Category Archives: Books

Sober Catholic gift opportunities

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Lent will be here in just over three months (in 2021 Ash Wednesday is February 17th) and although it is not normally associated as a season of giving gifts, Christmas is, and that’s just over a month away. There are gifts that might be of interest to a person in recovery in your life (or yourself). Perhaps they can be stocking stuffers!

Why did I bring up Lent?

As many know, I published a little devotional booklet entitled “The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics”, it is available online at places listed here: Stations of the Cross Page. The Stations are a popular Lenten devotion. But wait! There’s more!

Another general all around gift for your favorite sober (or hopefully sober) Catholic is my other book: The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts

Thank you in advance! I value every reader. OH! And since Christmas is just in a little while, if you’d like to show your appreciation for my work her, you can PayPal me! Anything you drop in it will be appreciated. 🙂

 

 

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!!)

Susan Tassone: Apostle of Purgatory

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Susan Tassone is an author of several books on Purgatory, notably prayerbooks to the Holy Souls suffering the fires of purgation. One of my annual rituals is to use her book Thirty-Day Devotions for the Holy Souls in Purgatory every November, as that is the month dedicated to the dead. The book itself is very useful in discovering the importance of having a devotion to the Holy Souls, as well as learning more about Purgatory.

Another truly wonderful book is Praying in the Presence of Our Lord for the Holy Souls. That book contains prayers from across the centuries of the Church’s existence for the suffering souls in Purgatory. I oftentimes find many to be very consoling. It also has instilled a yearning to join the Elect in Heaven. This life on Earth is truly temporary, we are only on pilgrimage here.

For those of you who, like me, appreciate Susan Tassone and her work in almost single-handedly bringing the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory back out of the shadows, you might like that she has an official website now:

Susan Tassone – Official Website

It contains information on her books and speaking engagements as well as useful resources. You can find her books on Amazon, right here: Susan Tassone’s Amazon Page.

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!!)

Books on the Holy Face Devotion. And a chaplet.

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I introduced to you the Holy Face Devotion in these two posts: The Holy Face Devotion: what we need for our times and The Holy Face, Disfigured by Sin

In short, the Devotion to the Holy Face is a work of reparation to atone for blasphemy against the Lord’s name and the profanation of Sundays and Holy Days. In addition, it was also intended as a spiritual weapon to be used in the war against Communism.

There is a trilogy of books that are regarded as holding the basics of the Devotion. These are offered by TAN books (well, sort of. I’ll discuss that in a few sentences). The books are “The Golden Arrow,” the first half of which contains the autobiography of the Carmelite Nun in Tours, France who received the revelations from Jesus in 1846-1848, Sr. Marie of St. Peter. It also contains all of the messages of Jesus in the second half. The next two are written by Dorothy Scallan. First is “The “Holy Man of Tours: The Life of Leo Dupont (1797-1876), Apostle of the Holy Face Devotion,” and lastly is “The Whole World Will Love Me: The Life of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face (1873-1897).”

As I said, all are available through tanbooks.com, (just click on the titles, they’re links to their TAN page). Except for the biography of Leo Dupont, which is not in print. That is only available as an ebook. I emailed TAN asking if they have plans to return it to print, but they do not; although they customer service representative kindly told me she’ll pass my request up to her superiors. And here is where you readers can come in handy: If you would please go to tanbooks.com and access the contact information (at the bottom of the page, it’s basically CustomerService at TANBooks dot com but it’s easier if you click on that email link on their site.) and nicely, politely, respectfully request that “The “Holy Man of Tours: The Life of Leo Dupont (1797-1876), Apostle of the Holy Face Devotion,” by Dorothy Scallan (Sku: 1124) be brought back into print? Yes, it’s available by ebook, but paper is better! 😉 Thank you! Perhaps if there’s a sudden rise in interest they’ll reconsider and re-issue it. Maybe you can be persuasive; explain how the Devotion is sorely needed in these times… TAN seems to be increasing the number of titles on current events and a Catholic response to them.

If, however, TAN does not want to re-issue it, there is another biography of Leo Dupont that is in the public domain and available FOR FREE LEGAL DOWNLOAD online through the Internet Archive. You can get The holy man of Tours : or, the life of Léon Papin-Dupont, “who died at Tours in the odor of sanctity, March 18, 1876” written by M. L’Abbe Pierre Desire Janvier. It’s 517 pages and available in a wide variety of formats.

TAN also sells another good little prayer book on the Holy Face Devotion. It also has meditations and great spiritual readings on this; please consider: Devotion to the Holy Face by Mary Frances Lester

NOTE: AS OF THIS WRITING (JULY 2020) THE BIOGRAPHY OF ST. THERESE IS ONLY $5!!!!! It is currently among their monthly “$5-a-book” campaign. It has been in the past, that’s why I bought it a few months ago! TAKE ADVANTAGE! (I don’t get anything from sales.) 

Another thing to consider is the Holy Face Chaplet. The “…chaplet of the Holy Face is comprised of 33 round cross beads and 6 oval beads on a brown cord with a wood cross and picture medal of Jesus’ Holy Face. The little chaplet of the Holy Face has for its object the honoring of the five senses of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is well to recite it every day in order to obtain the triumph of our holy mother the Catholic Church and the downfall of her enemies! Includes instructions and prayers.’ This is available through EWTN here: CHAPLET OF THE HOLY FACE – CROSS BEADS  (Again, I receive no money from sales.) The Chaplet is also available from other sources and made from different materials, but EWTN is where I bought mine.

I’ve become a little addicted to reciting it, it is quite comforting. On the cross you recite the prayer: “God, come to my assistance; Lord, Make haste to help me,” and then the “Glory be…” Then on the each first large bead announce the sense of our Lord (for the first section, “Touch”) and say “My Jesus, Mercy,” followed by the “Glory Be.” Then on each of the six smaller beads say, “Arise, O God, let thy enemies be scattered and let those who hate thee flee before Thy Face.” Then repeat this for each of the next four sections, each one representing the senses of hearing, sight, smell and finally taste. After “Taste,” say “My Jesus, Mercy,” followed by the “Glory Be” on the next large bead. After follows three small beads which you would probably be curious about what to do about them, if you had the chaplet already. You recite on each bead, “Arise, O God, let thy enemies be scattered and let those who hate thee flee before Thy Face.” Then on the medal dangling from near the cross you say, “O God, Our Protector,  please look upon us and cast your gaze upon the Face of Thy Christ.” And that’s it! It doesn’t take long to say.

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!!)

Little Flower and the Story of Her Soul

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Today is a feast day for St. Therese of Lisieux, the “Little Flower” and Doctor of the Church (due to her doctrine of “The Little Way.”) I say “a feast day” as today’s is from the Ordinary Form Calendar; on the Extraordinary Form Calendar it is October 3rd.

One of the more significant books I’ve read, and one that is I believe essential to any sober Catholic, is her autobiography entitled “The Story of a Soul.” I admit to having had great difficulty in first reading it; it took me three tries before I finally “got into it” and completed it. I’ve read it once more since. I highly recommend the ICS Publications edition of the book, especially the “Study Edition.” The Study sections opens wide the vistas of her teachings by placing things in the context of her life and times and how we can bring her “Little Way” into our contemporary lives. This book, along with St. Maria Faustina Kowalska’s autobiography “Divine Mercy in My Soul,” are mystical classics and every Catholic should read them, study them and apply their teachings. I’ve already raved about St. Faustina’s Diary before and how important it can be a to sober Catholic, “The Story of a Soul” should be right next to it on your bookshelf.

Some key points I gleaned from my reading of the Study Edition of St. Therese’s autobiography and her spirituality, based on the almost legible notes I scribbled in the back of it:

  • Her zeal in receiving the Eucharist. I don’t remember at all the day I received First Holy Communion, nor the time preparing for it. For St. Therese, it was one of the singularly important Events (yes, capital “E”) in her childhood. She understood and knew that she was receiving her Saviour, all Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Him. If you ever get to feeling blasé about receiving Our Lord in the Eucharist, study her writings on her Holy Communion.
  • Next to receiving the Eucharist was her devotion to adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She found great solace in her solitude with Him.
  • Her zeal in studying the catechism. The catechism in her day was the Roman Catechism, or the Catechism of the Council of Trent. Perhaps she also had a children’s adaptation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she read the primary catechism, at least after she entered the cloister. But her catechesis wasn’t just from a text such as a formal catechism; she also studied Sacred Scripture, especially the Letters of St. Paul (where she discovered her vocation). Books on the lives of the saints, especially her heroine, St. Joan of Arc, also formed her faith. The classic medieval book, “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas a Kempis was important to her, so much so that she had it memorized. Stories are told in which her family would play a game; they would mention a Book, Chapter and Paragraph number to her, and Therese would correctly recite that selection. A pocket version of it was her constant companion.
  • The Church Triumphant. She found great solace also in communication through prayer with residents of her Heavenly Fatherland. Not just St. Joan of Arc and other saints she was attracted to, but also her mother, who died while Therese was a child, as well as her deceased siblings (her parents had several children who died in infancy.) She received signal graces from them all, signs her prayers were heard. Heaven was real to her, a destination that life on earth was just a means to get to. It was not some hopeful fantasy. (Although she was stricken with doubts about it near the end of her life.)
  • The book The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, by Father Charles Arminjon. A series of conferences or seminars given by that priest in France in 1881, the subject matter inspired a transformation in St. Therese, it “plunged my soul into a state of joy not of this earth.” Shortly afterwards she began her attempts to enter the cloister of Carmel in Lisieux. The book is available today in English. It is in print. I’ve read it. You should, too.
  • Along with all of the above, the autobiography is priceless in terms of her teachings on the value of suffering, poverty and humility, all of which are wrapped up in her “Little Way.” (There are countless websites and books that explain her doctrine of the “Little Way,” I will be writing a post on it very soon after this. I intend to post it on her ‘other’ feast day of October 3rd.)

St. Therese of Lisieux is a saint for all of us. She is “little,” not impressed with the importance of secular things, she was yet another little person that God selected to shame the proud. Her “Little Way,” essentially being humble and doing ordinary things with great love and kindness, and finding God in such ordinary duties and things, is the antidote crucially needed for civilization in theses times of pride, identity and such insanity. But for Catholics who are seeking a way to holiness and a sure path to God and Heaven, the Little Way of St. Therese is the means to our ultimate destiny. By it we can all become great saints. It is also a way for us to cope with the situations afflicting the Church (any of them).

Make her your own. She loves everyone, even you, regardless of what you think of yourself. More importantly, regardless of what others think of you. She will lead you to God and help you become a saint. It is not an impossible task and she shows the way. Her Little Way is merely the Gospel of Jesus applied to everyday life. God is Love, Jesus came to do the Will of His Father, and the Little Way is how each of us can achieve that in our daily activities.

 

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!!)

Mother Angelica, three years after

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Today marks the third anniversary of the death of Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, the founder of the EWTN Catholic media empire.

If you enjoy reading this blog, you can thank her because the primary reason I am a Catholic today is because of her network and the shows on it.

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I had left the Church years before, thinking that organized religion was bunk. “I don’t need it, I can go to God directly by my own path.” Um, yeah, right. Anyway, I told my Reversion story before, so I won’t repeat it (read that link if you want to know more.) But EWTN was a critical part of my reversion in that when I sobered up, as I elaborated that element in Mother Angelica of EWTN dies, Easter Sunday 2016, quote:

“Mother Angelica was, to say the least, a significant factor in my reversion to the Catholic Church in 2002. It was a process that stretched over several years, but ultimately came to fruition when I was felled by my alcoholism and would up doing nothing but laying on my Mom’s couch for weeks on end as I was too ill to go anywhere and do anything. Mom watched EWTN every morning, mainly the Daily Mass and several devotional programs, particularly the Divine Mercy Chaplet. All of that, as well as Father Angelus Shaughnessy’s homilies and Father Benedict Groeschel’s programs. These all helped me straighten out my thinking.

My Mom had taught the Divine Mercy Chaplet to me during the years before my reversion and recovery. I think Mom knew something wasn’t quite right concerning my relationship to the Church, but she never said anything. Maybe she just taught it to me because I didn’t know it. Whatever, God knew, though! Mother Angelica’s broadcast of the Divine Mercy Chaplet devotion as well as the annual Divine Mercy Sunday celebrations from Eden Hill, MA slowly drew me back home. Although I wasn’t practicing the Faith, the annual Divine Mercy Sunday telecast was an annual event. I actually looked forward to it. The seeds were planted and slowly took root. Alcohol masked the interior growth. When I finally succumbed to it, being too physically weak to go anywhere, exposure to EWTN finally brought the Faith out from the dark nether regions of my soul where it had lain dormant.

Mother Angelica and EWTN helped me a lot in early recovery when I knew AA’s 12 Steps weren’t going to be enough. I had looked at them, thought them interesting and valuable, but felt they were at the shallow end of the spiritual pool. I needed something deeper. EWTN illustrated to me that Catholicism wasn’t something that you did for an hour on Sunday, but was a way of life, infusing your heart and mind with a manner of living and thinking that draws you closer to God, and ultimately, to our true Home, Heaven.

She had much to say about how to apply the Faith to daily living. Several books of hers directly dealt with problems and coping and just “How do I get through this…life…?” I have them all.”

…and also in Second Anniversary of Mother Angelica’s Death, quote:

“She has grown in importance for me. I have read both of her biographies written by Raymond Arroyo and have read (and studied) several of her books. I highly recommend getting “Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality;” “Mother Angelica’s Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures;” and “The Prayers and Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica.” All are available through EWTN Publishing. They are a wealth of spiritual wisdom. The treasures contained within are gems you can mine for years to come. Mother Angelica was a soul who connected with those who were on the margins, downtrodden, beaten by life. In general, people who were broken, wounded, hurt and lost. Sound familiar? The spiritual guidance contained in those three books can greatly help you get through anything. “

In addition to the books mentioned above, there is also seven anthologies of her “mini-books” written in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the 1970s. They can be found here: Spiritual Wisdom of Mother Angelica. There is also: Mother Angelica’s Answers, Not Promises.” (NOTE: I am only recommending them, I do NOT get anything from EWTN for promoting them.)  Like I said in the previous paragraph, “The spiritual guidance contained in all of her books can greatly help you get through anything.” And I mean that. There is a depth of wisdom and compassion and understanding that is astonishing. Mother Angelica got people. She knew about us, those on the outside. And she spoke to us there her own programs and in those hosted on her radio and TV channels.

I miss her.

 

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 Lenten Journey with Matt Talbot

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The Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center recommends in A Lenten Journey with Venerable Matt Talbot that:

“In addition to any planned Lenten reading, we also recommend reading Matt Talbot – A Lenten Journey (2014), a resource compiled by Fr. Brian Lawless,Vice-Postulator for the cause of Venerable Matt Talbot, and Caroline Eaton.”

It can be read in its entirety only at Matt Talbot a Lenten Journey.”

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 wonderful book suggestion for you: My Ideal, Jesus, Son of Mary

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I am going to recommend a book for my Sober Catholic readers; I’ve read it as a daily devotional several times already, especially during January, May and October.

It is My Ideal, Jesus, Son of Mary by Fr. Emile Neubert.

Written in the style of “The Imitation of Christ,” with a dialogue between Jesus and later Mary with the reader, the book contains 31 chapters, perfect for a month-long devotional (Fr. Neubert suggests which chapters to be combined for a 30-day month.) The book guides you along a path towards a closer union with Jesus by developing a relationship with His greatest disciple, His Mother Mary. Along the way you are instructed by Jesus at first about how to imitate His relationship with Mary, from learning how to adopt His filial love of Mary and then offering methods to devote yourself to her. Then Mary takes over and teaches you her methods of becoming a disciple of Jesus.

As you read along during the month, you gain invaluable knowledge of your relationship with Mary, seen in light of her Divine Maternity and her maternal intercession for each of us with her Son. You learn many devotional practices that assist you in growing closer to the Blessed Virgin, which, in turn, makes you a better disciple of Jesus. Since Mary was His greatest disciple, and we all go through her to get to Jesus (whether we know it or not), this book is indispensable in developing a closer relationship with Him as Our Lady teaches us the best methods of being a true follower of Christ. You learn various ways to help you make your apostolate (how you live out your vocation as a Christian due to your having been Confirmed.

All true, authentic devotions to Mary lead you to Jesus.

This book is not a product of a private revelation; the author, Fr. Emile Neubert, disseminates the teachings of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, the founder of the Sodalities of Mary, which today exist as the Society of Mary and the Daughters of Mary. See: Marianists.

Click here to order. (I do not get any compensation. I just think this is a great book and would like for you to get it.)

I said in the first paragraph that I’ve read it during January, May and October. The latter two months are great as they’re devoted to Mary. (May is Mary’s month and October is dedicated to the Rosary.) I also studied it during January since the 1st is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, and the 31st is my birthday. 🙂

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!!)

Should a Catholic attend AA meetings? I heard they’re bad…

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I have long been meaning to write a post on the subject title; it was finally inspired by a question in a Traditional Latin Mass Group on Facebook. I deposited my two cents and the following is an edited copy-and-paste of my reply (along with some additional thoughts not included in the Facebook reply):

Attending AA meetings is fine as long as you remain strong in your Faith and study it and the resources the Church offers to strengthen you against temptations to drink (as well as other inordinate desires.) There are links in the sidebar which can direct to resources to help you learn more about the Faith.

Most people who bash AA are unaware of the Catholic assistance and influence that existed in early AA ; the 12 Steps were developed with the help of a Jesuit (when they were still Catholic 😉 ) and are similar to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Also, they are loosely written enough to be applicable to people of all religious and spiritual traditions, so that you can very easily Catholicize them and reinterpret any ambiguous spirituality they contain that you regard as disagreeable.

“But, they mention ‘Higher Power!!’ ‘God of my understanding’!!! That’s pagan! New Age!!!”

“No, it isn’t. Just generic terms for any power greater than you. My HP is Jesus. There are probably more non-Catholics and other Christians who are alcoholics than there are followers of Jesus, this accommodates them. Just switch it to Jesus and be kind. Everyone is on a spiritual journey; who knows how the Holy Spirit leads one to the Truth?”

My advice, and this comes from someone who is over 16 years sober, (and who also has written this blog for over 11 years) is if you have a problem with alcohol, go to AA. Do the “90 meetings in 90 days” routine (you’ll hear and be exposed to anything you’ll ever hear about alcoholism from AA’s perspective for pretty much every life situation that you once needed to drink over) and get the basic literature. Then decide whether you wish to continue. I advise sticking with it for a year, then go as needed or not at all. (I find online recovery works well, in addition to keeping you somewhat better insulated against non-Catholic spirituality. For that, I recommend In the Rooms. My profile: Paulcoholic on ITR.)

The “basic literature” that I suggest is the “Big Book,” aka “Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition,” and “12 and 12″” aka the “The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.” Also, get the book “Experience, Strength and Hope,” which contains classic personal stories from earlier editions of the Big Book no longer included in the current. “Daily Reflections” is a collection of 366 daily meditations written by alkies for alkies. “Living Sober” is another essential book, containing essays for ‘living sober;’ advice gleaned from AA meetings and other AA literature for keeping sober in many situations. I would also like to include “As Bill Sees It,” a collection of thoughts and excerpts from the writings of AA’s co-founder, Bill Wilson. All of these can be ordered from aa.org

“But, some of the stories and stuff are written by people who are…”

“Oh, knock it off. Take what’s useful and leave the rest. ‘They’ just might say THAT ONE THING you need to hear that will keep you from the drink. Jesus dined with hookers and government types, are you better than Him?”

I wrote the following paragraph in that Facebook reply namely in anticipation of attacks on AA membership. While I no longer attend AA meetings, they are useful and helpful for those who need them. Anyway, I expected some attacks (none serious so far at the time of the drafting of this post) and added this:

Incidentally, and before I get flamed for speaking in defense of AA, the reason why I started the Sober Catholic blog is to help Catholics with addictions to discover what the Church offers to assist them and also to help “keep them Catholic.” For I have discovered many Catholics leaving the Church due to exposure to AA spirituality. (They weren’t strong Catholics to begin with: weak in their Faith, they drifted away affected by moral relativism. Sober Catholic hopes to stem the tide, even in a small way. Actually, I have found that the organization “Celebrate Recovery” to be a more insidious threat.)

A strong Catholic Faith, the basic AA lit for when you need something directly applied to alcoholism, meetings if and when you need them, and you can be free from the drink.

(I sobered up in the rooms of AA, but have NOT been a regular meeting goer since 2004. Since then it’s just been once in a while. But my last live, face-to-face meeting was in 2014. So, AA “isn’t needed,” but you do need to be deep in the Church and sacraments. But I did find that my own Catholic interpretation of AAs spirituality was essential and invaluable. Everything just gets filtered through my Catholic lens.)

Regarding attacks on AA: There is lots of misinformation out there from people with an axe to grind. Perhaps they (or someone they know) was hurt by AA (no organization of people is perfect, we’re all sinners and things can get out of control. Even the Church has hurt people. No reason to leave it. Although it’s understandable, at least for a while.)

But I’ve seen whacko sites accusing AA of being pagan, New Age, a cult, all sorts of things. It can be, but that might be just local conditions here and there. There was a document from Rome put out in the early 00s listing Twelve Step movements of being damaging; the writer knew zilch about AA, the work was poorly researched (at least as to including AA. Spot on about other things.)

But in general, AA (or any 12 Step Group) isn’t a threat to anyone’s Catholicism if their Faith is deep, and if not, like I said above, they should apply themselves to learning the Faith with the same dedication they apply themselves to learning the 12 Steps. After you’ve gotten them down and learn to live by them, they make a nice accompaniment to living by the Gospel and Beatitudes and taking part in the sacramental life of the Church. Subordinate to the tools of Faith, but still essential.

And that was the reply. So, that is it: try AA. Learn the basics of 12 Step living. Get the books I mentioned above and refer to them when needed. Keep increasing your knowledge of the Catholic Church at the same time; attend Mass (daily, if possible), study the Catechism, boost your prayer life and frequent the sacraments (especially the Eucharist and Confession.) After you’ve done your “90 in 90,” then decide if it’s for you. It comes down to this:

“You shall know them by their fruits.” From the Gospel according to St. Matthew, Chapter 7 verse 16. Courtesy Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version.

Are you sober? This doesn’t mean “just not drinking.” Drinking was a crutch to help you cope. Many people drink to relieve the burdens of life, but those afflicted with alcoholism are different and the crutch becomes an instrument of pain and torture rather than a support. Take away the crutch, and what have you? The problems that afflicted you are still there; perhaps those directly attributable to drinking will vanish, but others still remain. How will you handle them? AA helps you cope with life without the crutch of the drink. If you won’t use AA, what will you use? Does that aid directly address drinking, as in ‘not doing it?’and how to live without it?

If you stop drinking without replacing the drink with another “life aid,” how are things going? If you’re irritable, restless, discontented, angry, bitter, resentful, mean-spirited and bad-tempered, whatever you’re doing isn’t working. If you need confirmation, ask your family, friends and co-workers. They’ll enjoy the opportunity to finally tell you…

Just “not drinking” isn’t enough, you have to find something that “reprograms” you, helps you react to things in a civil and socially-acceptable manner with resorting to the drink to help. Again, Matthew 7:16. What are the fruits of your “program” of recovery from alcoholism?

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!!)

Second Anniversary of Mother Angelica’s Death

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Today, March 27, 2018 is the second anniversary of the death of Mother Angelica. She is best known as the foundress of EWTN.

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She has grown in importance for me. I have read both of her biographies written by Raymond Arroyo and have read (and studied) several of her books. I highly recommend getting Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality; Mother Angelica’s Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures; and The Prayers and Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica. All are available through EWTN Publishing. They are a wealth of spiritual wisdom. The treasures contained within are gems you can mine for years to come. Mother Angelica was a soul who connected with those who were on the margins, downtrodden, beaten by life. In general, people who were broken, wounded, hurt and lost. Sound familiar? The spiritual guidance contained in those three books can greatly help you get through anything. (I should do an individual book review on each. Hmmm…)

I would place them on a par with the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, “Divine Mercy in My Soul” for your deep spiritual enrichment.

More on Mother at EWTN’s Mother Angelica Page.

The Church has a regulation that people have to be deceased for 5 years before their process for beatification and canonization can begin. We have just three years now to wait! Hopefully it won’t take too long after…

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!!)

Lenten blogging check-in

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Quickie Lenten blogging check-in: I’ve been busy with a lot of reading recently. I have at long last finished reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church. By this I mean having a completed a run-through from start to finish; prior to this I’ve read sections of it when I needed to know something. I don’t know how much of it I had read in that manner, but I wanted to make sure that the entire volume had been ingested by me and thus the reading from beginning to end. If you haven’t done this, I urge you to. Even if it is just as a daily devotional: the CCC is an awesome book, we all need a daily dose of Truth and it has it, along with your Catholic Bible.

I feel like an item has been checked off my “bucket list.”

I’ve also been getting continuing with reading some of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s writings; partly because it’s a long-term reading project I had set aside and I missed them, and I have to look up stuff to help a buddy get over a “stumbling block” about some of St. Max’s teachings.

Speaking of reading: I have also finally finished the complete, unabridged version of “The Mystical City of God,” by Ven. Mary of Jesus of Agreda. It is a 2,700 page (+/- ~100ish pages) history or biography of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s epic. I may blog about it sometime.

Anyway, I just wanted to post this as a sort of “check-in;” I pray daily about blogging and since Sunday I’ve been told to read 😉 I do have a number of posts in draft form and hope to push a few of them out over the next week, including reviews of two books on spiritual growth and development that I really think you all should get…

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!!)