How often do you pray and go to Church? Part 2

Yesterday I wrote Part 1 of this post. Today I hope to conclude this topic.

I concluded yesterday’s post with this question: “Now I ask the question, or rather reframe the question in the title, ‘How do you live the life of the Church?’

The life of the Church is marked by prayer and the liturgy. The Sacraments are Her lifeblood. How often do you explore and partake of them?”

The liturgy permeates the year. The Church has her own calendar, with its own seasons. These are independent of the physical seasons, perhaps symbolizing the eternal nature of the Church and how it sits astride creation. The Heavens and the Earth will pass away, but never the Church.

The Mass is the highest form of prayer on Earth. Nothing surpasses it. Jesus established it during the Last Supper. In fact the Mass is the presentation again of the Last Supper and the continuation of Christ’s suffering and death on Calvary. Note that this is NOT a re-sacrifice, but a continuation – across space and time. If you are at a Catholic Mass, you are as if you are at the Last Supper or at the foot of the Cross.

Most Catholic parishes offer Mass daily, or at least a number of times during the week. If due to work obligations one is unable to attend, Mass is online. But you can attend a Catholic Mass more that just once a week on Sundays. If you participate in 12 Step meetings, how often do you go to them? Well, then you can attend a Mass perhaps as often. If it is boring to you, or you get nothing out of it, what do you know about the Mass apart from what I said earlier? Pray the Mass, dwell on its meaning. Worth a lot more than a 12 Step meeting.

Online Masses:

EWTN Television Schedules

Via EWTN.

CatholicTV Schedule

Via CatholicTV.

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!!)

How often do you pray and go to Church? Part 1

Quite often in the 12 Step meetings that I attended years ago some newcomer would ask the question as to how many meetings they should attend. Some old timer would ask:

“Well, how often did you drink?”

The newcomer responded, “Every day.”

The oldster replied, “Then go to meetings every day. If you drank every day, then you can go to meetings every day.”

The idea is that as often as you flooded your mind with alcoholic and addictive thoughts, you can now flood your mind with 12 Step principles and meeting discussions and fellowship. As much time as you gave your drinking, you can give to your recovery.

OK, if you read this blog often enough and perhaps are even a member of Catholic Recovery, you somehow arrived at the notion that your Catholic Faith may have some hand in keeping you sober and clean. But can it provide the all the tools necessary to keep you sober?

For the intentions of this post, and follow-ups, I won’t touch upon the nature of the Church Jesus founded, nor any theology or other “high concepts.” Just the bare bones basics of the possibility that your life is not what it could be. There’s something missing. Sure, you attend your regular AA meetings, you talk to your sponsor, (or maybe are one yourself). You go to Sunday Mass and are generally “Catholic”. But there’s a hole and an emptiness. You feel that your life as you’re living it is something less than it can be.

So, like the title of this post suggests, “How often do you pray and go to Church?” It isn’t as easy a question as you might think. This is particularly true if your Catholic education stopped when you received the Sacrament of Reconciliation or graduated from high school. Basically, teenage years. Your concept of God probably stopped developing at that point. You figure that putting your hour of Church in once a week (or so), praying to Jesus or maybe Mary when you’re in a jam, is enough. But now you’re sensing that isn’t quite true.

Now I ask the question, or rather reframe the question in the title, “How do you live the life of the Church?”

The life of the Church is marked by prayer and the liturgy. The Sacraments are Her lifeblood. How often do you explore and partake of them?

I will continue this in Part 2.

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 the words pour forth

The 17th verse of Psalm 51 is also the beginning of the Church’s prayer day in the Divine Office (See the Universalis link at the top of the page, should be a yellowish bar.)

Psalm 51:17: “Lord, open my lips; my mouth will proclaim your praise.”

(Via USCCB.)

Every day the Church begins her prayer with a petition for the Lord to enable the prayerful to sing God’s praises. In this verse, the penitent continues to show their gratitude for the Lord’s work in their lives. A daily reminder for the penitent, as we all begin the day anew. And in our start each day, what do we remind ourselves? Gratitude and love for the Lord, Who saves us from ourselves. Each day is a new beginning, a new chance to grow closer to God, but also a new chance to mess things up again.

The practice of daily prayer, particularly in the beginning, enables us to start the day right, with a proper orientation to the divine.

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

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

I will teach

The series on Psalm 51 resumes…

The 15th verse of Psalm 51 illustrates one of the benefits to others of the penitent’s conversion:

Psalm 51:15: “I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.”

(Via USCCB.)

Because of the experience and happiness over their conversion, the penitent will go and teach others of this. We do not keep our experience to ourselves, we share it with others. Others will be brought closer to God and experience the same joy of forgiveness and re-union with the Lord. Although some may balk at the Psalmist’s use of the word “wicked”, it can be an accurate adjective for those who have strayed from the path of the Lord. The penitent clearly felt “wicked”, hence the depth of their remorse and desire for forgiveness.

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!!)

Restore my joy

In the 14th verse of Psalm 51 the penitent looks towards their destiny:

Psalm 51:14: “Restore my joy in your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit”

(Via USCCB.)

Happiness is being on the path to Heaven, it is the true joy that fills your soul and gives your life its meaning. This particular happiness is not an attachment to Earthly things. It is the “true joy” that fills our soul with a desire for union with God and a yearning for our true home and helps free us from our addictions. It is the desire for holiness and virtue.

God is necessary to sustain that desire. With the assistance of the Lord our human will is directed towards our eventual union with Him. We place our will and our trust in Him, and He will bring us safely 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!!)

Renew My Steadfast Spirit

(My series on Psalm 51 resumes.)

In the 12th verse of Psalm 51, the penitent is granted a new start.

Psalm 51:12: “A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.”

(Via USCCB.)

Sin has sullied and degraded the penitent. It had ruptured the relationship with God. The penitent, after the first half of the Psalm, is now ready to start anew.

But, not content with just picking up and moving on as before, now cleansed of sin. The penitent wants to be strengthened with “a steadfast spirit”, a renewed conviction to lead a virtuous life, holy in the sight of God.

Made clean by God’s grace and perhaps having learned from the experience, the penitent now strives to live according to God’s will.

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 are Indulgences?

Indulgences are among the more recognizable of Catholic Christian beliefs, like devotion to the Blessed Mother. They are often misunderstood, and have been a source of scandal to the Church in the past (a cause of the so-called Protestant “Reformation.”)

This is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches:

1471: ” The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.

What is an indulgence?

‘An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.

‘An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.”

(Via USCCB.)

The connection to sin and the remission of guilt is described in the following paragraphs, along with the relationship to the dead, and why it is important to pray for them:

(The CCC continues:)

The punishments of sin”:
1472
To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the ‘eternal punishment’ of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the ‘temporal punishment’ of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.

1473
The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the ‘old man’ and to put on the ‘new man.

In the Communion of Saints

1474
The Christian who seeks to purify himself of his sin and to become holy with the help of God’s grace is not alone. ‘The life of each of God’s children is joined in Christ and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all the other Christian brethren in the supernatural unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, as in a single mystical person.

1475
In the communion of saints, ‘a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things. In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.

1476
We also call these spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church’s treasury, which is ‘not the sum total of the material goods which have accumulated during the course of the centuries. On the contrary the ‘treasury of the Church’ is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God. They were offered so that the whole of mankind could be set free from sin and attain communion with the Father. In Christ, the Redeemer himself, the satisfactions and merits of his Redemption exist and find their efficacy.

1477
‘This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body.

Obtaining indulgence from God through the Church

1478
An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity.

1479
Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.”

(Via USCCB.)

The link to these in the online CCC has supporting Scriptural references.

This stuff is important to the recovering alcoholic and addict as we do have our sinful past to contend with. He we completely cleaned it up and atoned for 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!!)

Cleanse me

The fourth verse of Psalm 51 continues from verse 3 the penitent’s petition for a clean slate:

Psalm 51:4: “Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.”

(Via USCCB.)

It is a recognition on the part of the penitent that the sinful offense has dirtied and sullied the soul. We are made in the image and likeness of God, our soul is a reflection of that image. Only God can forgive sins and therefore only He can wash our souls clean of our offense.

The penitent clearly states their sole responsibility in the sin. Even though someone else may have been involved, the sinner says “my guilt”, “my sin”. No blame is placed upon another. The sinner bears responsibility for their wrongdoing. We alcoholics and addicts are known for shirking responsibility. It is “people, places and things”, or our weakness, our disease, or some other such matter. Although there are mitigating circumstances that can lead us into our addictive behavior, in the end we committed the sin. At what point do we stop making excuses and just say that, “Yeah, these factors came in to play in my demise. But I could have said ‘no.’ I could have reached out for help that is their, even if it is a plaintive prayer into the darkness.”

We bear responsibility for recognizing our true nature as sons and daughters of God, and in seeing that since our souls were made to reflect His goodness, we must strive to keep them clean and on the path to holiness. We allow our consciences to be formed and guided by the Gospel.

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!!)

Psalm 51 Meditations

One of my favorite Psalms is the 51st, “The Miserere”. The first 2 verses explain it:

Psalm 51:1-2: “For the leader. A psalm of David,

when Nathan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bathsheba.”

(Via USCCB)

Nathan the Prophet confronted King David with his adultery, and the Psalm is David’s repentence.

I have written up some notes that form the basis of some meditations on each verse of the Psalm. I think it is appropriate it since the Church’s liturgical year is winding down. As Advent approaches, the Church will start to remind us of the coming of Christ, and the need to repent.

(These meditations also serve as a revival of something I started in 2007, called the “The Wisdom Dose”, a series of originally daily, then occasional, then discontinued, meditations on the Wisdom Books of the Bible, including the Psalms. I will do these again, on an irregular basis.)

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!!)

Approaching the Throne of Grace

The Second Reading for the Mass of the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time speaks to us of Jesus as our helper in our weakness:

Hebrews 4:14-16:“Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”

(Via USCCB.)

Jesus is not some mighty deity who reigns distantly from Heaven and judges us for our misdeeds. Although His divinity prevented Him from sinning, He experienced the temptations and sufferings that we experience. Perhaps His divinity made Him acutely aware of the pain temptation brings. He couldn’t sin to temporarily relieve the painful desire of temptation. Not that our succumbing to temptation to relieve the pain is any excuse for us.

Therefore, knowing full well that Jesus understands what we go through, because He’s been there,we can “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” Grace is all you need to heal from your addiction. The sacraments are the primary instruments of God’s grace, and the sure means of receiving it.

Go to Confession soon and the attend Mass and receive the Eucharist. Go to Confession frequently, for as addicts and alcoholics we are a tough bunch to maintain our holiness.

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!!)