Sacred Heart and Advent

Advent begins on Sunday. It is the traditional time of preparation for both comings of Jesus: it’s a memorial of His first coming as a baby as well as an anticipation of His Second Coming in Triumph to judge all nations and history. This latter is obvious if you pray the Liturgy of the Hours and take a look at the Mass Readings. They’ve been quite apocalyptic in recent weeks and will continue to be so.

For this Sacred Heart Friday, I will try and connect the Sacred Heart Devotion to this time of preparation. 

What do we do in preparing for Jesus’ coming? (Either one.) We enter into a penitential mindset. I only learned this a few years ago, that Advent is a time of penance; perhaps not quite to the degree that Lent is but just as you prepare yourself to receive Him in Holy Communion by confessing mortal sins and serious venial ones, you have to rid yourself of character defects and other sinful habits. This all reminds us of why He came in the first place (to redeem us of our sins) and that when He Returns, it will be to bring to closure human history and the final separation of the Elect from the Damned.

The practice of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a perfect way to prepare for Advent. It adds a certain dimension otherwise lacking, I think. For in its practice, we are offering our actions as a means of reparation for those who are trapped in sin. These may scoff at God and Belief, or, if believers, they may be lukewarm or be those who feel they have plenty of time to get it right with God. 

Out acts of reparation according to the Sacred Heart Devotion may just be the catalyst to spur these people back on the path to God.

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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!!)

October 13th: the Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 12

Today is October 13th, the day we recall the “Miracle of the Sun” event at Fatima in 1917. This was intended to be a warning. Our Lady said at Fatima, ‘War is punishment for sin.” World War I was raging at the time and among her warnings was that a worse war would take place if her warnings went unheeded. They were and it did. What were her warnings? One was that the Pope and all the bishops in union with him would consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Although consecrations did take place, they were either too late or improperly done. The consecration request finally was done properly in 1984 with Pope (now Saint) John Paul II. There were other warnings, such as the increasingly offensive fashion styles (conservative and almost modest by today’s standards) and about sexual sin being the chief cause of why souls go to Hell.

Those are also being ignored. You wonder how much longer Heaven will tolerate being ignored. 

As we’ve already seen with several of these “Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary” posts, the Immaculate Heart of Mary is intimately united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this Sacred Heart Friday, I would like to remind readers of this duality and how it can be used to at the personal level, increase your spiritual growth, and at a larger level, help combat evil in the world.

The personal level: recall the Fatima Message of prayer, penance, and especially reparation for sins. Now, combine that with the Sacred Heart devotion which essentially calls for the same thing. We return God’s love for us with prayer and acts of sacrifice in reparation for our and others’ sins. This increases the flow of grace into our souls, helps us beat back the attacks of the Devil and its minions, and sensitizes us to the sufferings of others (a natural side effect of concern for others sinning and the Hellish consequences of that.) We begin to become more aware of the humanity of other people; even those who do us harm. We see them as sick and broken. The wounded harm others when their wounds are not dressed.

The larger level: essentially an extension of the first. We become the change we wish to see in others and in reforming our own lives we can serve as examples for others. They want what we have. There is also the transformation at the spiritual level: our acts of prayer and repentance in some manner affect change in others. It calls grace down from Heaven and Mary distributes it to whom she wills.

So, I suppose one benefit of these “Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary” posts is the reminder to remember the Message of Fatima and the need to live it.

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 Marching Orders from Mary (Be a militant, crazy Catholic and apply your Marian Consecration!)

This Immaculate Heart Saturday post is intended to suggest ways to practically apply one’s Marian Consecration; this is the fruit of my closer studies of the writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe and Militia of the Immaculata literature and lots of woolgathering. It will hopefully help make manifest my Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary in my daily life and society as a whole and to encourage you to join the Militia of the Immaculata (M.I.). This can be a roadmap for others in and out of the M.I. inasmuch as we ‘become the change we wish to see’ in the people around us and in the world at large. The ultimate change we seek is to win the world for Jesus. This the ultimate goal of Marian Consecration, especially for an M.I.

I used the formula of Marian Consecration developed by St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe when I consecrated myself to Mary on October 7, 2002. In doing so I became a member of the Militia of the Immaculata movement he founded in 1917. His formula differs slightly, but significantly, from the more popular method by St. Louis deMontfort. Whereas the latter is also a total dedication of yourself to Mary, that’s where it remains. You are her property, slave, subject, whatever. Kolbe’s method adds an additional evangelical level to the Consecration. You become Mary’s, but with the proviso that you are also allowing her to use you ‘like a pen (or paintbrush) in her hands’ to bring about the conversion of many to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Incidentally, if you wish to join the Militia of the Immaculata, and already consecrated yourself to Our Lady by deMontfort’s method, that’s good enough. You needn’t use the consecration formula of Kolbe. Registering with your country’s national M.I. Office and letting them know when you consecrated yourself adds the evangelical dimension to it.)

That is the essence of belonging to Mary: you become a soldier in her Militia. While you do not take up actual weapons of war, you do allow her to supply you with the graces needed to go on missions for her.
In essence, you take up spiritual weapons to establish the Reign of the Sacred Heart. The Kingdom of the Sacred Heart includes the Social Reign of Christ: the institution of a just and moral social order based upon Traditional Catholic Social Justice Teachings; rooted in Scripture, Tradition (Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy) and exemplified by the governance of St. Maximilian in Niepokalanow (including during the Nazi Occupation), the life and teachings of St. Teresa of Calcutta and Therese of Lisieux, Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, and Popes Leo XIII, Pius XI and St. John Paul II. Servant of God Dorothy Day emphasized the preference for such weapons by Christians in the 1930s and 1940s, when the world was ravaged by the World War II and its precursors, the Spanish Civil War and Japanese invasions of China. In winning the world for Jesus, we use our Marian Consecration by being “Christ-bearers;” since we belong to Mary we become like her in bearing Christ to others. True Marian Devotion always ends with Jesus, not Mary, and thus we help fulfill Mary’s desire to lead others to her Son. 

To expand on this, an M.I. emulates St. Maximilian Kolbe in his role as the Prophet and Sign of the Civilization of Love and Apostle of a New Marian Era. (The ‘Civilization of Love’ and ‘New Marian Era’ are two phrases describing the same future culture.) This implies that we incorporate the Fatima Message of prayer, penance and reparation, since Fatima is a prophetic message that parallels Kolbe’s. The Fatima Apparitions prophesied the future establishment of the New Marian Era. We also seek to make use of the Message of Lourdes (daily recitation of the Rosary and a focus on Mary as the Immaculate Conception as the source of healing of the world’s ills, and not just medical and physical, but the political divisions that result in war and cultural clashes.) We can also call to mind the lessons of the Apparition of Our Lady at Guadalupe. There, an entire society was converted from barbaric paganism (human sacrifice was rampant) that was influence by the demonic over to Catholicism. Their new Catholic faith helped heal their society from its past and Guadalupe can serve as a lesson for the wholesale conversion of modern Western society.   

As soldiers of Mary, we assist her in crushing the head of Satan and in destroying heresies. By heresies, I don’t think this only refers to traditional things such as doctrinal and dogmatic errors, but also combatting the influence of Satan in society by the pervasiveness of immorality, the normalization of sexual deviancy and political extremism of the Left and Right.

We use our talents, such as they are, in accordance with our state in life.

We surrender ourselves in love without reserving anything from her, enabling her to use us to bring others to her and thus onward to Jesus. This is how the Kingdom of the Sacred Heart is established; first in the hearts of humans and then by means of their will and actions, society. Everyone ‘becomes the change they wish to see’ and therefore society is renewed and transformed. We see this in the Act of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin as written by St. Maximilian Kolbe (and the boldface type is the part I emphasize that shows this ‘be the change you wish to see’ tactic):

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you.  I, (your name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property.  Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.

If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and, “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the world.”  Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  For wherever you enter, you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin.

R. Give me strength against your enemies.

Satan knows this, and is vigilant and always ready to attack Mary’s Knights and Ladies. We defend ourselves through our consecration, prayer (especially the Rosary), Mass, and the Sacraments, and reading Sacred Scripture and the Catechisms.

Continuing with the concept of emulating St. Maximilian Kolbe, we acknowledge him being also the “Patron of Mass Media.” So, in this contemporary age we use such means as are available to us: blogs, social media and creative works like novels, short stories, poetry and visual arts to spread the aims and means of the Immaculata. Kolbe had observed long ago that the visual arts, such as cinema and theatre, were being used to spread immoral ideas amongst the populace. Rather than shun such media as evil, he embraced the technology and the concept and worked to use it to spread moral values. His publishing empire included newspapers and magazines and books, and eventually a radio station. His friary of Niepokalanow never produced literary or cinematic works, but I believe they were eventually planned.

Taking St. Maximilian’s suggestions of using cultural expressions to advance the cause of the Immaculata, we can visualize a future social order rooted in the Social Kingship of Christ and its various forms. This recalls the main ‘title’ for St. Maximilian: “the Prophet and Sign of the Civilization of Love and Apostle of a New Marian Era.” He was the ‘Sign’ of this Civilization in his governance of the Niepokalanow friary, especially during the Nazi Occupation in his handling of refugees and making use of friary resources to assist the local population survive. He implemented his ideas of a just social order in hospitality and service to others. But, focusing on cultural tools, we can use creative works: fiction, such as novels and shorter works; and for those inclined, videos to illustrate how the Social Kingship would look like. Do you think that Distributism is the ideal economic system? Great! Create stories in which Distributism is that model. Do you believe that Monarchism is the ideal political system? Fine! Create stories featuring a Catholic Monarchy and how it would wield power. This latter example is interesting and intriguing given numerous Catholic prophecies (from approved apparitions and private revelations) involving a future “Great Catholic Monarch” and his realm existing during this ‘New Marian Era.’ 

Given St. Max’s interest in science, we should eventually endeavor to show that Religion and Science are two sides of the same coin. Divine Revelation occurs in two forms: God’s self-revelation through Sacred Scripture and the revelation of Himself through His works (the Universe and the means He used to create and sustain it.) Truth does not contradict Truth. Scientific research and investigation should be guided by moral principles. No more doing things just because we can; we should only proceed if the research can be seen to benefit the human condition in moral and ethical ways. In short, our humanity is enhanced, not sacrificed. This may include, when possible, space exploration and perhaps eventually colonization (remember that St. Max invented a plausible spaceship! [See Complete Writings!] So, perhaps stories involving space exploration of our Solar System and the Cosmos at large are in order! This fits wonderfully for those of us who have a predilection for science-fiction!

Of course, Distributism, Monarchism and science-fiction are suggestions based on my interests. You may have other ideas to creatively explore.

The thought occurred to me that if science rejected its militant atheistic bent, then we may make even greater progress in scientific achievements. God desires us to know Him better, therefore if we approach scientific exploration with the idea of knowing God better through His handiwork, well then perhaps He may open our eyes to things. Cures! Cheap Fusion power! Rocket propulsion that opens up the Solar System to humanity! 

So, if you’re an M.I. with a talent for creativity, get started! Start writing or filming!! Is it crazy? Sure is! Read what Steve Jobs said about this (and yes, I know the Founder of Apple Computers was controversial in some regards and angered many by his behavior at times. Please recall the next to last petition in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” You can’t forgive Steve? He ‘trespassed’ against you? Be careful…)

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” 

So be the crazy Catholic misfit and rebel soldier of Mary and change the world by showing how things can be. Cause trouble. Mother Angelica did! There are enough blogs and essay sites where people write non-fiction about Catholic culture, economics and politics. But what will it look like? Theory is one thing, the practical aspects will convince people. Show them how things can be! Disrespect the secular status quo. See things differently. Don’t listen to those who say “You can’t write that! No one will publish it!” So try self-publishing! Be a rebel! Push the cause of the Immaculata forward! Pray before writing, research as much as necessary so you at least appear to know what you’re talking about and then get to it!

I am not the only one who thinks that Steve Jobs can inspire you to be a better Catholic (as well as achieve mighty deeds as a Knight or Lady of Mary.) Watch this when you can.

This is a weird way to conclude, but although Steve Jobs was not a Catholic, nor even a Christian, (he was Buddhist of a sort,) I do believe that if things were somehow different during his formative years he would have made an interesting one. I cannot help but think that during this hypothetical Catholic life of Steve Jobs, he would have been drawn to St Maximilian Kolbe by his life and creative vision. St. Maximilian was certainly a crazy misfit, troublemaker and dreamer. Jobs would have looked at St. Max’s M.I. movement, his writings on Marian Consecration and concluded that this would be an effective way to change the world. Whether he would have still invented the Apple computer, the iPod, iPad and iPhone is a whole different area of speculation. He quite possibly would have, but with his Catholic Faith and Marian Consecration through St. Maximilian, sustaining and inspiring him in ways superior to his Buddhist beliefs.

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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!!)

33 day Consecration to Mary can begin this Friday!

You can tell I’ve been reading St. Louis de Montfort.

I discovered that the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary still exists, and still is managed by the Dominicans just like back in the days of St. Dominic and Bl. Alan de la Roche! (Should I have known that?) This association was mentioned quite often in a book by St. Louis de Monfort I read this past week. (I’ll tell you which one at the end. Which “ones” actually.)

Because of this I may start another 33 day Montfortian consecration thingy this Friday April 28th. It’s de Montfort’s feast day. It’ll end just in time for May 31st which is the Feast of the Visitation on the new calendar 1970 calendar; it’s the Feast of the Queenship of Mary on the old 1962 calendar.

My wife and I already did it once before, leading up to our wedding day. We may do it again, together, as a renewal. 

Gabi of the GabiAfterHours YouTube Channel is also doing it beginning this Friday (just found that out.)

You can look into his effort here: Gabi After Hours Community posting on 33 day consecration to Mary.

I bring Gabi up because he’s uploaded several very important videos over the past few months or so.  He posted this one quite recently on several books that are must reads:

This one: 

…and this one:

…started me on saying the entire Rosary daily. Gabi got the idea from one of the de Montfort books he recommends in the first video above. Those are the one’s that I’ve read this week (numbers 1 and 2 on Gabi’s list.) “The Secret of Mary” and “The Secret of the Rosary.” They’re wonderful, inspiring reads. De Montfort writes in a style similar to that of St. Alphonse Liguori. (His “The Glories of Mary” is number 4 on Gabi’s list.)

This is a new one:

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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!!)

Contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of the Lord

This excerpt from the Second Reading of the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for today is “From the Mirror of Love by Saint Aelred, abbot.” It is quite suitable for Sacred Heart Friday and as a daily Lenten meditation!

…If someone wishes to love himself he must not allow himself to be corrupted by indulging his sinful nature. If he wishes to resist the promptings of his sinful nature he must enlarge the whole horizon of his love to contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of the Lord. Further, if he wishes to savor the joy of brotherly love with greater perfection and delight, he must extend even to his enemies the embrace of true love.

But if he wishes to prevent this fire of divine love from growing cold because of injuries received, let him keep the eyes of his soul always fixed on the serene patience of his beloved Lord and Savior.

The first line of the excerpted passage is the essence of conversion during Lent (or anytime) combined with the Sacred Heart. The gentle humanity of the Lord is His profound and deep love for us, as expressed through His Sacred Heart. You just go beyond yourself and your self will and try to love as He loves. Be merciful to yourself and your weaknesses and consign them to the mercy of God; and love others as He does. Furthermore, you must love your enemies (quite a Gospel truth!) and in keeping with the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, make reparations for those who have sinned against you and the Lord.

The last line should be studied and carried with us in our hearts: ‘keep the eyes of your soul always fixed on the serene patience of your beloved Lord and Savior.’

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!!)

Jonah and Nineveh

The First Reading for Wednesday of the First Week in Lent tells the story of Jonah going to Nineveh and calling upon the people to repent.

This post is kind of like a sequel to this one. 

Imagine someone like Jonah going around today, calling upon people to repent of their sins. Seriously! What would society do?  How would the dominant culture reply? Probably with cries of Jonah being intolerant, judgmental, reactionary, racist, sexist, insufficiently ‘woke,’ and all that by which they attack traditional-minded folks.

I wrote a somewhat better post on this reading years ago: So Jonah went to Nineveh and this happened.

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!!)

What is good and pleasing and perfect

The Evening Prayer for today (Monday, First Week of Lent) has one of my favorite passages from Scripture and the first one I ever attempted to memorize.

To me, it is at the heart of being a person in recovery: Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

In recovery, we are essentially becoming transformed. We live by the principles of our recovery program (be it Twelve Step or something else) and if we are Christian, we seek out what the Church has to offer people struggling with their addictions. And one key thing, and this is something I’ve stressed from time to time: you don’t conform to this age, you do not seek value in the so-called “morals” of the World. They do not offer anything of substance and certainly they do not offer anything good for your salvation. In this “transformation” and our “renewal” we gain the capacity to discern what is the will of God, “what is good and pleasing and perfect.” How to discern the Will of God? Reading Sacred Scripture is one way. In another Gospel passage Jesus tells His disciples: Matthew 16:24-27 “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.” Again, “taking up the Cross” is essential to our recovery. We do not seek to run away from our troubles, all of the problems, big or small, that life throws at us daily. That is what we did while drinking. Everyone has troubles, it is a fact of human existence. We now have to tools to effectively deal with them, and perhaps even people around us who can assist us. But it’s more than that. It’s building a new life in recovery, and becoming a better follower of Jesus Christ! Our lives today are better than when drinking. And even better than before we first picked up a drink due to our “renewal” and “transformation.”

Mass Readings via USCCB.

So, “renewing your mind” is a recovery theme. We drop our old ways of thinking, acting, reacting and feeling and so on, and adopt new ones assisted by God’s grace. “Taking up the cross” is what all Christians are supposed to do, we cannot be followers of Christ unless we willingly embrace the Cross.

NOTE: This post is an edited version of two older 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!!)

Follow me! (It’s that easy?)

In the Gospel reading for the Mass for the Saturday after Ash Wednesday we read of Jesus calling a tax collector (Levi, also known as Matthew) to become one of His disciples. 

Luke 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.

He said to him, “Follow me.”

And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.

Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,

and a large crowd of tax collectors

and others were at table with them.

The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,

“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus said to them in reply,

“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.

I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

And that was that. Levi was doing his job one day, one that paid him well not counting the typical graft tax collectors padded their purses with. He was hated by the people he collected taxes from, because of who he collected taxes for (the occupying Roman forces.) This made him a traitor in the eyes of his fellow Jews.

So you might think that there was a confluence of factors at work here. He was hated, and no one likes that, no matter how good the pay is. Perhaps he was already hating his job to the point of quitting it soon. We don’t know. This is all conjecture on my part, but it makes for a good ‘spiritual growth’ and ‘conversion’ post. So, perhaps Jesus’ timing was perfect. He knew just when to approach Levi and get while the getting was good.

Jesus always knows when the timing is right to ‘get us.’ I was a hard-heading pig brain when He got me. I had left the Church years before and then I was ready for His abduction about the same time I sobered up. I needed to be brought low to be receptive to His call.

What about you?

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!!)

Ash Wednesday 2023

Since this blog is about “Conversion, Prayer, Fasting, Repentance, and Penance,” amongst other things, Lent is a natural time to blog a lot since those ‘abouts’ correspond to the season. I have often in previous Lents blogged daily, or at least a few times a week, taking inspiration from the daily Mass readings or the Divine Office. I might try that this year, but don’t hold your breath. I know I’ve done it throughout the season several times, tried and fell short a few other times, and didn’t even make the attempt in many years. 2023? Who can say? Anyway, here goes this one for today, Ash Wednesday.

In this excerpt from the First Reading for the Mass for today, the Old Testament prophet Joel says:

(Joel 2:12-14)

Even now, says the LORD,

return to me with your whole heart,

with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;

Rend your hearts, not your garments,

and return to the LORD, your God.

For gracious and merciful is he,

slow to anger, rich in kindness,

and relenting in punishment.

Perhaps he will again relent

and leave behind him a blessing,

Offerings and libations

for the LORD, your God.

That’s the blueprint for Lent. Wherever you are, return to the Lord. Fasting, sorrow, and mourning for your sins are the method by which you do that.

Rending your hearts means true contrition and repentance. Always be mindful of the mercy of God, how gracious He is to those who come back to Him.

He is merciful, meaning He knows your weaknesses and knows the deep down reasons for your sinning. His grace flows into strengthening you for the battle.

Make this a good Lent. Go to Confession often. Maybe it’ll become a habit that you’ll keep for the rest of the year. Somewhere Pope St. John Paul II said that Catholics who wish to grow in holiness should go to Confession at least once a 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!!)

Let’s start a Triduum of Monthly Marian Consecrations!

The idea: Popularizing a Triduum of Monthly Marian Consecrations.

What’s a Triduum? A Triduum is three consecutive days on the liturgical calendar commemorating or celebrating a feast day. We used to have many back in the olden times before Vatican 2. We’re really down to just the Easter Triduum of the evening of Holy Thursday  through Easter Sunday. They’ve kind of gone the way of octaves. And Holy Days of Obligation, once you think of that. Did you know that the Catholic Church once had thirty-six Holy Days of Obligation?

Why? Consecration to the Blessed Virgin is important. Devotion to Mary is a sure sign of predestination (not in the Protestant sense of the word but rather that God knows in advance who will be saved and who won’t, because He is omniscient and exists outside of linear time. Foreknowledge of who will be saved doesn’t mean prior determination of the saved. And devotion to Mary has the advantage of bestowing greater receptivity to graces which flow to us through her; just like if you study hard in school you are ‘predestined’ to go to a good college. Huh? Studying hard makes you receptive to learning and knowledge; hence getting into a better college, OK? ) And souls dedicated to Mary are never lost. 

Why a Triduum? Because it’s neat. It’s a cool word. Next time you go to Church and find yourself amongst other Catholics, just try and work the word ‘triduum’ into a conversation. See how people look at you.  Also, it reinforces one’s dedication. Three straight days every month heightens and focuses one’s attention and devotion. Also, as far as I know, a Triduum of Marian Feast Days has never been a devotion so this could go viral and bring a lot of readers to the blog and who can maybe perhaps PayPalMe. HAHA. LOL. In all seriousness, I think it’s a pretty good idea and I wonder why nobody’s thought of it before.

OK, Marian Consecration is a good thing and a ‘triduum’ sounds old school Catholic and people look at you weird. But three days? You’ve got specific Marian feast days or titles in mind? Because I’m sensing that you do. I sure do! Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of Fatima. Those are on the 11th, 12th and 13th of the month.

Yeah, but they’re not on the same month. Isn’t Lourdes in February, Guadalupe in December and Fatima in May? Yeah, but I heard tell that some people do a monthly conseration or dedication on the 13th of every month in honor of the Fatima Apparitions as a way to foster living out the Fatima Message. Also, I have this little Guadalupe prayer book from a monastery in Oregon (they don’t print it anymore; the one I have dates from 1959) where there’s a monthly consecration to Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 12th of each month.

So I got to thinking…

Why not string them all together?

And there you have it! Readers of this blog and whomever they share this post with can consecrate themselves every month to Mary under her titles of Our Lady of Lourdes, Guadalupe and Fatima!

 I also think it’s not a coincidence that those apparitions are associated with dates that are right in consecutive order. That must mean they are of considerable importance? They are! Why? And how so? Read on!

Our Lady of Lourdes is associated with healing. Spiritual healings, physical healings, all sorts of healings. Seventy of the medical ones have been declared miraculous (out of the thousands claimed.) Our Lady also told the seer, St. Bernadette Soubirous, messages concerning repentance from sin.

Our Lady of Gudalupe is associated with the pro-life movement (given that she appears pregnant in the Sacred Image on the Tilma of St. Juan Diego.) She is also associated with the largest voluntary mass conversion of people to Catholicism. Fourteen years after the Protestant Revolt in Europe which stripped millions from the One True Faith, millions of pagans in Mexico replaced them through her intercession! And if you read up on the Tilma, you’ll learn of the tremendous symbolism of the images depicted on it; symbols significant to both the Aztecs and the Spanish. Her words to St. Juan Diego practically clamored for the unity of the Americas, of all the peoples living on it. No class conflict or cultural segregation; but a unity of European and indigenous peoples.

And at Fatima, Our Lady messaged about repentance from sin, pray the Rosary, make sacrifices in reparation for sin, and that war is punishment for sin (the most grievous kinds were sins of the flesh, i.e. sexual sins and immodest attire.)

So, repentance, conversion, prayer;  and if you dig just a little deeper, there’s pro-life advocacy, pacifism, chastity, cross-cultural unity rather than conflict, Catholicism as the alternative to paganism and the demonic…. See what I’m getting at?

Repentance, conversion and prayer are the antidotes to the scourge of abortion and contraception, to the endless war that is now threatening to go nuclear, sexual depravity now championed as ‘normal,’ and an increasingly pagan culture developing in the ‘post-Christian West’ that is careening towards the demonic paganism similar to that of the Aztec Empire the Spanish destroyed and the Catholic Church healed through Our Lady’s intervention.

We need Mary’s maternal intervention and her intercession in our lives and society. If we can consecrate ourselves every month under these three titles of Our Lady, then perhaps miracles will occur and the general race to the cultural and moral bottom we are descending into will stop. Or if not, then perhaps some of us will somehow escape the Chastisement certain to come (unless it’s already here and going on.)

Spread the word!

So here are the three Acts of Consecration. You can see in the one to Guadalupe the seeds of this idea. It suggests making that consecration  on the 12th of each month, as well as being mindful of Our Lady’s  messages at Lourdes and Fatima.

 

Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Lourdes (to be said every month on the 11th):

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Virgin Immaculate, you appeared 18 times to Bernadette at the grotto in Lourdes to remind Christians of what the truths in the Gospel require of them. You call them to prayer, penance, the Eucharist and the life of the church. To answer your call more fully, I dedicate myself, through you, to your Son Jesus. Make me willing to accept what he said. By the fervour of my faith, by the conduct of my life in all its aspects, by my devotion to the sick, let me work with you in the comforting of those who suffer and in the reconciliation of people that the church may be one and there be peace in the world. All this I ask, confident that you, Our Lady, will fully answer my prayer. Blessed be the Holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. St. Bernadette, pray for us.

And so today, may Mary, the Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Lourdes intercede for us and lead us closer to her son, Jesus.

 

Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Guadalupe (to be said every month on the 12th):

O most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, I (Name,) although  most unworthy of being thy servant, yet moved by thy wonderful mercy and by my desire to serve thee, consecrate myself to thy Immaculate Heart, and choose thee today, in the presence of my Guardian Angel and the whole heavenly court, for my especial Lady, Advocate and Mother, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the name given to the heavenly image left us as pledge of they motherly kindness. I firmly resolve that I will love and serve thee always, and do whatever I can to induce others to love and serve thee. I pray thee, Mother of God, and my most kind and amiable Mother, that thou wilt receive me into the number of thy servants for thy child and servant forever. Assist me in all my thoughts, words, and actions at every moment of my life, that every step and breath be directed to the greater glory of God; and through thy most powerful intercession obtain for me that I may never more offend my beloved Jesus, that I may glorify Him in this life, and that I may also love thee, and enjoy thee, in the company of the Blessed Trinity through eternity in holy Paradise.

In order to live this consecration as another St. Juan Diego, I promise to renew it frequently, especially on the twelfth day of each month; and mindful of thy messages to us at Lourdes and Fatima, I will strive to lead a life of prayer and sacrifice, of fidelity to thy Rosary and of reparation to thy Immaculate Heart. Amen.

 

Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Fatima (to be said every month on the 13th):

O MOST Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, in accordance with thy wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate myself today to thine Immaculate Heart. To thee I entrust all that I have, all that I am, to thy blessed charge and special keeping and into thine Immaculate Heart. For this day, for every day of my life, and at the hour of my death, I commend my soul and body.

To thee do I entrust all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that through thy most holy intercession and thy merits all my actions may be ordered and disposed according to thy will, and that of thy Divine Son.

Reign over me dearest Mother, that I may be thine in prosperity, in adversity, in health and in sickness, in life and in death. Grant that I may have no other spirit but thy spirit, to know Jesus Christ and His Divine and Holy Will; that I may have no other soul but thy soul, to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but thy heart, to love God with a pure and burning love like thine.

My beloved Mother, my glorious Queen, I am all thine and all that I have is thine. Amen.

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