Category Archives: Service and Volunteering

Growing in holiness during Lent

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Lent began today. Traditionally, people give up stuff for Lent as a sign of repentance. That’s nice but it may be a downer, especially if it isn’t combined with something that may help you grow in holiness. Giving up something to achieve something is tough. Ask an athlete, especially an Olympian or a champion.

Another option to giving up something is to take up something. Adding something to help you achieve something, like holiness, may be easier. Increase your virtue. This link: Virtues and Vices has a list of the seven deadly vices and the virtues that can help you overcome them.

Serve and volunteer.

Increase your prayer life. Read Sacred Scripture, daily. Attend Daily Mass, if possible. If not, then maybe catch it online at a more convenient time.

And then perhaps maybe someday you can deprive yourself of something, because with the increased holiness, you’re more apt to select a deprivation and combine it with growing in holiness. This can merit itself at other times of the year when you suffer, now you know better how to “offer it up.” 😉

Joel: 2:13:

“Rend your hearts, not your garments,

and return to the LORD, your God,

For he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,

and relenting in punishment.”

(Via 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!!)

To Bury the Dead

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To bury the dead is the last of the Corporal Works of Mercy. It is an act of kindness, and of hope in the resurrection of all when Jesus return to judge the living and the dead.

The graves remind us always of our last end, and that there is an eternity afterwards. Time spent in a cemetery is time well spent both honoring those buried there, as well as reminding ourselves of our own mortality.

Bury the dead. In a metaphorical context applied to this blog, it can also mean to bury our past. Our past is back there, dead, but not forgotten. We no longer live back there, but we can remember the pain.

What do we do with the time remaining? As alcoholics and addicts we had lost considerable time to our addiction. Time can be redeemed by learning from our mistakes and applying that knowledge to the future. It is called “experience.” We can take what we know and teach it to others.

If you click on the image below, you’ll be taken to the “Works of Mercy” store at Artist4God (my wife’s online shop.) Buy anything from the “Works of Mercy” store and a portion of the proceeds go to life-affirming charities.

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!!)

Visit the Imprisoned

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Matthew 25:36: “…in prison and you visited me.’”

“Imprisoned” can mean many things. It may oftentimes mean the literal imprisonment of those who have committed crimes. “You do the crime, you do the time.” And so people regard with indifference or contempt those who are in jail.

While by no means suggesting that those in prison do not deserve their punishment, many in jail have repented of their crimes and corresponding sins. The intransigent and unrepentant, well, their place is deserved. But for those who have come to terms with the reality of what they did and why they are in prison, their spiritual needs must be met. There are plenty of opportunities for people in communities all over to visit those in prison and minister to them. Participate in a prayer group or Bible or Catechism Study. Whatever, just show them that there are people on the “outside” who haven’t forgotten them. One good organization is “Kairos Prison Ministry International”:

There are other forms of imprisonment. Addiction is a prime example and perhaps the reason why you are reading this blog.

I wrote a poem, it was triggered by an old AA friend from my old hometown who was picked up for DWI for the umteenth time:

Alone in Jail

I sit in the cell, trapped.

Trapped in the prison of my mind.

I wish to scream “Let me out!”

But the mind has no voice, silenced by shame.

My prison, and I am my jailer, and I have lost the key.

Perhaps you can be the key to let the prisoner of addiction out of their jail cell. Reach out and extend help. If they take the help, follow through! If they reject it, wait and offer it again when they are ready.

Although it may not seem like it, another way for people to be imprisoned is overt attraction to the things of “the world.” Be it money, power, lust, fine clothes and an outward appearance (at the expense of the inward appearance), such things imprison you as they get in the way of your true self. They are hardly satisfying. Do they help you in your relationship with God?

If you click on the image below, you’ll be taken to the “Works of Mercy” store at Artist4God (my wife’s online shop.) Buy anything from the “Works of Mercy” store and a portion of the proceeds go to life-affirming charities.

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!!)

Visit the Sick

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Matthew 25:36 “…ill and you cared for me…”

I feel that one of the tenderest and kindest things that you can do for another is to care for them when they are vulnerable, such as when they are suffering an illness. You’re putting your own health at risk from whatever they have, so in a way it is almost like the passage from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, According to John:

John 15:13: ” No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. “

For people to do this for a living, such as physicians and nurses, to home heath aides and the like, is a life of tremendous dedication to the vulnerable. For someone to do this without expecting anything in return, is love and sacrifice. Then again, love and sacrifice are quite often linked.

If you click on the image below, you’ll be taken to the “Works of Mercy” store at Artist4God (my wife’s online shop.) Buy anything from the “Works of Mercy” store and a portion of the proceeds go to life-affirming charities.

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!!)

Clothe the Naked

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Matthew 25:36 “…naked and you clothed me.”

I volunteer in a thrift store. While I haven’t done all that much as there seems to be an abundance of volunteers that coincided with my beginning there, I have learned a few things.

One nice thing is that they just don’t accept any kind of clothing for the store. It has to be in good condition, and perhaps not way out of date. There explanation is that there is a “dignity concern.” The people that shop there must not feel like they are getting cast-off junk. You may feel that “beggars can’t be choosy,” but essentially even if people are at the low end of the economic spectrum, they shouldn’t have to meekly accept junk just because they are poor. It may not be the finest clothing, nor the latest style, but they look decent.

That caused me to think about when people are vain about their appearance, declare that they must wear the finest clothing, that sort of thing. Is that really necessary? Vanity in regards to clothing is dressing inappropriately, to draw attention to yourself and to flaunt your wealth and physical attributes. Pride may also play a part. Does that make you a better person, looking better than others? How is your internal appearance? The appearance of your soul?

How will you look when you stand before God and are judged?

If you click on the image below, you’ll be taken to the “Works of Mercy” store at Artist4God (my wife’s online shop.) Buy anything from the “Works of Mercy” store and a portion of the proceeds go to life-affirming charities.

Clothe The Naked Sweatshirts
Clothe The Naked Sweatshirts by WorksOfMercy

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!!)

Shelter the Homeless

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Matthew 25:35 “…a stranger and you welcomed me…”

This is difficult to write, never having been homeless. Came close at least once or twice, but that is not the same.

I cannot wrap my mind around the concept of being without a home. A warm bed, a roof over my head, a place to keep my stuff, I have always had these.

The very idea of this happening, the last day in one’s own home before being evicted or kicked out… facing the streets for the first time without the knowledge that there is some PLACE to go back to.

There are shelters, and people who dedicate their lives to caring for the homeless. Whether the homeless are “that way” because of financial difficulties or drug and alcohol addiction, it is little matter. People are out on the street and suffer for it.

As a society, we are less than hospitable. We turn our heads away from the beggars in the street. I have done that, out of guilt or shame or revulsion.

How we treat some of the most vulnerable of our society tells a lot.

If you click on the image of the mug below, you’ll be taken to the “Works of Mercy” store at Artist4God (my wife’s online shop.) Buy anything from the “Works of Mercy” store and a portion of the proceeds go to life-affirming charities.

Shelter The Homeless Buttons
Shelter The Homeless Buttons by WorksOfMercy

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!!)

Give Drink to the Thirsty

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Matthew 25:35 “…I was thirsty and you gave me drink…”

Going hand in hand with “Feed the Hungry,” we are called upon to satisfy those who thirst. There is the literal, physical thirst that needs quenching. But there is also the spiritual thirst very much like the spiritual hunger I described in the ***last post***

People are more than cogs in a machine. People have dignity, no matter what their state in life, what they do for a living, how much they earn and whatever else that the World quantifies human existence. People are made in the image and likeness of God and are deserving of fulfillment. In addition to the physical needs being met, their spiritual needs are taken care of as well.

This is important for a host of reasons, but namely to remind people of their personhood, their humanity. People are not trash, disposable things to be gotten rid of when inconvenient. Too often today this happens. Abortion, euthanasia, job layoffs… the list goes on for the many ways society dictates that people serve secular gods. The economic system, a political philosophy, the corporate balance sheet. Personal choices by other individuals, at times.

People need to be taught that they were made for something more. More than just for whatever piece of society they find themselves in. They need the reminder that they were made by God to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this life, so as to be forever happy in Heaven (to paraphrase the old Baltimore Catechism.)

If you click on the image of the mug below, you’ll be taken to the “Works of Mercy” store at Artist4God (my wife’s online shop.) Buy anything from the “Works of Mercy” store and a portion of the proceeds go to life-affirming charities.

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!!)

Feed the Hungry (UPDATED)

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Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry and you gave me food…”

We have many ways to satiate hunger. Physical hunger is a harsh reality anywhere on this planet. Even in the so-called “rich” countries of North America and Europe people starve.

There is also a hunger apart from the physical. There is a spiritual hunger, too. People have holes in their souls that are not filled by the secular world, or by do-it-your-own spiritualities. They hunger for the Kingdom of God to be manifested in their lives by way of justice, righteousness and the freedom to be the people they were meant to be.

Learn Scripture, learn the Catechism, read the lives of the Saints and discover ways to bring the Kingdom of God to people in a manner that they can understand and appreciate. Fill the hunger, that hole in their souls that is now only fed by secular junk food and shallow spiritualities. Preach the Gospel, perhaps by words, perhaps by actions.

There is no excuse for the physical hunger. Do not wait for the government to feed those who hunger. Get busy now, yourselves. Act! In many areas there are food pantries that accept donations of food and money, as well as volunteers to do the work. Churches and other charitable organization offer the hungry a dignified alternative to state-sponsored charity. They are names, not a numbers.

Be a part of the solution and do not wait for others to fix the problem. Remember this, the next time you are “hungry.” For many of you, that is a temporary situation easily addressed and solved by wandering into your kitchen and grabbing something, or going off to the market and stocking up on food. But for many, and often through no fault of their own, that is the daily norm. The next time you hunger for something for your soul, grab your Bible. It is the food that does not perish.

If you click on the image of the mug below, you’ll be taken to the “Works of Mercy” store at Artist4God (my wife’s online shop.) Buy anything from the “Works of Mercy” store and a portion of the proceeds go to life-affirming charities.

Thank 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!!)

Works of Mercy

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Catholic social teaching centers on the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. They are derived from the Gospel of Jesus According to Matthew, Chapter 25 verses  31-46, “The Last Judgment;” and Matthew Chapter 5, verses 1-12, “The Beatitudes;” as well as other parts of Scripture.

I have blogged about these before when I speak about “Service and Volunteering.”

Today I am going to start a series of posts in which I will write a little about each of them. There are seven of each, and they are listed below:

Corporal Works of Mercy

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Shelter the Homeless
Clothe the naked
Visit the Sick
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

Correct the sinner
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubting
Comfort the sorrowful
Be patient with those in error
Forgive offenses
Pray for the living and the dead

(This list is courtesy of St. Luke’s mission of Mercy.)

Anyone familiar with alcoholism and addiction should know of these. Many of us have been on the receiving end of them. Perhaps we should think about being on the giving end?

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!!)

Prisoner to Prisoner Daily Devotional

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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

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!!)