a nurse, and winning the admiration of the institution by his piety and prudence, he was appointed director of the hospital.

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia at New Advent

More here at this older Sober Catholic post: For those addicted to gambling…

Saint camillus of lellis 01

CatholicSaints.info more on him, including links to where you can find out even more stuff!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 6

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It’s been a while since I did one of these on the union of there Two Hearts, and on this Sacred Heart Friday I will revisit the last post in the series: The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 5. In particular, this passage:

The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary began when Jesus dwelt within the womb of Mary. Like all children when they are living within their Momma’s womb, He shared the body of Mary and thus she became the tabernacle for the Ark of the New Covenant that is Him.

Mary’s Immaculate Heart pumped the Precious Blood that flowed through His veins and arteries; she powered His Sacred Heart.

July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. This post clearly identifies that Mary is the source of His Precious Blood; inasmuch as He did not have a biological human father, all of His genetic material comes from Our Lady. 

Now, take a look at this earlier post: Three Drops of Blood: The Creation of the Sacred Heart. In this one I mention an approved private revelation to Ven. Maria de Jesus de Agreda as recorded in the epic biography of the Blessed Virgin Mary “The Mystical City of God.”

Three drops of blood from Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart gathered and deposited in her sacred womb. From this, Jesus drew His genetic material and His Sacred Humanity. 

The issuing of the blood from her heart symbolized her Sorrowful Heart, which was to suffer much as prophesied by Simeon. So, there in a connection between her Sorrowful Heart and His Sacred Heart. 

An image of the relevant page from “The Mystical City of God:”

Three Drops of Blood Passage

From these three drops of blood from Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart came the body of Our Lord; and obviously the Precious Blood which pumped through His veins and arteries and which was spilled for out redemption of the first Good Friday. 

So, Our Lady is the source and origin of His Most Precious Blood. Devotion to the Precious Blood is simultaneously a devotion to Our Lady. The two are united; for Catholics, where Jesus is, Mary is nearby. If you are practicing a devotion to Mary, you will ultimately be taken to Jesus.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

“Sobriety from a Catholic perspective” as percieved by AI

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I hate Artificial Intelligence. I think it’s a potential threat to human existence, but keeping in mind that God is in control and in His omnipotence and omniscience, He is aware of AI and probably has a plan regarding it. Nevertheless, I sometimes ask ChatGPT a question once in a while for fun, and my wife makes use of AI art programs. 

Today, I found out that there is a Catholic AI. Called “Magisterium AI” it can be found at: Magisterium AI.

I asked it the following question, “Write an essay on sobriety from a Catholic perspective.” (I tried asking it “Write a blog post on sobriety from a Catholic perspective,” but ‘blog post’ has it stumped.)

This is its answer:

“Sobriety, from a Catholic perspective, is a virtue that is highly regarded and encouraged in personal and social life. It is seen as a way to counteract the imbalances that arise from the breakdown of certain virtues, including environmental ones [^1]. Sobriety is not seen as a lesser or diminished way of living, but rather as a liberating and fulfilling way of life. It is about appreciating and enjoying each person and each thing, finding satisfaction in the simplest things and cultivating other pleasures such as music, art, and contact with nature [^2].

Sobriety also involves knowing how to limit certain needs that only diminish us and being open to the many different possibilities that life can offer [^2]. It is about shedding unsatisfied needs, reducing obsessiveness and weariness, and finding happiness in the richness of life’s experiences. Sobriety is not about depriving oneself, but rather about finding contentment and fulfillment in what one has, rather than constantly seeking what one does not have.

From a Catholic perspective, sobriety is closely linked to humility. When we lose our humility and become enthralled with the idea of limitless mastery over everything, we end up harming society and the environment [^1]. Sobriety and humility go hand in hand, as they both require recognizing our limitations and acknowledging our dependence on God. It is when we exclude God from our lives or replace Him with our own ego that we lose sight of the true meaning of sobriety and become consumed by our own desires and ambitions [^1].

In the Catholic tradition, sobriety is not seen as a restriction or a burden, but rather as a pathway to true freedom and fulfillment. It is about living life to the full, appreciating the beauty and goodness of creation, and finding joy in the simple pleasures of life [^2]. Sobriety is not about denying ourselves pleasure, but rather about finding a healthy balance and being mindful of our actions and choices.

In conclusion, sobriety from a Catholic perspective is a virtue that promotes a balanced and fulfilled way of life. It is about appreciating and enjoying the simple things, cultivating other pleasures, and finding contentment in what one has. Sobriety is closely linked to humility and the recognition of our dependence on God. It is a virtue that encourages us to live in harmony with ourselves, others, and the environment, and to find true freedom and fulfillment in doing so [^1] [^2].

[^1] Laudato Si 224

[^2] Laudato Si 223

[^3] The Participation of Catholics in Political Life 7

[^4] On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons 2”

I may ask it more questions of relevance to this blog, just for kicks and giggles.

There is a disclaimer offered at the bottom of the site: “Magisterium AI is currently experimental and is trained on a limited, but growing number of Magisterial documents. Some questions cannot be answered at this time.”

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Hell

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On this date (July 13) in 1917, Our Lady appeared to the seers of Fatima for the third time. This was one of the most memorable and crucial of the six, perhaps second only to the last one on October 13 with its Miracle of the Sun.

For on this day, the three seers were gifted with a vision of Hell.

The children saw people falling into Hell and the indescribable torments they suffered from demons. What I find interesting is that some of the demons appeared to be animals of unknown kinds. (Few ever bring that part up but it’s always intrigued me.)

The children almost died from fright and horror off what they saw. It affected them deeply and Sts Jacinta and Francesco seemed particularly concerned with making reparations and offering sacrifices on behalf of people to prevent even more from damnation.

“You saw hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.” – The Blessed Virgin Mary (to the children.)

There were three secrets imparted to the children by Our Lady. I’m not going to go into details of the second and third secrets, since the vision of Hell was the first of the ‘Three Secrets of Fatima”  and is the subject of this post. You can read this piece for the particulars of the July apparition: What Our Lady Said About Hell at Fatima on July 13, 1917 .

Hell is real and many people are in denial about its existence (meaning they keep it out of their conscious minds) or deny it exists altogether. I can understand if they aren’t Christian, but if they are then they are foolish on the one hand or calling Jesus a liar on the other. One of the biggest and sneakiest successes of Satan is getting people to disbelieve in him or Hell. If they do not exist for you, then you will not learn to avoid the road to Hell or Satan’s temptations.

In AA meetings I’ve heard the basic conviction or feeling that once you’ve stopped drinking, that’s it. You’ve run the race and you’re “in”. That’s always bothered me. ‘Just not drinking today’ isn’t enough. You may still sin (that is, offend God), and perhaps even mortally sin and therefore consign yourself to Hell. There are whole other ways to screw up your life besides drinking. You may still do those. 

Think of pain. Think of how you flinch for an instant when you experience it. Now dwell on that never-ending. 

While you’re at it, please read this: Focus on the Message of Fatima.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ

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Hearts pump blood. The blood that the Sacred Heart pumps must therefore be…precious? Welcome to this week’s Sacred Heart Friday and today I’ll talk a little about the Precious Blood of Jesus. Why? Because it’s July and this month is dedicated to the Precious Blood!

The Devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ is an old one. It is said to have dated to the Circumcision of Our Lord, when according to approved private revelations, Mary collected the blood Jesus had spilled.
One moving scene in Mel Gibson’s epic film, “The Passion of the Christ” depicted Mary and Mary Magdalene taking rags and cleaning up Jesus’ blood after His scourging at the pillar. It gained greater attention in the 16th Century in Spain and shortly afterwards in Italy. The Feast of the Most Precious Blood was July 2nd, but it was removed from the Roman liturgical calendar in 1970. Nowadays, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is referred to as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, so it was essentially combined into that.

The Blood of Christ is ‘precious’ because it is Jesus’ offered His own blood to pay for the redemption of humanity. Jesus shed His very blood for the sake of all humanity, atoning for humanity’s sins. The devotion to the Most Precious Blood is yet another one dedicate  to repentance and reparation, much like the Holy Face devotion, the Sacred Heart and the Fatima Message.

The Precious Blood is the symbol of God’s mercy, as it was spilled to pay for our sins. It is part of the Eucharist (whether you partake of the wine at Mass or not, its redemptive and spiritual significance is in the Bread as well). Here’s a good meditative practice: imagine yourself swimming in the blood-red sea of God’s mercy. I got that imagery from reading Divine Mercy in My Soul, the spiritual journal of St. Faustina Kowalska.

I’ll post more in the coming Fridays about the Precious Blood. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

So ends the month dedicated to…

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Today is the last day of June and as such so ends the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this Sacred Heart Friday I would remind you that the Sacred Heart Devotion is a perpetual thing; while June provides a focus and a reminder or renewal for those not too attached to it, the Sacred Heart Devotion is the essence of Catholicism. 

  • It is devotional in nature, which means that it is a practice which requires some dedication.
  • It is Scriptural and doctrinal (John the Evangelist laying his head on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper; the devotion encapsulating Christ’s love for us and our response to that love – which naturally includes a work of reparation.
  • It is Sacramental – devotion to His Sacred Heart is devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. You can add Confession to that.
  • It is mystical. Much of it relies on approved private revelation.
  • It fuels other devotions. Once you get into the devotion, you are naturally attracted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and consequentially, the Rosary. If you already had a devotion to the Rosary, it becomes stronger. Perhaps you ‘graduate’ to saying the entire Rosary instead of just the single set of Mysteries for the day.

Tomorrow starts July which is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. I think I’ll try and write a few posts on that over the month.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Unintended

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My parents got drunk on their 25th wedding anniversary in April 1962.

Nine months later I was born.

My parents did this ‘later in life,’ Dad was shy of 50 and Mom had just turned 46. That’s ‘old’ to have kids even nowadays; in the early 1960s? “Ancient.”

I never suspected. I recall asking my Mom as to when she expected me. My due date was a particular date in February 1963. So I counted backwards nine months and arrived in May 1962. Nothing extraordinary occurred in the family history in that month that would account for my being conceived, so I figured I was an ordinary accident. It wasn’t until the early 1990s when I found out the truth about what really happened around April 15, 1962! My sainted mother ‘obscured the truth.’ That’s more charitable than accusing her of ‘lying.’ She easily remembered my alleged due date as that is the date I was baptized. I had always thought that was a neat coincidence; they enshrined my original due date by having me christened on it! HAH!

I honestly believe that people who ‘shouldn’t have been born’ because of the circumstances surrounding their conception have no special purpose in life. This refers to people conceived under sinful circumstances: drunkenness, rape, carelessness, whatever – the parents ‘sinned.’ If one or both parents behaved properly, then they wouldn’t have had the child. They are the Unintended. They weren’t willed by God to be born, just permitted to be and so weren’t assigned any real special task. Just be good, don’t sin as much as you are able to, follow the natural law of good and evil written on the hearts of all and muddle through life as best you can. Anything good and meritorious accomplished is an unintended bonus. Pure profit.

I know it is said that we all have a special mission or purpose unique to us. Something only we can do, no one else. The old Baltimore Catechism said that we were born to ‘know, love, and serve God in this life and be happy with Him forever in the next.” That’s basic and applicable to everyone. Call it a ‘Default Purpose.’ Those willed to exist by God may have special features added to that. Those not willed by God to be born, the Unintended, just do the ‘know, love, and serve,’ stuff as a part of the “just be good, don’t sin as much as you are able to, follow the natural law of good and evil written on the hearts of all and muddle through as best you can” part.

This is all kind of comforting to me, if correct. Nothing much is expected of me and so maybe I’ll be judged lightly when the time comes for my Particular Judgement upon death. Doesn’t mean I’ll be whisked right on through; I expect to become acquainted with Purgatory. But I really doubt that God willed a specific intended purpose for someone who ‘shouldn’t be.’

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Sacred Heart Resources

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Hot off of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus last Friday is today’s Sacred Heart Friday post on resources to enrich your knowledge of the Sacred Heart! I just used ‘Sacred Heart’ three times in one sentence! That may not happen all that often, anywhere.

The following are links and an incomplete bibliography on the Sacred Heart. Many of these resources come from Anne Costa, of Revive Hope and Healing Ministries, who has written two wonderful books on the (you know what) that I reviewed right here:  “A review of two books on the Sacred Heart.”

Online resources:

Books:

(I’m not providing links as to where you can buy them, that is up to you to do a search. Chances are, EWTN, TAN,  Marytown, or Academy of the Immaculate will have them, otherwise search wherever you shop online for books (or visit your local Catholic bookstore if you are blessed to have one! If they don’t have any of these, they can order them for you.)

This list is obviously incomplete; given the popularity of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, I cannot list every book. The ones that made it to the list are there because I either have a copy, it was on an Anne Costa bibliography, or I heard about it from somewhere else. Anything listed after “TO SLAKE A THIRST” are here by reputation (I do not have the book and cannot vouch for it but it looks good. Especially if Liguori and Eudes wrote it. 😉 ) If I missed any obvious ones, email me or post them in the comments.)

  • The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: How to Practice the Sacred Heart Devotion by Fr. John Croiset 
  • Healing Promises: The Essential Guide to the Sacred Heart by Anne Costa
  • A Little Book of Reparation First Friday Devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Anne Costa
  • The Autobiography of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
  • The Letters of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: Apostle of the Sacred Heart
  • Love, Peace and Joy: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus According to Saint Gertrude: Thirty Chapters for a Month Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Very Reverend Andre Prevot
  • Seemingly Impossible… BUT TRUE! the Nine First Fridays by Father Gnarocas
  • The Imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Rev. Fr. Peter J. Arnoudt S.J.
  • The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood by Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche
  • Holy Hour of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Soul Assurance
  • Updated Devotion to the Sacred Heart by Rev. Walter Kern
  • Devotion to the Sacred Heart by Mary Frances Lester
  • Sacred Heart Prayer Book by Brother James, SDB
  • TO SLAKE A THIRST: The Matt Talbot Way to Sobriety by Philip Maynard (NOTE: this is on using the devotion to the Sacred Heart as a way to achieve sobriety.)
  • Novena Meditations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (A Catholic Devotion) by Saint Alphonsus Liguori and Rev. Thomas Santa C.Ss.R.
  • The Sacred Heart of Jesus Paperback by Saint John Eudes 
  • Behold This Heart: St. Francis de Sales and Devotion to the Sacred Heart by Fr. Thomas Dailey OSFS 
  • Entrustment to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Through St. Dymphna;: A Nine Day Preparation with the Patron Saint of the Emotionally and Mentally Disturbed by Richard Dole

Well, there you have it! An as comprehensive as I can Paulcoholicly make it. Have fun!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Another Our Lady of Perpetual Help Coincidence (and novena reminder)

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A while back I wrote about a series of coincidences involving Our Lady of Perpetual Help and yours truly. 

Well, she’s at it again! I was cleaning out the back of the garage to make room for a garden workbench I’m being given when I opened a box that was in the way. Curious, I rummaged through it and there was a stack of Our Lady of Perpetual Help prayer cards! This is what they look like, minus the wording at the bottom:

CultofPerpetualHelpVetusImagoMiraculisClaraVenerata.

So, what exactly is the coincidence? Well, today marks the beginning of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena! I didn’t need the reminder, so it is a curious thing or perhaps just a signal grace.

Anyway, if you want to pray this Novena, this post has links to three good ones to pick from.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)