Category Archives: Matt Talbot

Official Matt Talbot website

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John Blair, of the Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center recently posted on the disappearance of the “Official” Matt Talbot website:

The “Official” Venerable Matt Talbot Website has Moved

I remembered a valuable tool for retrieving a dead website, and found an archived version here: Welcome to the Matt Talbot Website courtesy of the Internet Archive: Free Movies, Music, Books & Wayback Machine.

People who are interested can find a complete listing of archived versions of the site, dating back to 2000.

I am posting this as Matt Talbot is of interest to many readers, and I also want to introduce John’s site to anyone new to my blog. His blog on Matt is an excellent resource on our patron saint.

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!!)

Venerable Matt Talbot for "All Saints Day"

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As today is the Solemnity of All Saints, I decided to post this nice article on Matt Talbot, the “Patron Saint of Alcoholics”:

Venerable Matt Talbot

(Via American Catholic.)

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!!)

Another Novena for Alcoholics

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John Blair of the Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center emailed me a link for another Novena for Alcoholics .

I am having problems with the link to the original site, so here is the prayer in its entirety:

Memorare Novena
Petition: For all those who are addicted and for those who suffer with them.

Pray Daily for Nine Days:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help,
or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come,
before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.

The original link that you can copy and paste into your browser’s address or location bar is:
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/monasticmoments/archives/140556.asp

I won’t be having a daily post and meditation on it, just use it on your own with whatever thoughts and meditations you have.

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!!)

Novena to Matt Talbot for Alcoholics: Day 1

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Today we pray Day One of our Novena to Matt Talbot for Alcoholics. We begin with:

PRAYER FOR THE ADDICTED

God of mercy, we bless You in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who ministered to all who come to Him. Give Your strength to N., Your servant, bound by the chains of addiction. Enfold him/her in Your love and restore him/her to the freedom of God’s children. Lord, look with compassion on all those who have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of Your unfailing mercy, and strengthen them in the work of recovery. To those who care for them, grant patient understanding and a love that perseveres. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pick a person in your life that you know is struggling with alcohol or some other addiction. You can pray for yourself, but if praying for others rather than ourselves we often find our own lives bettered. But if you’re still in the serious throes of addiction, then pray for yourself. Others reading this novena will pray for those who have to pray for themselves.

But think about that person. And that individual is still a person, regardless of their condition. Is he/she still caught in their addiction? Or are they clean and sober for awhile but are just going through a rough patch that is threatens their sobriety? But for the grace of God go you.

Pray for that they be strengthened, that their faith become a rock upon which the hazards of daily living crash upon and disperse.

We conclude the daily novena with:

Official Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Matt Talbot

“Lord, in your servant, Matt Talbot you have given us a wonderful example of triumph over addiction, of devotion to duty, and of lifelong reverence of the Holy Sacrament. May his life of prayer and penance give us courage to take up our crosses and follow in the footsteps of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Father, if it be your will that your beloved servant should be glorified by your Church, make known by your heavenly favours the power he enjoys in your sight. We ask this through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

The source of these prayers is Circle of Prayer – Matt Talbot Intercedes for Alcoholics .

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!!)

Novena to Matt Talbot for Alcoholics

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Today we shall begin a Novena for Matt Talbot’s intercession. A novena is a series of prayers said over 9 days and is rooted in Sacred Scripture in the 9 days that the Apostles and Mary prayed between the time Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven and the Holy Spirit’s descent on Pentecost).

We Catholics pray to (or through) saints and others believed to be in Heaven solely for their power to intercede for us. Saints have no other power than intercession. If a prayer is granted, it is because God willed it and granted it. The saint only interceded for us. Kind of like if you asked me to pray for you because of something going on in your life.

Why a novena to Matt Talbot? Well, although not a saint (YET), he had been declared a “Venerable” by the Church in 1975. That is the first step towards canonization. Matt, when canonized, will probably be declared the Patron Saint of Alcoholics. In the sidebar of this blog there are a list of links in the “Catholic Resources for Alcoholics”, among them are several on him. One of the best places to get to know him is at the Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center .

Anyway, Matt Talbot died on June 7, 1925. As today is May 30, today we begin the novena which would then end on the anniversary of his death. This is traditional for novenas, although you can say a novena at anytime of the year. One traditionally starts a novena 9 days prior to the feast day as your prayers are joined by everybody else that is also saying the novena.

The next post begins the novena.

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!!)

New Matt Talbot site!

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There is a new site, actually a blog, dedicated to Matt Talbot. A Sober Catholic reader is the creator of the site, called “The Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center”, and it can be found here:

http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/

Matt Talbot was an Irishman and alcoholic who died in 1925. He will probably be the Patron Saint of Alcoholics if he ever gets around to being canonized by the Church. He was declared “Venerable” in 1975, meaning his life is worthy of study and emulation. All he needs are two miracles attributed to his intercession and canonization is a done deal.

Go to this site, I highly recommend it. Online Catholic resources for alcoholics are few (which is why I started Sober Catholic) and Matt Talbot is a sure guide and model for us Catholic alcoholics and this new site fills a void. I have also added the link in my 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!!)