Category Archives: Destiny

Cemetery Devotion for November

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This is an annual post on a fruitful pious devotion for November:

Catholic Culture has an excellent article regarding a very beneficial pious activity that can aid in your own spiritual progression. It also is a good reminder of where we’ll end up someday. (A grave. Morbid, true, but you wouldn’t be here unless you’re more aware than most people that you will die someday.)

Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November is something I will blog about here annually. It is about the act of visiting a cemetery during the first 8 days of November.

To summarize from the “Catholic Culture” site: “Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls: A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery each day between November 1 and November 8. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence, again applicable only the Souls in Purgatory, is also granted when the faithful piously visit a church or a public oratory on November 2. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, that one Our Father and the Creed be recited.

A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained when the Eternal Rest  is prayed. This is a good prayer to recite especially during the month of November:

 ‘Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.'”

The article explains the differences between plenary and partial indulgences.

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!!)

Signal grace from St. Rita of Cascia

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A “signal grace” is a free gift from God (grace) that is extraordinary in nature and evident in some manner (signal). It may be a visible sign or deep interior feeling that a prayer has been answered or a direction you’ve been seeking has been given. Another name for signal grace is “God-incidence,” a play on “coincidence” as with God there are none, because God actually works in that mysterious intersection where seemingly unrelated events in space and time meet up.

Well, I received one of those signal graces today.

Almost every day I stop off at my territorial parish and pray for a few minutes in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I’m blessed that He is Really, Truly, Present: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity just a couple of miles away. Anyway, this morning I wander in and see this by the side entrance:
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…a painting of St. Rita of Cascia. She is important to me in that her feast day, May 22nd, is also my sobriety date. This year will mark my 17th year sober. Just have to make it another thirteen days. 😉 I’ve written about her before: St. Rita of Cascia, Patroness of Lost Causes

Near this side entrance is a table where people can leave things for others to have. Usually the items are books, sometimes statues or prayer cards and other Catholicy things. Today, however, were a few paintings and posters. I saw St. Rita and went “Wow. MINE!” Although just to be sure that I could take it I hunted down someone with reasonably appropriate authority to give and found the nun who runs the social justice ministries. I figured she was official enough, so I asked her and she said “Yeah, take it. All that stuff out there is free.” I already knew that but this, to me, was a major haul and I had to check.

OK, so by now you’re asking, “That’s wonderful, Paulcoholic, but how is a beautiful painting of St. Rita of Cascia a signal grace? And could you get to a point?” Well, yes I am. Please read on…

I have been wondering a lot recently about life; (actually, my life has been consumed by this “wondering about life”) and where mine is going. I spent part of last night tossing about in bed wondering… I like to write or blog or whatever it is when you put words on paper or screen for others to read. Thing is, I don’t do it as often as you’d think I would. So, it got me to thinking, “Was it all just ego? Pride? Oh, look at me and read my thoughts?” I have been working on fiction off and on over the past 5 years, somewhat steadily (by my terms 😉 ) compared to prior eras but the novel is nowhere near being finished. I like working on it though; I love the characters and sometimes they go for rides in the car with me and we talk (Um, all righty…..) but seriously, the odds of it getting completed are somewhat low. But I might surprise myself. Or maybe not. Could it have all been a deception by Satan to keep me from doing better things? Or is it me with a discipline issue? Or, maybe the discipline issue was God’s way of keeping me from writing and publishing junk that I’d disown now since my reversion to the Catholic Church in 2002? Because the stuff I was working on back in the ’80s and ’90s was crap, no evidence of Faith (when I even had it) or a decent moral conviction. But mostly crap. So it might not have been a bad thing to be a slacker then as the stuff went unpublished or unfinished. Besides, I got material from slackerdom for writing when I did it later. BUT, since my reversion in ’02, and my desire to become a Catholic writer, one needs to know more about the Faith in order to be a good Catholic writer, and that takes time and maturation. So, my slowness in getting the novel written is actually all about me spending time learning more about the Faith, in order to write a better Catholic novel. Because I do read a lot. Or maybe that’s all hogwash and I’m just a lazy slacker, no matter how you slice it and reading is just an reputable way to be a slacker. But, see, I couldn’t be…. And then there’s…

See? This is what goes on in my brain. You would never want to take a stroll in there.

So, while tossing and turning in bed last night I was going over all this. All the reasons why I shouldn’t give up the whole fiction thing, (’cause I’ve been working on that most years since high school, I can’t give up now. Except for when I was drinking; then I stopped. You see, the stereotype is that writers drink a lot, as it’s a lonely profession or you get inspiration. But not me, I didn’t drink when I was writing and when I started drinking I gave up writing. I can’t even do that right.) Where was I? Oh, …Why I should try and do both it and blogging, or maybe just blunder along and be dissatisfied with both and give credence to the voices in my head.

And then I saw St. Rita this morning. And I thought, (right after going “Wow. MINE!) “OK, so I should focus on the blogging, after all St. Rita’s feast day is also my sobriety date, and she is the patroness of lost causes, and boy-oh-boy am I one. She ties it all together. After all, perhaps God gave me way back when the whole ‘like to write or blog or whatever it is when you put words on paper or screen for others to read’ so that after I stop drinking years later and sober up, I’d have sufficient skills to write a moderately enjoyable and reasonable blog on how the Catholic Faith can help maintain sobriety. The fiction could be just a hobby, or therapy. Maybe if that’s God’s will, too, it’ll get done somehow.” (yeah, like if I get a chunk load of money and can retire and scribble full time, yeah…)

I’ll have to mull this over (NO!!! IT’S A SIGNAL GRACE, YOU MORON; THERE’S NOTHING TO MULL OVER!). So, OK, now there’s certitude about things. I’m supposed to do this thing at SoberCatholic. “Blogging” is how my “writing” career will come to fruition. It’s not like all plans work out the way you intended. And sometimes write fiction, whenever, but not stress over it; if stuff gets finished, stuff’ll get finished. And from this some degree of confidence infuses other things in life. And I can still read a lot.

Perhaps this is a part of all that Divine Mercy stuff about “Jesus, I Trust in You,” and confidence in Divine Providence. TRUST, and He’ll let you in in things when you ask…

Here’s a close up:

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!!)

We should have a daily familiarity with death, a daily desire for death

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An excerpt from the Second Reading from the Divine Office for the Feast of All Souls:

by St Ambrose, a book on the death of his brother Satyrus
“Let us die with Christ, to live with Christ”

“We should have a daily familiarity with death, a daily desire for death. By this kind of detachment our soul must learn to free itself from the desires of the body. It must soar above earthly lusts to a place where they cannot come near, to hold it fast. It must take on the likeness of death, to avoid the punishment of death. The law of our fallen nature is at war with the law of our reason and subjects the law of reason to the law of error. What is the remedy? Who will set me free from this body of death? The grace of God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

(Via Universalis”

Death, that passage to a place where we are free from the constraints, troubles and fears of our Earthly life. (Assuming we’re saved upon death.) Look at the words used by St. Ambrose in this piece: detachment, free…from the desires of the body, remedy, grace… All things we need in recovery. So, “memento mori,” be mindful of death. Rather than something to be feared, it should be something desired. NOT in any manner of suicide, but rather in the manner of people seeking to leave their exile and come home.

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!!)

Solemnity of All Saints

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In his Angelus message for on this day in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on, quote: “the liturgical feast, and how it draws our earthly gaze toward Heaven. He spoke of how the Saints, those we are familiar with and those known only to God, are where heaven and earth meet because formed and opened by the spirit of Christ already here on earth, encountered in the communion of his Mystical Body, the Church.”

Source: The Saints, where heaven and earth meet

Today is an special solemnity in the Church’s liturgical calendar. It is the day we celebrate all those in the Church Triumphant, all of those in Heaven, whether formally canonized or known only to God. This is why I called it “special,” because it is one that can be very personal in that it is the feast day of all of our loved ones who have gone on before us, whom we hope are resting in the Beatific Vision of eternity.

It is a day of great healing and hope for me, as I yearn to some day be united with my loved ones, in that place where there is no loss, sorrow, pain or parting.

It is that place of “Happy Destiny” we all trudge towards in our recovery.

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!!)

November is here!

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November is my favorite month. Mainly because of The Feasts of All Saints on November 1st and All Souls on November 2nd and the general trend in the Church’s liturgical readings in the Mass and Divine Office on Christ’s Coming (First and Second).

This leads to November being considered the “month of the dead”. While some may find that rather gruesome and macabre, I do not. I like November and its focus on the dead because of the reminder that what is around us is not the whole story, and that something greater lies beyond our reach. But not forever. We too, shall cross over to what lies beyond, and we should always be mindful of our death.

November and its associations with the dead also help me to connect with my loved ones that have died. They do not seem so far away. My Mom died in November (2005) and her death shattered my life, but out of that wreckage came a new life for me. My Dad died years earlier in 1995, and I find that I am becoming more like him in some ways (namely Catholicy). There are others hopefully in Heaven or Purgatory, and I think about them often.

Anyway, with November here there shall be a slight change in focus here at this blog. I mentioned this last year: Slight change in direction for Sober Catholic I didn’t follow up much on that, but will plan to, at least for this month. This is one of a number of posts from my old “death blog” that I will edit and republish here.

So, have a Good November, everyone. (May that salutation be likened to a wish for a happy death. (A “Happy Death” in Catholicism is a death in which you end up in Heaven.)

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!!)

Visits to the Cemetery

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This is an annual post on a fruitful pious devotion for November:

Catholic Culture has an excellent article regarding a very beneficial pious activity that can aid in your own spiritual progression. It also is a good reminder of where we’ll end up someday. (A grave. Morbid, true, but you wouldn’t be here unless you’re more aware than most people that you will die someday.)

Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November is something I will blog about here annually. It is about the act of visiting a cemetery during the first 8 days of November.

To summarize from the “Catholic Culture” site: “Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls: A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery each day between November 1 and November 8. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence, again applicable only the Souls in Purgatory, is also granted when the faithful piously visit a church or a public oratory on November 2. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, that one Our Father and the Creed be recited.

A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained when the Eternal Rest  is prayed. This is a good prayer to recite especially during the month of November:

 ‘Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.'”

The article explains the differences between plenary and partial indulgences.

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!!)

Spiritual Warfare

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I said in an earlier post, DON’T LEAVE JESUS BECAUSE OF JUDAS that “Those that are in the Church and are guilty of the crimes reported are followers of Judas. They will go to their own reward unless they repent. And speaking of who else dwells in the place of that particular reward, the scandals and corruption seem to me proof that Satan himself knows which Church is the One True Faith, for it would be that very Church which would suffer the most targeted and evil demonic attacks.”

(This is the “follow-up post. There will be others.)

We are engaged in spiritual warfare. It is us versus the Evil One. We have the Church and Her Sacraments and sacramentals, prayers, devotions and the MASS in our armory of weapons. Not to mention the considerable force of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she who will “crush the head” of the serpent.

Jesus established His Church (the only one, all others having been spun off of Her over the millennia) to safeguard His teachings and those of the Apostles and their successors. Satan knows this and has as his chief goal Her destruction. Hence, the primary target of his attacks on the Church has been against the hierarchy and priesthood.

No Pope, no Bishops and no priests: no Church.

This is not the time to remain weak, fair-weather Catholics.

St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the directors of this world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in high places.”

Courtesy: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

That is what we are doing battle with; to that end I will be reviewing my browser bookmarks and adding a new link section to Sober Catholics’s sidebar: “Spiritual Warfare.” For THAT is what we are engaged in, warfare. I’ll do a post announcing when it’s on the sidebar. I will also add a new post category with that same name as I will be writing more on weapons to be used in our spiritual warfare.

See: I won’t leave Peter because of Judas. Men don’t leave the Lady when She’s under attack. Stand and fight and defend Holy Mother Church. That was a Tweet I posted in the aftermath of the initial reports of the sex abuse scandal. (I referenced “Men,” obviously women are called to fight and defend the Church as well; I was referring to men due to our traditional roles as warriors and fighters for a cause.)

Start arming yourselves. Take up your Cross and follow Jesus. He is to be found truly, really Present in your Catholic Parish. Start spending time in Adoration.

Grab your Rosary, start saying it daily maybe even 4 times a day! It does make a difference!

Study your Catholic Bible. I recommend the Jerusalem Bible, primarily because Mother Angelica, EWTN Foundress loved it and used it in her Bible studies. It’s also a good read. I also like the Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition (RSVCE), it’s also a good read and Fr. Benedict Groeschel, who appeared often on EWTN, loved it. The Douay-Rheims is excellent if you’re in a traditional mindset. Available: EWTN Religious Catalog: Bibles

Study your Catechism. Not just the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” circa 1997, but also the venerable “Roman Catechism,” also known as the “Catechism of the Council of Trent.” The former is available in bookstores as well as EWTN Religious Catalog: Catechism, the latter, here: TAN Books (Note: you can also order the Douay-Rheims Bible through TAN.)

Frequent the Sacraments. Attend Mass every Sunday as well as Daily, if possible. If there is a Traditional Latin Mass with driving distance from your home, attend that. (I will post either here or on my other blog, In Exile Latin Mass resources.)

Study the Divine Mercy Message. Get St. Faustina’s Diary. (Available through the link in the previous sentence.)

Read the diary of St. Therese of Lisieux (“Story of a Soul.” Available anywhere.)

Try saying the Stations of the Cross; they’re not just for Lent, you know.

Learn about the Sacred Heart Devotion.

Another devotion is to begin saying (daily, if you can, otherwise whenever you are able) the Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel. His Feast day is coming up on September 29th, so a Novena to him begins on the 20th; I will post some novena prayers for you as well as how to say the chaplet. (Probably within a few days, but just in time.)

This is a lot. But all is necessary. Studying the Bible and the Catechisms as well as the diaries I mentioned is important. There are many claims as to the “root causes” of the sex abuse scandal. All may be true to this or that degree, but the root cause of all is dissent. Toleration, acceptance and promotion of dissent from the teachings of Jesus as expressed through His Church is what caused all of this. This is why I referred to the perpetrators of the scandal as “Judases.” For they betrayed Him just like the original Traitor. All dissent is treason, if you are culpable (know that it is dissent, and not that “you didn’t know any better.”) So fortifying yourselves with TRUTH via the Catholic Bible, the Catechisms and great spiritual reading is paramount if we are to defeat the forces of darkness pervading the Church.

All of the above have their own links in the sidebar of Sober Catholic: as this blog was intended for people who might have left the Church due to various reasons encountered in their addictions or recovery, I placed many links to sites to help people learn about the Faith. Hence…

…How to Become Catholic or Return to the Church
The Church and the Bible
For all things Catholic…

Sacred Heart
Rosary
Divine Mercy…

… are all groups of website links in the sidebar. Visit and learn! There are other groups of links in the sidebar more particular to the purpose of this blog, peruse those as well. You never know what you might find of interest.

We are all in this together. We also need to pray for one another in these times; Satan will attack those fighting him. I know I will be under some manner of spiritual attack (it happens quite often.) So, if you’re a regular reader of Sober Catholic, please pray for me and this blog. Even if you’re not, please pray for me! 😉

As I said up above somewhere, there will be more posts in this category; I will bring up prayers and devotions, sacramentals, point out other websites that are fighting in the trenches, too.

We’ve got this, we will win.

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!!)

DON’T LEAVE JESUS BECAUSE OF JUDAS

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This post is difficult but it is a must-write. It is later than other current posts in the Catholic blogosphere on the crisis-scandal in the Church involving Bishops and priests and their evil sexual behavior with minors and seminarians (and probably with each other) going back decades, including cover-ups. Seems like every Catholic with a blog has posted on it. That is no matter. This is a mostly a personal blog, not a news/opinion piece and so I needn’t be “timely.” I won’t expound on the details, you’ve probably heard enough about them from other sources.

What this post as about is on how people will react to the crisis. Namely, “How can I remain a member of the Catholic Church after all of this?”

I won’t deny the difficulty. Although the thought had never crossed my mind about leaving the Church that Jesus Christ Himself founded, I am aware that the faith of many has been shaken,

This bothers me for a number of reasons; for to me, when a person leaves the Catholic Church, it is often because they are unaware of what they are leaving. If you truly understood what the Church is, you would never, ever, consider leaving. No matter what this Pope or that Bishop or those priests have done.

I understand that staying may be hard, especially if you’ve been hurt by the Church (whether by sexual abuse or some other manner.) We are all human and have our limits of pain tolerance. Sometimes you do need to leave something for a while, especially if you were betrayed or hurt in some fundamental way.

But where would you go? Do other churches have what the Catholic Church has: all Seven Sacraments instituted by Christ? Were those churches founded by Him, or by mere humans? How could those churches “feed” you? While Jesus may be “spiritually present” (“whenever 2 or 3 are gathered in My Name, there I am…”), He is not physically present in them, like He is in the Eucharist. Can their ministers absolve you of your sins?

As I said a few paragraphs above, I understand and can appreciate why people might leave. Sometimes we get frustrated beyond a point that can be tolerated. “Don’t the Bishops understand? Don’t they get it?” we scream. And in our hurt and rage and pain we walk.

But to do that means leaving Jesus because of Judas. Jesus Christ is really, truly present in the Catholic Church. His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity is Really Present in the Eucharist; He established the Church when He gave the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter and the power of binding and loosing to him and the other Apostles. And He promised that He will be with Her until the end, adding a guarantee that the “gates of Hell” will “never prevail.”

Another analogy is those disciples of Christ who left Him after the Bread of Life discourse in John 6. His teachings on His Body and Blood were “too hard,” and so they left. Where else would they go? Who else has the words of eternal life?

Same for His Church. Who else was entrusted with safeguarding His teachings as well as those of the Apostles?

All of that sounds nice and wonderful and so on, but it might seem too abstract and academic and not nuts and bolts everyday ‘real.’ Fine. But understand that those in the hierarchy and priesthood who have committed these sins are like Judas the Traitor. Don’t let him determine which church you belong to.

Would you really leave the Catholic Church because of these Judases? What about the other members of the Church, those in the Church Triumphant? They were members also: the Church Fathers and Doctors, other great and holy Saints, the good Popes and so on. Their example is to be outweighed by the Judases?

But, you say, “What about the scandals? The corruption?”

Yes, what about them?

I can be trite and say that no other church is perfect; that all churches have their share of corruption and scandal. The Catholic Church is no different; but here’s the challenging fact: there has never been a time in Her history when the Church hasn’t been riven with some form of scandal or corruption.

“What?” says you. “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

Well, yes, in a way. In a weird sense it’s proof of the Church’s divine origins; for while the Church has had heresies and corruption and scandals and schisms and all other sorts of things afflicting it that would make a mere human organization collapse into a footnote in some history textbook, the Catholic Church is still here. Throw in wars, rebellions, revolutions and plague, while we’re at it! (And oftentimes lousy leadership!) The Catholic Church has survived Her own history, a history that would have destroyed any other organization. The fact that it is divine in Her origins helps make up for Her human composition.

You know, humans, creatures of a Fallen nature, prone to sin and evil.

Like you. Like me.

Those that are in the Church and are guilty of the crimes reported are followers of Judas. They will go to their own reward unless they repent. And speaking of who else dwells in the place of that particular reward, the scandals and corruption seem to me proof that Satan himself knows which Church is the One True Faith, for it would be that very Church which would suffer the most targeted and evil demonic attacks. (More on that in a follow-up post; this won’t be the only piece I write on this.)

Seriously think about it if you have left or are considering leaving. Pray long and hard. In fact, if you can, go and visit the Blessed Sacrament. Many churches have hours of Eucharistic Adoration; if not, go to a church after a Mass and just pray before the Blessed Sacrament reposed in the sanctuary.

See what answers you get. Oh, and can you do that in another church?

To repeat: I get the pain, the rage, and the betrayal. I understand the attractiveness of leaving. But allowing yourself to be influenced by the deeds of a sinful group of men and and having that outweigh the wealth of the Church’s history in the Communion of Saints, Her Sacraments… and the Presence of Jesus… I don’t know. I wouldn’t. Perhaps depart for a while, maybe. But then the temptation to stay away would only grow.

I said in the first sentence that this post is a “must-write.” When you consider that I began Sober Catholic in 2007 in part to help stem the loss of Catholics to other churches due to their exposure to indifferentism in Twelve Step meetings; yeah, I had to write it!

DISCLAIMER: I have never been abused by anyone in the Church. Nor has any parish that I was a member of ever been closed by the Bishop due to priestly shortages and changed demographics. So, you can say it’s easy for me to remain faithful. It is incorrect to state that I haven’t been hurt by the scandals. I see a Church hierarchy “out-of-touch” with the laity. (Perhaps there needs to be more dioceses to reduce the population in each, thereby making the Bishops “closer” to the people. I do not see this happening, at all.) But I do “get it” regarding the attractiveness of leaving. But I beg you to seriously think about it. It is not a light decision; your immortal soul depends upon it.

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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!!)