Being Fat, Dumb and Happy for Jesus

Posted on December 1, 2013 by paulcoholic

Way back in the day when I lived in California I was introduced to the phrase “fat, dumb, and happy.” It is said after you’ve eaten a particularly large and sumptuous meal. I have no idea if that saying is a “California-ism,” but that’s where I first heard and used it.

The thought ocurred to me after overeating this past Thanksgiving holiday that maybe we can be “fat, dumb and happy” for Jesus. Here’s how:

Become fat: gorge yourself on Sacred Scripture, the Catechism and the Sacraments. Read the Bible daily, soak up the Word. Go to Mass daily (if possible) and visit the Blessed Sacrament whenever you can. If a parish nearby has Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, sign up for a Holy Hour. Go to Confession at least once a month. I go every 2-3 weeks.

Be dumb: Be a fool for Christ. Be counter-cultural. The World has a different understanding on what it meands to be “counter-cultural,” but true counter-cultural attidues and actions run against the World’s transient values and morals. No better way that to live out the prophetic call of the Gospel message. Be Christian. The World will think you’re an idiot, but so what?

Be happy: Living the Gospel is “joyful,” and that is something Pope Francis seems keen on getting across. Jesus is our brother, God our Father, how can that not make us happy? We know we’ve won, all that remains is the mopping up action of winning souls for the Lord and building the Kingdom of God on Earth. We know we will prevail in the end. Again, how can we not be happy? Am I always happy? No! I’m a weak, flawed, fallible human! Daily living gets me down. But oftentimes I rise above it. Perhaps not often enough.

So, start now! Let’s start a Movement! Be Fat, Dumb and Happy for 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!!)

Reader help (no longer) needed to support Sober Catholic (UPDATE)

Posted on May 8, 2013 by paulcoholic

UPDATE: Thanks to a few readers and friends, I have received enough in donations to renew the hosting account, as well as the domain names, for three years. I am very grateful to them that they think enough of this work. So, the Sober Catholic bleg drive is over. If you were thinking of donating, but hadn’t yet, please consider some other worthy blogging endeavor, or contribute to your parish. Perhaps your parish has a website? Maybe they could use financial help with their hosting fees.

I am asking for help from readers. The various fees associated with running and maintaining this blog are due for renewal in a month, namely for web hosting and domain name registration, and I need your assistance as we cannot afford to pay them…

Bloggers sometimes bleg (“bleg” means “blog beg”) when money is needed. It could be for any reason. My wife and I have incomes, live frugally, make do with what we have and are grateful for them, but we have had some financial hits recently and the cost of renewing Sober Catholic is coming at a bad time.

So, if you appreciate the work behind this blog, the PayPal “donate” button is way over in the upper left hand corner of the blog, where it says, “Please consider donating, if you like this work.” It’s between the blog title and the “Follow me on Twitter” widget. Nearly $300 is needed (if we were to renew for the most “cost effective” term of 3 years.) Any amount donated in your one-time gift would be appreciated. If you don’t like to use PayPal, you can email me at sobercatholic at gmail dot com to obtain other contact info (or use any method in the How to find and contact me Page.) Prayers are, of course, also appreciated!

We have explored other hosting options, there are none really cheaper. In anticipating a probable common reaction, “Why don’t you just move to a free host?” That is an option of last resort, and one that I am unwilling to do for several reasons:

1) Traffic and readership would be lost. Sober Catholic was originally hosted for free, and when I went to a paid hosting service many people did not follow along, despite numerous notices left up at the old site. Also, links everywhere point to this location.

2) Paying for a host rather than going free establishes “brand name” credibility if your blog is about a service. If I only had a personal blog about my own joys and sorrows, thoughts and opinions, that would be free. But I feel that Sober Catholic deserves its own location. I don’t feel that Sober Catholic is completely mine, it also belongs to those who appreciate it and have been helped by it. I do have 2 other blogs hosted on this account, but Sober Catholic is the only reason the account exists.

3) Having its own location guarantees independence; one isn’t subject to the whims and decisions of a free host. There is greater control over what one can do if the hosting is paid for by the owner or from revenue that is generated.

As I said above, any help to defray or cover the cost is greatly appreciated. Every donation adds to the total.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Paul Sofranko (a/k/a “paulcoholic”)

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!!)

UPDATE: I WILL be on the “On Call Show with Wendy Wiese”, for Wednesday, May 1st

Posted on April 23, 2013 by paulcoholic

UPDATE: Wendy Wiese contacted me and rescheduled me for next Wednesday. I was supposed to be on April 16th, but I cancelled a few days earlier as I was getting sick.

I will be on the “On Call Show with Wendy Wiese”, Wednesday, May 1st at 1PM CT (2PM ET)!

A description of the show, from Relevant Radio:

“Wendy Wiese keeps a variety of professionals On Call™ from an array of specialized fields to support you as you live out your “domestic Church” – helping you to keep your faith at the fore in your everyday life. Focusing on the important issues that families face through the lens of our Catholic faith, you’ll hear topics ranging from Post-Abortion Syndrome, eating disorders, pornography addiction, or substance abuse to Spiritual Direction. Our experts address issues that affect normal, everyday families, and they strive to help our listeners with their own struggles – you are the most important part of the conversation. Tune in for useful information and practical advice from a Catholic perspective.“

If it goes well, I’ll be a recurring guest.

For more information, here’s the show’s website: “‘On Call’ with Wendy Wiese” and Facebook Page: “‘On Call’ with Wendy Wiese Facebook Page.

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!!)

Year of Faith

Posted on November 17, 2012 by paulcoholic

On October 11, 2012, the “Year of Faith” began. Announced a few months ago by Pope Benedict XVI, the latest in a series of “Years of…” is intended to aid Catholics in learning more about their Faith. Given the horrific catechesis since the 1960’s and the woeful knowledge of the Faith that too many Catholics now possess, this is long overdue.

The general idea is that Catholics learn about the Faith through reading the Catechism, becoming better acquainted with the Bible, study the documents of Vatican 2 and maybe get involved in whatever Diocesan- or Parish- based programs that are being offered.

I waited a while in blogging about it, as I wanted to see just how well I was doing regarding my own plans. And so here it is.

I am doing two things, and will start a third.

The two things that I am doing are reading a few sections or pages of the Catechism as a part of my Morning Prayer. I had been doing this off-and-on, but since the Year of Faith began, way more on than off. 😉 In the evening I have been reading the Documents of Vatican 2. I have found that they are not as dry or inaccessible as I had thought and am thinking that perhaps if more people actually read them back in the 1960’s, we’d be better off today and could have dispensed with the silly “Spirit of Vatican 2” nonsense long ago.

The third thing that I will be doing harkens back to the reason I started this blog way back in 2007. That is to reach out to Catholics who have fallen away from their Faith due to their alcoholism and/or subsequent participation in a secular or non-denominational recovery programs. Too often in my experience in Twelve Steps I have witnessed Catholics leaving the Church due to their exposure to non-Catholic spirituality and the effects of “indifferentism.” Indifferentism is the sin that “it doesn’t matter what you believe in, as long as you believe in something.”

And so I will try and delve into the core values of this blog and its primary purpose. I will endeavor to link things like Scripture and the Catechism to recovery, more so than perhaps I have done. Not that I have strayed away from that, but I think I can do better than I have been.

At any rate, I hope to make it more obvious to Catholics in recovery the very existence of this blog, and to perhaps bring more of them along for the ride.

Here are some excellent web resources to help your Year of Faith journey:

Home Page of the Year of Faith

Catechism of the Catholic Church – Table of Contents

The Holy See – The Roman Curia – Congregations – Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The Holy See – Archive

Aleteia (Beta): Seekers of the Truth

BIBLIACLERUS

Inter Mirifica.net – Catholic Mass Media Directory

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!!)

LinkedIn Profile Update!

Posted on November 17, 2012 by paulcoholic

I don’t usually announce updates to my LinkedIn profile, in fact, I do not recall ever doing so. I am today as this blog does connect as to why I have a LinkedIn profile in the first place.

OK, enjoy this update to the “Summary” (of experience and goals) section:

“Since 2007 I have blogged at Sober Catholic where I write on how Catholic spirituality and the sacraments can assist people in maintaining their recovery from addictions. I expanded upon that in 2008 with The Four Last Things where I touch upon subjects not normally covered in typical recovery work by discussing the four last things everyone faces: Death, Judgment, Heaven (and Purgatory) and Hell.

I started these because I did not find online resources like them when I sobered up.

In addition to the practicing faithful Catholics who may be seeking a way to apply their Faith to their recovery, I also hope to reach the “lost sheep”, those who have left the Church due to their addictions and perhaps subsequent exposure to secular and non-Catholic recovery programs.

I am also turning my attention to the wonderful opportunities that independent publishing offers. I am the author of the “Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics” and “The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts.” Other works are being planned.

I am also planning novels and shorter works in the speculative fiction genre that include exploring the shadowy boundaries between life, death and what is beyond; and what exactly exists in that stage between awake and asleep? I am convinced that some things do lurk out of the corner of your eye. And what does sentience, humanity (or “alienity,”) mean, actually?

My wife and I are also Independent Reliv Distributors. We market nutritional supplements. We were attracted to Reliv because their primary emphasis is on helping people, both through better nutrition and a greater chance at financial freedom. Different from the too-good-to-be-true claims and get-rich-quick schemes associated with network marketing! Contact me through LinkedIn for information on becoming an Independent Reliv Distributor or on buying the product.”

My LinkedIn profile is at Paul Sofranko on LinkedIn. Concerning the last part (our new business venture) you can either contact me through this blog, or preferably through our business email: relivinganew at gmail dot com. You can also find out more about our venture at Reliving Anew.

Thank you!

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!!)

Is back

Posted on October 27, 2012 by paulcoholic

Well, today was the first day that I have blogged since early September. No excuses, I have had a bevy of posts churning inside of me, but they were all getting in the way of each other and therefore none came out. And so, I wrote about something else (see previous post.)

And now this one right here that you are now reading.

So, now that the creative flow has been unplugged, perhaps a few of the other posts backed up in my brain can now behave themselves and proceed out in a reasonably orderly fashion.

We’ll see. There’s some good stuff coming. In early September I camped out in the bush for a Catholic Men’s retreat, and as a result, a whole bunch of things got stirred up inside.

As if I haven’t gone through enough “conversion experiences” these past 10 years.

There will be the bush adventure, what was stirred up, and maybe a few other things. See you again soon!

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!!)

54 Day Rosary Novenas

Posted on August 25, 2012 by paulcoholic

The Rosary has been an important part of my devotional and spiritual life ever since I sobered up and reverted to the Church in 2001/02. I have said it daily (most of the time 😉 ) and have even used it as a part of Novena prayers.

One thing I hadn’t done until this year was say a 54-day Rosary Novena. This is mainly due to my feeling that normal novenas take a lot out of me. I don’t know why, maybe it is the stress of maintaining it daily for 9 days. This is any novena, Rosary or otherwise. There is an irrational fear that if I skip a day, the prayers and petitions are wasted (I don’t think they are.)

And a ROSARY Novena, not just for the usual nine days, but FIFTY-FOUR?!?!?!? Seemingly impossible! Out of the question!

But I tried it earlier this year, twice. And some strange things happened, both times it felt easy. No stress or strain of just getting through nine days. It was as if I was sailing through the days. Also, although the petitions have not been fully answered, yet (they’re doozies), I do feel that movement is being made and that things are sorting out towards resolutions that I will be happy with. God’s will works in mysterious ways.

So, what exactly is a 54 day Novena? It is simply saying three consecutive Rosary Novenas in petition for a favor or intention, (that’s 27 days) followed by three consecutive Rosary Novenas in thanksgiving for whatever God’s will was in regards to the petition (there’s the other 27 days. Total: 54).

This means it is an act of faith and trust, you are thanking God for His response without waiting to see what His answer is.

I am starting another 54 day Novena. There is a critical US Presidential election this year (every US Presidential election has seemed “critical,” at least going back to 2000. I really am starting to think that democracy is overrated and that we should take a look at a monarchy again). Without divulging who I’m voting for, I have created “Events” in Facebook, Google+ and ProLifeBook, listing the Novena and how to say it.

Here’s the text of the Event:

“For Catholics and other interested Christians: September 14th is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross (a/k/a the Exaltation of the Cross). This is a fitting day to begin a 54 day Rosary Novena for God’s will to prevail in the upcoming USA Presidential election, which is November 6th, (54 days after the Novena begins.)

If you do not know how to pray a 54 day Rosary Novena, it is simple: you pray 3 consecutive 9 day Rosary Novenas in petition for some favor or intention, followed by 3 consecutive 9 day Rosary Novenas in thanksgiving for God’s answer (whatever it might be.)

This means it is an act of faith and trust, you are thanking God for His response without waiting for it.

If you do not know how to pray the Rosary, here is a handy link: How to Pray the Rosary. You can also download a PDF image file here: How to pray the Rosary PDF. In addition, here is a link showing how the Rosary is rooted in Sacred Scripture: Scriptural Rosary.

This event is also listed on Facebook; on Google+; as well as on ProLifeBook

So, if you are on those social networks, invite friends and spread the news!!”

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!!)

Prisoner to Prisoner Daily Devotional

Posted on August 5, 2012 by paulcoholic

Matthew 25:36: “I was in prison, and you came to me.”

(Via Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible.)

A very good friend of mine is working with the following project. Please help if you can.

Below is a copy-and-paste of a post from his blog: Prisoner to Prisoner® Daily Devotional « Bro Jer’s Blog

“Prisoner to Prisoner (P2P®)is a 12 year-old ministry that was started in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. In 2002 Kairos Prison Ministry of Ohio took over the operation of P2P® with a vision that Kairos state chapters, churches, individuals and other organizations would help expand the distribution of the devotionals to all states and to other countries”.

I would ask you all to please consider helping to spread the word about the P2P® Devotional.

Below is a copy of a recent appeal letter we sent out. Feel free to copy, print, re post, and share with anyone who may have an interest in this unique outreach to prisoners.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

IT! IS! HOT! It was hot in July of 2003 when two strangers walked in the door of the print shop, handed me a ragged looking booklet and asked if I could do anything with it. Before I knew it, I was sitting out in the yard at Marion Correctional having a meeting, in which we came up with the current format of the P2P® Devotional. I have had the honor of printing the P2P® since that time and have been a member of the Managing Committee since 2004. My life has never been the same.

I have suggested over the years that we tell people just what it would take for this Ministry to operate, for us to be self supporting, without special fund raising. It really is very simple, yet, is a difficult goal to achieve. Many of those that receive the book are obviously not able to donate. We are currently printing and distributing 14,000 devotionals, six times a year. If we received one buck, what amounts to a can of soda or a burger off the dollar menu, for each book that goes out, we would be able to meet all the financial needs, have funds for promotion, and seek ways of further distribution. One book…one buck…one life changed. A buck will feed a prisoner spiritually for two months! Now tell me that is not a better deal… than a happy meal! Can I get an Amen??

So, PLEASE SEND MONEY! OK, we have that out-of-the-way. Heck, you know that is why you received this letter to begin with. What I would like to see happen is for each one who receives this letter to take a little extra time and get the P2P® into the hands of others. Help spread the word about this Ministry. Just as much as we need a really, REALLY, BIG CHECK…we need to have your help in promoting the P2P® Ministry. Could you help do that, please?

There were a few years that I personally took the delivery to Marion Correctional, where the books are repacked, then sent out to all the Ohio prisons. Each time, I tried to do the delivery when there was a “Prayer and Share” being held in the Chapel. There was one time that I walked out of Marion, sat in my truck…and cried, I mean bawled! I left the prison with a sense of how free some of the brothers there, were! The Holy Spirit was really present that day as we praised and worshiped our Lord. The P2P® is helping some of our brothers and sisters “behind the walls” experience freedom and peace which goes beyond alllllllllll understanding, a peace that can only come through the person of Jesus Christ.

What a privilege to be a small part of that!

I pray that you all have a very blessed summer

Your brother in Christ,

Jerry Kohlbrand

P2P Ministry Managing Committee

brojer4jc@gmail.com

PS. PLEASE SEND MONEY! oh, wait…I already said that

Cover

To request a subscription, make a donation, or for more information, please contact us at;

Prisoner to Prisoner®

Kairos Prison Ministry of Ohio

PO Box 750354

Dayton, Ohio 45475-0354

Phone: 937-765-6111

Email: prisoner2prisoner@gmail.com

+++BroJer

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!!)

Sober Catholic

Catholicism, Recovery, Sobriety, Conversion, Prayer, Fasting, Repentance, Penance

Category Archives: Meanderings

Being Fat, Dumb and Happy for Jesus

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Reader help (no longer) needed to support Sober Catholic (UPDATE)

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UPDATE: I WILL be on the “On Call Show with Wendy Wiese”, for Wednesday, May 1st

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LinkedIn Profile Update!

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Prisoner to Prisoner Daily Devotional

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