Category Archives: Blessed Virgin Mary

The Three Hail Marys (UPDATED)

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Today is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God on the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar.

The dogma of her divine motherhood was proclaimed at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431. That she is the “Mother of God” may seem obvious as she gave birth to Jesus, Who is God, and therefore making her His Mother; and so we get, “Mother of God.” However, as we humans tend to complicate things in strange ways a Council was called to define her in this manner, as it also settled numerous raging controversies and heresies concerning the nature of Jesus. I won’t go into them here as it’s beyond the scope of this blog to wade into such matters.

What does this have to do with Sober Catholic? Easy! Mary is also our Mother, as we are God’s adopted sons and daughters through Jesus, that makes Mary our Mom, too!

Unlike our Earthly mothers (biological or adoptive), Mary is perfect in her maternal attitude towards us. She loves us in spite of ourselves. While obviously not condoning our sinning, she accepts our attempts to rise up again after our falls and offers us her hand to help us up. That is, if we seek her assistance. And this we can do in the following manner:

There is an ancient pious practice in the Church of saying three Hail Marys every morning and evening to preserve us from mortal sin. We have to faithfully cooperate with the graces God gives us to make this work; you cannot indulge in this practice and then go off and commit sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance. A firm purpose of amendment and a willingness to detach from sin helps.

Popularly known as “Heaven Opened by the Practice of the Three Hail Marys,” you can find complete information here: Three Hail Marys

In short, you say three Hail Marys every morning and evening followed by a prayer that she preserve you this day (or night) from mortal sin. The three Hail Marys are in honor of her privileges of being the Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son and Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. The instructions in the link in the previous paragraph indicates an Act of Consecration need be said also (it’s on the site linked to); I have other literature not requiring that daily. It’s up to you. It might be nice to say the Act the first day and then perhaps renew it periodically (Saturdays are good as they’re dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.) And some don’t mention the Act.

Try the practice of praying the Three Hail Marys morning and night!

EDIT: Here’s another link to do this (and it ties in nicely with Fatima): America Needs Fatima ‘Three Hail Marys Pledge’

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!!)

A fortnight of years in sobriety

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Today marks my 14th anniversary of my last drunk. I sort of remember it, although for years I couldn’t recall the exact time (as in hour/minute) I took my last drink. I still can’t. I won’t bother with the details of my last drunk as I’ve written about them before.

Question: “How’d I do it?” Answer: “One day at a time!!” Well, there’s more to it than that, but in essence the twelve step practice of taking each day as it comes does help.

Sometimes I have to take each hour as it comes.

Speaking of the Twelve Steps, yes, they are useful. A wonderful lifeline when other things are absent or insufficient. (Absent or insufficient because they have not been developed enough as a response to external factors that may create a desire to drink.)

My Catholic Faith was and is more useful. I do know that if I had to rely solely upon the spirituality of the Twelve Steps and meeting attendance, I’d be one of those poster children for relapses; “those people” you see who enter the program, “get it” for a while, and then go back out.

Once in a while there are stressors. Anxiety, isolation, economic concerns and so forth well up and I think, “Just one drink to take the edge off.” But no, I don’t. I get through it (“One hour at a time, one minute at a time…”) and move on.

At times like those I also grab my AA literature (the Big Book or 12 & 12) and get help that way. Sometimes I feel the need for a meeting, but don’t bother (I seriously am NOT a meeting person. Never was, never will be. Online recovery works for me. I visit In the Rooms a lot.)

Sometimes when I feel that way, that my Faith and other personal means to maintain sobriety aren’t working, and I feel the need to fall back on traditional fixes like “going to a meeting” or “calling a sponsor” then I assess the state of my Faith. Sincerely, the Faith is all one should need.

Jesus came to heal the broken and wounded. The sick. We are all that and so His Church and the sacraments and devotions should work. They have, for me and for others that I’ve run across over the years. But at times they seem to be “not enough.”

But that isn’t an indictment of the Faith, or possibly not even my practice of it. There’s a list of saints very long who have gone through frequent periods of spiritual dryness, times when the Faith “wasn’t there.” They persevered and discerned that it was God’s way of drawing them closer. It is a path of spiritual growth and development (see St. Teresa of Jesus, a/k/a St. Teresa of Avila.) We feel distant and therefore we persevere and strive on, or we abandon the path.

I stay on the path. (This must be why images and symbols of “the path,” “the road,” “the way,” “the journey” resonate with me.)

I have come to feel that in those times when I feel the urge to drink is strong, and I need to respond in a traditional twelve step way, that I need to work on my Faith. I need to make a Spiritual Communion, or meditate on the Holy Spirit and His indwelling in me, or talk to the Blessed Mother. If this sounds selfish to you who are avid and devoted Twelve-Steppers, so be it. For the most part, my experience with AA has been at variance with the common conception of a “fellowship.” It’s just one more organization where I am a misfit, despite trying.

To me, AA and meeting attendance are training wheels or a crib. Eventually you outgrow them. You learn to ride on your own without the help of training wheels, and you move out of the crib. Useful to understand alcoholism and get the basics of Twelve Step spirituality and how to change your way of thinking and responding to situations, but after a fashion, one should learn what the Faith has to offer.

We were created by God. We exist to love Him and serve Him in this life and to be united and happy with Him forever in the next life (Heaven.) To get through this life He has established a Church to guide us.

We are obligated and we owe Him the duty to fully explore that Church and the Faith that springs up around Her. This does not mean leaving AA, if that suits your sobriety and you really enjoy it, then fine. It can be considered a work of mercy. Perhaps even a source for friendships.

But working within a Twelve Step program shouldn’t come at the expense of your Catholic Faith; that is like continuing to eat pureed baby food when the bread of life is readily available.

That’s all I have to say! I’ve just been very reflective on my fourteen years, where I’ve been, am now and where I’m going, along with the means for the way.

Just trudgin’ my road of happy destiny.

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!!)

Ninety-nine years ago, today

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Today is the 99th anniversary of the beginning of the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal.

Two years ago I took a greater interest in the Apparitions than before and in studying them, discerned that they would be of great beneficial use to recovering alcoholics and addicts.

On the one hand, I probably shouldn’t have started blogging about them when I did, as I haven’t written in too great a detail about the individual apparitions; the result being too many posts of perhaps shallow substance (at least “shallow” for anyone very familiar with them). The primary purpose of this blog isn’t really to delve too deeply into things like Marian Apparitions. But, I do have two hands and the other one counters with the proposition that perhaps I may have whetted your appetite on Fatima several years prior to their centennial, and hopefully you have gone beyond what I have written here, explored them on your own and have taken to heart the Fatima message of prayer, penance and conversion.

The Fatima message is essentially the message of this blog. So… perhaps in response to the approaching centennial, I can incorporate more things on Fatima throughout the year, rather than just on the Apparition date. (I’m obviously blog-planning out loud…)

EWTN has a good page on first Apparition at Fatima.

Here are all my posts on Fatima to figure out what I was doing.

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!!)

I am the Lady of the Rosary, I am your Mother

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70,000 people witnessed the last public Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Cova da Iria, near Fatima, Portugal on October 13, 1917.

Why am I blogging about this now? To fulfill a commitment I made when I started blogging about Fatima last year, that up through 2017 I would blog on the Fatima Apparitions on or about their anniversary because I think the Fatima message is very important for Catholics, including those in whatever stages of addiction recovery they are in. (NOTE: even though the publication date should read “October 13, 2015,” the post was actually written in late November 2015.). Due to a variety of circumstances, including sloth and this and that and the other thing, I’m late with this piece.)

Why did this Apparition take place? The “Miracle of the Sun” happened, as promised, to prove the Apparition’s authenticity. The sun started dancing in the sky, defying all known laws of physics, and was seen many miles away (so it wasn’t a localized event.)

Perhaps it is fortuitous that I am late with this post. Why? “Aren’t you just grasping at straws, Paulcoholic, so it would seem as if you can fall down and still come up smelling like roses?” It seems I did the same thing last year: Last year’s late post on the Solar Miracle. Well, maybe. BUT, think about some of the events that have happened in the world these past few weeks, after this post should originally have come out. The terror attacks in Paris, Lebanon and Nigeria. World War III probably getting warmed up in the Middle East. An increasingly insane US Presidential election campaign season. These are all frightening and worrisome things.

What happens when you are scared, at least when you were a child? You’d go running to your Mom!

Mary is our Mother. She cares for us and since we are the adopted children of God, we are Christ’s brothers and sisters, and thus we are her children, too.

Pope St. John Paul II greeted the world upon his appearance to the world as Pope with the words, “Be not afraid.” It is said that those words in various forms appear 365 times in the Bible, thus letting us know that we are not to fear whatever is going on.

The Miracle of the Sun was frightening. Imagine if you were there, you see the sun dance and whirl about, seemingly plummeting to the Earth. But no one was hurt. No humans were harmed in the occurrence of this apparition. The fact that it happened was a reassurance to all of the reality of the apparition and of Mary. (Satan would NOT ahave had the power to do this.)

And so some words to all: “Be not afraid.” It is hard. But having Faith is. No matter what is going to be happening in the upcoming years, have Faith. Hold fast to the Church, grab your rosaries and USE THEM! pray the Rosary daily. Get the Diary of St. Faustina (see: St. Faustina and Divine Mercy. Make use of the upcoming “Year of Mercy”.

Easy? No, especially if we rely on our own resources. This is why we also need God’s graces, which are there for the asking. Pray. Go to Mass. Go to Confession. Read Scripture (a good CATHOLIC Bible.) Pray some more.

Be not afraid…

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!!)

Fatima Apparition of 13 September 1917

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By the time of the fifth Apparition in September, the popularity (or notoriety) of the event was growing. On the 13th of September, 30,000 people had gathered in the Cova de Iria to witness whatever was to happen. The secular, anti-clerical atheistic press ramped up their ridicule.

After the usual question posed to Mary about what she wants, the seers were exhorted to continue to pray the Rosary. Otherwise, it seemed that all that happened was the seers asked questions about certain individuals and whether intercessions for them will be answered. (Some will, some won’t. An important consideration to be aware of when you pray, never assume your prayer will be answered in the manner you wish.)

After a final reminder to return for the final apparition on October 13th, Mary disappeared back to Heaven.

You can keep up with Sober Catholic’s blogging on Fatima, as well as why I’m posting about it, by visiting this link: All the Fatima Posts.

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!!)

And the Virgin’s Name was Mary

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Yesterday, September 12th was the Optional Memorial of the Holy Name of Mary. I had tried to wrte a post, but couldn’t come up with anything. I still can’t come up with anything terribly deep and profound (not that I often do 😉 ) but still feel compelled to write something. And so here goes an exhortation:

Call on Mary! Saints and mystics (as well as exorcists) have all commented that the name of the Blessed Virgin is terror for the demons. (Yes, there are demons.) Whenever you feel your sobriety is at risk, call upon the name of Mary! I isn’t some magic incantation or anything like that, the name of the Mother of God is a prayer unto itself.

As the Litany of Loretto indicates, Mary’s name comes with many attributes. She is known as:

Mother of Christ
Mother of divine grace
Mother most pure
Mother most chaste
Mother inviolate
Mother undefiled
Mother most amiable
Mother most admirable
Mother of good Counsel
Mother of our Creator
Mother of our Savior
Virgin most prudent
Virgin most venerable
Virgin most renowned
Virgin most powerful
Virgin most merciful
Virgin most faithful
Mirror of justice
Seat of wisdom
Cause of our joy
Spiritual vessel
Vessel of honor
Singular vessel of devotion
Mystical rose
Tower of David
Tower of ivory
House of gold
Ark of the covenant
Gate of heaven
Morning star
Health of the sick
Refuge of sinners
Comforter of the afflicted
Help of Christians
Queen of Angels
Queen of Patriarchs
Queen of Prophets
Queen of Apostles
Queen of Martyrs
Queen of Confessors
Queen of Virgins
Queen of all Saints
Queen conceived without original sin
Queen assumed into heaven
Queen of the most holy Rosary
Queen of families
Queen of peace

So, call your Mother. She’ll be there after all the names on the phone list you got at your first AA meeting didn’t answer.

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!!)

Fatima and Prayer

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The Fatima Apparition that was to happen on August 13th was delayed by political subterfuge. As I said last year, Our Lady wasn’t to be defeated by a political hack.

Along with the repeated request to return on the 13th of next month and to continue to pray the Rosary, Our Lady exhorted the seers to pray for souls, as many have no one to pray for them. As a consequence, many perish in damnation.

Praying for other people is one of the great works of mercy that we can do. Many people scoff at prayer, typically these people either never tried it, or did but didn’t get whatever it was they wanted and sadly concluded that it doesn’t work. (It does, but sometimes the answer is “No.”) Prayer is the uplifting of the heart and mind to God, and at what better time can we ask His intercession for people we know? How prayer works is somewhat of a mystery. As God already knows what we desire, there would seem to be little reason to tell Him. However, prayer may work for us as it reminds us of Who we are dependent on. In praying for others, we become aware that we are not in this for ourselves, we are “our brother’s keeper,” and prayer may bring unknown graces upon others, giving them strength to persevere when they themselves didn’t think to ask..

Perhaps like when you found that added, needed strength to begin recovery.

Prayer is central to the Fatima Message, it is key to the success of why Our Lady appeared.

As I have said previously, I plan on blogging about these Apparitions in hopes that Catholics in recovery can find some additional tools to pack in their spiritual toolkit for fighting addictions. Every month from May through October, on or about the 13th, I shall post something on that month’s Apparition through the 100th Anniversary in 2017. Initially I’ll be very basic, but when the anniversaries approach again up through 2017, I hope to delve deeper. I am still beginning my journey of exploring the spiritual wealth of Fatima, and the more I read, the more I am coming to regard Fatima as an essential devotion to any Catholic in recovery from addictions. Next year’s posts should be more detailed.

You can keep up with Sober Catholic’s blogging on Fatima at this link: All the Fatima Posts.

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!!)

Quick post on Fatima

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I am over a month late with this post, on the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal on July 13, 1917. Last year I started a series of posts on the Apparitions, to be done on or about the anniversary dates of each and ending on the centenary in 2017. I am doing this because the Fatima message of prayer, penance and conversion is very important to all Catholics nowadays, as well as being very useful to those Catholics trying to maintain a clean and sober life.

In reviewing the information on this particular Apparition, this post will be very brief and not too informative, mainly because there were a few, oh…. shall we say…interesting events that happened during it and I will hold on them until 2016 and 2017. These events are controversial and I’d just as assume wait. (Sometimes I think I should have waited until this year to begin this series. But, no matter. If it gets you to reading up and studying the Fatima Message if you might not have otherwise, all the better!)

The less controversial parts of this apparition was the seers inquiring about certain people, making intercession for a number of the local villagers and their families. What is interesting is that these children had direct access to the Blessed Mother and got immediate responses to their petitions. Would that we always had that grace! Some prayers were answered, others…not.

You can get caught up here with All the Fatima Posts.

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!!)

Daily Adoration

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In the post Abiding in Jesus, I mentioned the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. The Gospel reading that inspired the post gives me a good excuse to relate something that I’ve been doing since July 1st.

Every day I stop off at my local parish and spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. My intention is fifteen minutes in the morning en route to work, but I haven’t quite gotten the discipline down yet of leaving sufficiently early, so I wind up doing about five. If I leave for work with not enough time, then I just spend the fifteen minutes on the way home.

I am not saying this to brag, or to declare that I am “holier than thou,” I do it for myself and for the world. (“Not bragging?”)

For myself, as I feel called to “kick it up a notch” spiritually and one excellent way to do this is to bask for a while, even if for just a short time, in the Presence of Jesus. There are also the usual trials and tribulations that life brings, all the crosses that we have to bear if we are truly be called the followers of Christ.

For the world, as if you have been following the news for quite a while, things are quite terrible. It seems that Satan is pulling triple shifts to tear down the Church and civilization. We all have to choose sides and take up our weapons. Or just become better equipped to cope with things.

Why July 1st? I wanted an aid in doing this and so I ransacked my bookshelves on the Holy Eucharist and found this: Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary
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From the publisher’s blurb: “Here, then,” says St. Alphonsus, “is our heaven on earth–the Most Blessed Sacrament.” This book was conceived and written to help us grow in the knowledge and love of God and in appreciation for what He has done for us. For each of the 31 days of the month, St. Alphonsus provides for us a “Visit to Our Lord”–which is a brief meditation on and a fervent prayer of love toward Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Each Visit to Our Lord is followed by a “Visit to Our Lady.”

Since there are meditations for every day of the month, I decided to start on the 1st.

After doing this for 47 days now, I can attest that I have grown “in the knowledge and love of God and in appreciation for what He has done for us.” (“Are we still sure he isn’t bragging?”)

I do feel an increased intimacy with Him. I have always grasped the Real Presence intellectually, but have found it difficult on an emotional level. This is helping with that. I suppose it is true that the more often you spend time with Someone, the more you get to know them and become closer.

The book has 31 meditations, I will be using it for those months with 31 days. For months with 30 days, I’ll be using this: Moments Divine: Before the Blessed Sacrament
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From the publisher: “This pious book is especially suited for use any time before the Blessed Sacrament. Each of the 30 chapters contain true stories, various prayers, an Act of Contrition, Sacred Heart reading, Spiritual Communion and so much more. … it will enrich any devotional collection and inspire greater love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.”

I have a few other little books and things to do while I’m with Him, but the above books provide the focus.

I have exhorted you all often in the past to spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to do this. Just for in and of itself, (like, why would you need an excuse to spend time with Our Lord?) but also as an aid in the spiritual warfare destroying the world.

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!!)

Fifty-four Day Rosary Novena

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There is a rather dedicated but powerful novena to Our Lady called the “54 Day Rosary Novena.” There are variations on it with regard to preparatory prayers, but I typically keep it simple and just state the intentions I’m praying for followed by the saying the Rosary.

For the 54 Day Novena, you say 3 nine day Rosary novenas in a row in petition for something (this takes 27 days), folowed by 3 nine day Rosary novenas in a row in thanksgiving for the answer (this takes another 27 days, totalling the 54), regardless of whether or not the petition was granted. It may be granted during the 54 days, or maybe afterwards.

I bring this up because a particularly important time to do this is available. Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, if you begin the 54 day novena today, it will end on the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7th. There’s got to be some amazing spiritual signifiance for these Marian days to have been placed 54 days apart!

So, begin one today, the first petition novena will end on August 23rd, start the second petition novena on August 24th, and so on.

Pray for anything. Petitions for yourself and your struggles with addiction, petitions for the world and society about you. Whatever, just break out your beads!

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!!)