Category Archives: Lent

Praying Lent 2011

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Every year Creighton University in Nebraska offers excellent Lenten seasonal resources. This year is no different as I direct you to:

Praying Lent 2011

(Via Creighton University.)

As I said, it is an excellent resource for a fruitful Lent.

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!!)

Xtreme Makeover Season is on

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Tomorrow begins Lent, a 40 day period of personal interior conversion and renewal. It is also a time to examine our relationships with other people and perhaps repair them. As Christians we are a community, members of the Body of Christ. If our relations with other people are in a shambles, then our attempts at interior conversion and growth in personal holiness will fall short. Remember the words of Jesus in the prayer that He taught us: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

I admittedly write that with some fear and trepidation as there are relationships in my life that are in need or repair, if not outright resurrection from the dead. I leave them up to God’s will, for Him to provide the opportunity and courage to actually do anything, as I am unwilling to tread those paths.

Anyway, Lent is here, and I am posting links to two previous blogposts from earlier years, right here,
and here. Read them as an introduction and background.

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!!)

Listen for me on the radio during the week of March 7th

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I will be on Catholic radio! A few months ago, I was interviewed by Judy Zarick of St. Anthony Messenger Press for the “American Catholic Radio” show. My interview will be aired the week of March 7th. During that week you all can find it at FranciscanMedia. Look for American Catholic Radio over to the right, and click on “Current Program”. I will be featured in the “Living Faith” segment of program identified as #11-11. The segment only last about 5 minutes. ACR is heard on Catholic radio stations all over, if it isn’t in your area, you can listen online.

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!!)

Throw off the works of darkness

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Today is the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of conversion, in a somewhat similar vein like Lent. However while Lent focuses on Christ’s death, in Advent we focus on His birth. Both are critical events in humanity’s salvation history. In Christ’s birth He took on human flesh so as to redeem our nature from sin, in His death He destroyed sin and liberated us from its shackles. (This is not to say sin no longer exists, for it clearly does. But His death gives us the means to overcome it.)

The Second Reading from the Mass for today exhorts us to cast off sin.

Romans 13:11-14: “Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.”

As alcoholics and addicts who seek to obtain and sustain sobriety, we have character defects to be rid of. They were the mark of our addiction, and now sober we strive for a better life. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that we have to “throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” for salvation is near. St. Paul might have thought that Jesus was to return in his lifetime, He clearly didn’t. But as Jesus Himself said in the Gospel for today’s Mass:

Matthew 24:42: “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”

And so it is today. We must prepare for the arrival of the Lord. Whether it is the memorial of His Nativity and we prepare by going to Confession and amending our lives or the actual, real end-times Second Coming, Jesus is near and we must be ready.

Note: all Scripture passages courtesy of USCCB.

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!!)

Tomorrow begins a "Second" Lent!

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Tomorrow, August 6th, is the Feast of the Transfiguration.

Luke 9: 28b-36: “Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up a mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
‘Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
‘This is my chosen Son; listen to him.’
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.”

(Via USCCB.)

The Catholic Church in Her wisdom probably intended it this way as Transfiguration is also 40 days before the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross on September 14th.

Both Feast days mark a beginning and ending of the Passion of Jesus.

Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus during His Transfiguration of what was to happen to Him in Jerusalem. The Triumph of the Cross is the victory of His Resurrection. The fact that these days were placed 40 days apart on the liturgical calendar affords us the opportunity to practice “another Lent.” We mark the season of His Passion, starting with the “spiritual courage” of the Transfiguration and culminating in His victory over sin and death by His Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Don’t miss this opportunity for spiritual development. This is an excellent time for prayer and introspection geared towards ridding oneself of character defects. Perhaps you can take your Bible and read daily from the four Gospels all of the accounts of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Just a few minutes each day. Even re-reading them can help you pull greater meaning from the passages.

So, if your Lenten pilgrimage this year wasn’t satisfying, take advantage of this “do-over.” We belong to a Church of Second Chances.

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!!)

Crucifying your old self

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This week is Holy Week, the time from Palm Sunday thru the Triduum (3 days) of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It is also a good time to get “caught up” with your Lenten resolutions of interior conversion and penance. Spirit Daily has a great article on using Holy Week to “become a new person” , the person that you are supposed to be. Isn’t that a main point of the addiction recovery process?

Here it is:

Spirit Daily: “HOLY WEEK IS TIME TO PUT ON A NEW NATURE AND SEND YOUR GUILT INTO THE WOUNDS OF THE LORD”

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!!)

Lent

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As Ash Wednesday is today, thus signifying the beginning of Lent, I thought I’d post a link to a post from a few years ago:

Lent

The post also contains a link to a previous year’s post. Click away!

(Last year I managed to blog daily during Lent. Not sure if I can do that this year. If you’re interested, you can read prior posts on Lent by clicking on the “Lent” label in the post archive section in the sidebar.)

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!!)

Praying Lent 2010

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Today is Ash Wednesday. Here is a great resource for getting through Lent in a prayerful way:

Praying Lent 2010

(Via Creighton University.)

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!!)

Transfiguration

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Today marks the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. I had written about it earlier, as a part of the meditation on the Fourth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary .

Today also marks the beginning of what you may call an “unofficial” Lent. Lent is a period of penance and mortification lasting 40 days, culminating in the Crucifixion of Jesus. The Transfiguration of Jesus occurred just prior to His departure for Jerusalem where it all took place. Why would today mark the beginning of an unofficial Lent? Because 40 days from now marks the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. This is every year, so it must have been the Church’s intent to give us another focused opportunity for spiritual growth and development. Maybe you can make up for this year’s Lent if you didn’t meet whatever goals you set. Call it a “do-over”, or a “redo”.

You can read the Lenten meditations I posted earlier this year, just scroll down the sidebar and click on “LENT” in the “LABELS” category, that will bring up all my Lenten posts.

NOTE: This is an edited version of a post from one year ago.

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!!)

Easter blog posting update

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I’ve read the Mass readings for tomorrow (Wednesday of Holy Week), and offhand I can’t come up with anything to post about them. Something may come to me, like in the past when I’ve stared at a blank screen and then “BOING”, inspiration. But as of now, there may be no Lenten blogpost for tomorrow.

There will also be no new posting during the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday). There are a few old posts from years past that I’ll recycle, particularly on the Holy Thursday “Mass of the Lord’s Supper”, and the Stations of the Cross Meditations. I was thinking of coming up with some quickie new meditations on the Stations, but probably not. I’m thinking that “quickie” won’t cut it. 🙂

Have a good Triduum, I hope you can spend time at a Catholic Church these days. Major graces working on your soul those days. We’re talkin’ big time, here.

Until Easter, see 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!!)