Category Archives: Virtue

Faith in a time of Pandemic

Posted on by

Recently, in Sobriety in a Time of Pandemic I blogged a bit on coping in a time of a pandemic. Saints to intercede for us and so on. Now that it’s been a few days, I’m expanding upon that. This is the first of several posts I’ll be doing today. I just finished my Morning Prayers and had breakfast, and I have time before heading off to my Latin Mass. This afternoon I’ll write one or two more posts on the matter.

I’ve read a lot of stuff online, on Facebook and other venues, about what to do. People are panic-buying toilet paper and sanitizers, water and other foodstuffs. Various Dioceses are either cancelling public Masses or are lifting the obligation to attend Mass for a certain period. There are interesting reactions to these measures, some sane, some irrational.

Many are interpreting these cancelling/lifting of the obligation as a sure sign that the Bishops are in league with Satan and the Modernists; that the last thing we need to do is to restrict the Mass. They cite examples from the Medieval era during the Black Plague when Pope So-and-so did Eucharistic Processions around Rome and St. Michael the Archangel was invoked and he made appearances and miraculous healings resulted. “And that’s all that we have to do to defeat this pandemic! Go to Mass! It worked then!”

True. It probably did to some degree. But they also had significantly less knowledge of plague vectors and technological responses and the like. Note this: God only performs miracles when all normal means that we have at our disposal have failed. This may by why some prayers of yours invoking God’s miraculous help may have gone unanswered: perhaps you were omitting something you could have done. I think He may work the miraculous in your life when you might have effective means at your disposal, but you may not be aware of them, and the situation may be critical enough that He is willing to overlook your omission or ignorance. But whether that does happen, is determined by Him.

We do not live in the Middle Ages (although I wish for the revival of much Medieval culture and civilization; not all of its aspects, only the better parts. That will perhaps have to be discussed on my other blog sometime. 😉  ) We live in the 21st Century and our knowledge and ability to deal with things is different. While I applaud the faith of those who wish to rely solely on the Mass and the Sacraments; to exclude contemporary science and technology is folly. And perhaps a sin. “Really? How’s that?” you ask incredulously. “Read on,” I reply.

Faith and reason; science and religion are not antonyms. Miracles and such like work when mundane resources fail; back in the Medieval era they had little to no knowledge of disease vectors and their causes. We know better today, and therefore sacramental methods are applied differently nowadays. 

Science and religion go hand in hand, both are parts of God’s Revelation of Himself. God reveals Himself to us in two ways: through Divine Revelation by way of Sacred Scripture in concert with Sacred Tradition, both being safeguarded by the Catholic Church; and through Nature, as discerned and explored by humans utilizing Science. Like I said above: Faith and reason; science and religion are not antonyms. Truth does not contradict Truth, despite the opposite believed by atheists on one side and believers on the other. They only reveal the ignorance they possess of the other means of Divine Revelation that they reject. Like anyone who creates original work, God leaves information about Himself in His creations. We know Him by exploring His creation. Science helps us to do that. Using one does not de-emphasize the other.

When we know of the manner in which plagues spread and the means to contain it, that does not mean abandoning faith and religion, but it does mean we use our God-given intellects in a responsible manner and avoid spreading disease. It does not mean that we forsake Eucharistic Processions, invoking this or that saint, or anything else that may have worked back in simpler times. We do those. They may not work in the miraculous ways of 500 or more years ago, but they may assist in giving insight to vaccine researchers, given them a nudge to consider “this way” instead of “that way,” give extra courage and fortitude to medical professionals like doctors and nurses, and convey grace upon grace to all struggling to cope. So it’s not an “either or” choice. We do both. We flee to the refuge our Faith provides as well as using our God-given minds to respond to the crisis.

And this is where I answer the question about how is it sinful to disregard science in responding to the pandemic. If one of the definitions of sin is that of misusing or abusing our natural gifts (such as alcohol abuse instead of moderate drinking, or extramarital sex instead of chastity, or greed instead of responsible use of material things and money) then it is sinful to disregard the recommendations or outright orders to stay at home instead of going to Mass (or any other public gathering.) You are guilty of pride, in that you are parading your piety to defy rational consideration. “Nothing and no one will separate me from the Mass!!!” is what I frequently read in various Facebook Groups. OK, I understand that you have a devotion to the Mass; we all should. We all should attend Mass on Sundays (it IS an obligation) and daily if we can. If Jesus is available in an Adoration Chapel, we should visit Him. But your piety and faith should not get in the way of your reason and common sense; just as they do not contradict one another, when used together that can be an unstoppable force for good. God made us, He also gave us our intellect, our capacity for reason and logic, as well as the ability to figure out when to use them. They are gifts to us, a part of our being. To ignore them is to risk peril. You could also be guilty of idolatry. The Mass is a means (worship) to an end (God.) By being disobedient and insisting that you must attend Mass or else, you are idolizing the Mass, focusing on the means rather than the end.

“But what about the Mass?!?!?! We do need that!!!!” you vent.

“Relax,” I calmly respond. “It has not been prohibited. It is still being said. Even if public Masses are cancelled where you are, priests are still saying them privately. And public Masses are being offered elsewhere. We are members of the Mystical Body of Christ, we are united in prayer to everyone else who is praying, everyone else who is attending Mass. Unite yourself in prayer with them.”

“Oh? We can do that? How?”

Here are a few prayers to do just that. They are old, come from various sources, are found online anywhere and in old prayer books and missals dating prior to Vatican 2.

My favorite among them, and I say it daily:

Oh My Jesus, I include myself in all the Holy Masses which are being celebrated this day throughout the whole world, and offer them to You in union with the intentions of Your Sacred Heart. I implore You to reserve for me, from each Holy Mass, Your most precious Blood to atone for my sins and their punishment.

Grant me also the grace of obtaining through the merits of every holy sacrifice the release of one poor soul from the pains of purgatory, the conversion of one sinner, and that one soul in the agony of death may obtain mercy, and that one mortal sin, which is so painful to Your Sacred Heart, may be prevented.

Eternal Father, we offer You the Blood, the Passion, and the Death of Jesus Christ in satisfaction for our sins, in aid of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for the needs of Holy Mother Church, and for the conversion of sinners. Amen.

Another:

Lord Jesus, I unite myself to Your perpetual, unceasing, universal Sacrifice. I offer myself to You every day of my life and every moment of every day, according to Your most holy and adorable Will. Since You have been the Victim of my salvation, I wish to be the victim of Your love. Accept my desire, take my offering, and graciously hear my prayer. Let me live for love of You; let me die for love of You; let my last heartbeat be an act of perfect love.

Here’s one more that I say daily:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, the reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month. 

Regarding the latter, I sometimes omit the words “Apostles of Prayer,” and substitute “Knights and Ladies of the Militia of the Immaculata” and “Knights at the Foot of the Cross,” as I am a member of both the Militia of the Immaculata and their sister organization, Knights at the Foot of the Cross. If you are a member of some other Catholic apostolate, such as the Knights of Columbus, the Legion of Mary, or are Third Order Franciscan, Carmelite, etc., maybe use that instead (or along with.)

I’ll have another post later on regarding “Spiritual Communion,” which I’ve blogged about before and also there are numerous online resources for that. It’s getting late and I must shower and get dressed for Mass.

Oh, one other thing: you can also watch Mass online. It’s available streaming live and archived.  I’ll try and post links to online Masses later today, but EWTN and Live Mass are great. The EWTN one is a good, holy, Mass in the Ordinary Form, LiveMass is the Tridentine (Latin Mass) Rite.

Bye! I REALLY HAVE TO GO NOW!!!

 

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!!)

“St. Michael’s Lent” is upon us again

Posted on by

NOTE: This post is reblogged from last year and edited with some additions. Last year’s post was also a ‘reblog’ and edited from the prior version.)

Coming up on August 15th is the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady. It is also the beginning of a Franciscan devotion known as “St. Michael’s Lent.” It is a 40-day period of fasting begun by St. Francis of Assisi in the 1220’s similar in practice to the actual Lenten season. It ends September 29th on the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. It was during one of these fasts in 1224 that St. Francis received the stigmata.

I looked up this observance online, didn’t find much beyond what I stated above (the following is from an informative webpage that I referred a few years ago but is now a broken link.) “‘In the writings of St. Francis, such as the Volterra text (Letter to All the Faithful) which is included in The Rule of the SFO, we are reminded again and again that Franciscans are called to be penitents, to pray and fast. For these reasons this ancient tradition is important to us. St. Michael’s Lent is a period of 40 days, honoring Mary and St. Michael the Archangel. It begins on the Feast of the Assumption and ends on The Feast of the Archangels.

“[H]e wished along with the most faithful Brothers . . . to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (August 15) and then prepare himself by a forty days’ fast for the Feast of St. Michael (September 29). In common with the rest of the people of the Middle Ages, Francis nourished a special devotion to this Archangel, signifer santus Michaelis, the standard-bearer of the Heavenly Host, and the one who with his trumpet was to wake the dead in their graves on the last day . . . .” (St. Francis of Assisi by Jorgensen)’”

(Via Our Lady of the Pearl.) Perhaps the keepers of that site can resurrect that page?

You can just observe a fast of sorts (food or bad habit/character defect, etc.) and whatever other penitential practices you can think of.

Fr. Richard Heilman of the Roman Catholic Man site has posted some very useful devotions that you can use throughout this ‘season.’ Please go here: St. Michael’s Lent Prayers and Devotions

I do believe that it is significant that this period begins and ends when it does. The Solemnity of the Assumption is observed because as Mary was preserved from Original Sin in her conception, she was bodily assumed into Heaven when her mortal period of time on Earth was over, thus preserving her from the corruption of death. St. Michael was the champion and leader of the blessed angels in their battle against Lucifer and his demons in the Fall of the Angels, and in his victory cast Satan out of Heaven. We can gain strength from this observance in our struggles against drinking and drugging, and especially against sins of impurity. Instead of fasting from food, one can “fast” our eyes from images that can trigger lust. It is summertime, and people have the habit of wearing little clothing. Fasting with your eyes means turning your gaze away from provactively dressed people. If you are anxious and stressed about material things and current events (and what isn’t stressful nowadays?) You can perhaps “fast” from anxiety. Turn the news off; avoid news websites for a few days. I vanish from the Internet for several days at a time, or at least from social networks. Easier said than done, but such actions are possible. The world will thrive or suffer just as well with or without your attention! No wonder Satan uses impurity and addictions and fear in his ongoing war against those made in the image and likeness of God.

So, go back and grab your Lenten devotional books and whatever else; read, study and meditate on the Passion narratives in the Gospels, perhaps even try and read the Daily Mass readings from the past Lent (available on the USCCB site, just use the Calendar to navigate back to Lent). If I may, there’s always Sober Catholic’s Lenten post archive Or just use Fr. Heilman’s material I linked to above.

(Just in case anyone counts the number of days from Aug. 15 to Sept. 29, you’ll get “46.” Don’t count the six Sundays that occur and you’ll get the forty. Sundays aren’t considered a part of any Lenten observance.)

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!!)

On Baptism

Posted on by

This is a post I made today on Hozana, in the Matt Talbot Prayer Group:

“Today the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. When we are baptised, whether as infants or as adult converts, we are “born again,” born into the life of grace and we become the adopted sons and daughters of the Father.

We can take this to heart as people suffering from addictions; when we recover, we are “born anew,” ready to recover a life we are meant to lead. If you are a member of this Group,” (or, a reader of this blog) “because someone else in your life is an addict or alcoholic, then you may be a witness to their rebirth.

Everyone of us begins each day anew; each day is another chance to start afresh. Each day we can contemplate our baptism and what it means for us to be children of God. Rather than regard our baptism as something that happened at some point in the past, or was just a nice ceremony welcoming us into the Church, we can look to it for inspiration to resist sin, start anew and grow closer to God. We are His children. That is a profound declaration. Many can spend years meditating on that fact.

Start again! Here is a “Renewal of Baptismal Promises:”

V. Do you reject Satan?

R. I do.

V. And all his works?

R. I do.

V. And all his empty promises?

R. I do.

V. Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?

R. I do.

V. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?

R. I do.

V. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

R. I do.

V. God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever.

R. Amen.

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!!)

DON’T LEAVE JESUS BECAUSE OF JUDAS

Posted on by

This post is difficult but it is a must-write. It is later than other current posts in the Catholic blogosphere on the crisis-scandal in the Church involving Bishops and priests and their evil sexual behavior with minors and seminarians (and probably with each other) going back decades, including cover-ups. Seems like every Catholic with a blog has posted on it. That is no matter. This is a mostly a personal blog, not a news/opinion piece and so I needn’t be “timely.” I won’t expound on the details, you’ve probably heard enough about them from other sources.

What this post as about is on how people will react to the crisis. Namely, “How can I remain a member of the Catholic Church after all of this?”

I won’t deny the difficulty. Although the thought had never crossed my mind about leaving the Church that Jesus Christ Himself founded, I am aware that the faith of many has been shaken,

This bothers me for a number of reasons; for to me, when a person leaves the Catholic Church, it is often because they are unaware of what they are leaving. If you truly understood what the Church is, you would never, ever, consider leaving. No matter what this Pope or that Bishop or those priests have done.

I understand that staying may be hard, especially if you’ve been hurt by the Church (whether by sexual abuse or some other manner.) We are all human and have our limits of pain tolerance. Sometimes you do need to leave something for a while, especially if you were betrayed or hurt in some fundamental way.

But where would you go? Do other churches have what the Catholic Church has: all Seven Sacraments instituted by Christ? Were those churches founded by Him, or by mere humans? How could those churches “feed” you? While Jesus may be “spiritually present” (“whenever 2 or 3 are gathered in My Name, there I am…”), He is not physically present in them, like He is in the Eucharist. Can their ministers absolve you of your sins?

As I said a few paragraphs above, I understand and can appreciate why people might leave. Sometimes we get frustrated beyond a point that can be tolerated. “Don’t the Bishops understand? Don’t they get it?” we scream. And in our hurt and rage and pain we walk.

But to do that means leaving Jesus because of Judas. Jesus Christ is really, truly present in the Catholic Church. His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity is Really Present in the Eucharist; He established the Church when He gave the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter and the power of binding and loosing to him and the other Apostles. And He promised that He will be with Her until the end, adding a guarantee that the “gates of Hell” will “never prevail.”

Another analogy is those disciples of Christ who left Him after the Bread of Life discourse in John 6. His teachings on His Body and Blood were “too hard,” and so they left. Where else would they go? Who else has the words of eternal life?

Same for His Church. Who else was entrusted with safeguarding His teachings as well as those of the Apostles?

All of that sounds nice and wonderful and so on, but it might seem too abstract and academic and not nuts and bolts everyday ‘real.’ Fine. But understand that those in the hierarchy and priesthood who have committed these sins are like Judas the Traitor. Don’t let him determine which church you belong to.

Would you really leave the Catholic Church because of these Judases? What about the other members of the Church, those in the Church Triumphant? They were members also: the Church Fathers and Doctors, other great and holy Saints, the good Popes and so on. Their example is to be outweighed by the Judases?

But, you say, “What about the scandals? The corruption?”

Yes, what about them?

I can be trite and say that no other church is perfect; that all churches have their share of corruption and scandal. The Catholic Church is no different; but here’s the challenging fact: there has never been a time in Her history when the Church hasn’t been riven with some form of scandal or corruption.

“What?” says you. “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

Well, yes, in a way. In a weird sense it’s proof of the Church’s divine origins; for while the Church has had heresies and corruption and scandals and schisms and all other sorts of things afflicting it that would make a mere human organization collapse into a footnote in some history textbook, the Catholic Church is still here. Throw in wars, rebellions, revolutions and plague, while we’re at it! (And oftentimes lousy leadership!) The Catholic Church has survived Her own history, a history that would have destroyed any other organization. The fact that it is divine in Her origins helps make up for Her human composition.

You know, humans, creatures of a Fallen nature, prone to sin and evil.

Like you. Like me.

Those that are in the Church and are guilty of the crimes reported are followers of Judas. They will go to their own reward unless they repent. And speaking of who else dwells in the place of that particular reward, the scandals and corruption seem to me proof that Satan himself knows which Church is the One True Faith, for it would be that very Church which would suffer the most targeted and evil demonic attacks. (More on that in a follow-up post; this won’t be the only piece I write on this.)

Seriously think about it if you have left or are considering leaving. Pray long and hard. In fact, if you can, go and visit the Blessed Sacrament. Many churches have hours of Eucharistic Adoration; if not, go to a church after a Mass and just pray before the Blessed Sacrament reposed in the sanctuary.

See what answers you get. Oh, and can you do that in another church?

To repeat: I get the pain, the rage, and the betrayal. I understand the attractiveness of leaving. But allowing yourself to be influenced by the deeds of a sinful group of men and and having that outweigh the wealth of the Church’s history in the Communion of Saints, Her Sacraments… and the Presence of Jesus… I don’t know. I wouldn’t. Perhaps depart for a while, maybe. But then the temptation to stay away would only grow.

I said in the first sentence that this post is a “must-write.” When you consider that I began Sober Catholic in 2007 in part to help stem the loss of Catholics to other churches due to their exposure to indifferentism in Twelve Step meetings; yeah, I had to write it!

DISCLAIMER: I have never been abused by anyone in the Church. Nor has any parish that I was a member of ever been closed by the Bishop due to priestly shortages and changed demographics. So, you can say it’s easy for me to remain faithful. It is incorrect to state that I haven’t been hurt by the scandals. I see a Church hierarchy “out-of-touch” with the laity. (Perhaps there needs to be more dioceses to reduce the population in each, thereby making the Bishops “closer” to the people. I do not see this happening, at all.) But I do “get it” regarding the attractiveness of leaving. But I beg you to seriously think about it. It is not a light decision; your immortal soul depends upon it.

Comments are closed; attempts to get around that by commenting on other posts will get those comments deleted.

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!!)

Way, Truth, Life

Posted on by

In the Gospel according to St. John (Ch. 14, V. 6), Jesus says “…I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life…”

(Courtesy Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version)

Jesus is our Master, but if we exert our self, as in our self-will and self-love, Jesus ceases being the Way. We are our own “way.” He ceases being the Truth, for we follow our own, or another’s “truth.” And He ceases being the life for us, as we thus embark on the path towards death.

He is “the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” when we abandon our ways, out truths and submit our life to Him.

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!!)

Divine Mercy Sunday: A great day for those who’ve really messed things up

Posted on by

There was a windstorm where I live last Wednesday and we lost power for just over two days. I actually did have some plans for blogging, but with no power, there’s no Internet and so no blogging.

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday and I do hope that you took advantage of the tremendous source of healing, forgiveness and grace that this day brings. I posted before about this day, and perhaps next year I will, God willing, post more in the days leading up to it. It is a tremendous source of healing and consolation, a way to hit the “reset” button on your life, especially if you are disposed to that.

To whet your appetite, the following are two important excerpts on Divine Mercy Sunday from St. Faustina’s Diary, “Divine Mercy in My Soul,” where she wrote down her spiritual experiences during the 1930s when Jesus was communicating with her by interior locutions (the numbers refer to the paragraphs in the Diary where they can be found.)

300 … on this day, tell the whole world of My great mercy; that whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment.

Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.

Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul’s distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy
and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness.
Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness.
My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.

699 … My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that
day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear
to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no
mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.
Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender
mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy
throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of
tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after
Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.

Much of this you can obtain at other times of the year; you can receive a plenary indulgence by going to Confession just before Mass, as well as on other designated days (Holy Days of Obligation.) A plenary indulgence is, according to the website of the Catholic Bishop’s of the United States: “Furthermore, for reception of a plenary indulgence, which grants the remission of all temporal punishment due to sin, in addition to this good work or act of devotion, the Church specifies four conditions: (1) sacramental confession, (2) reception of Holy Communion, (3) prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, and (4) complete detachment from all sin, even venial sin. It must not be thought, however, that such acts of ours are somehow of themselves sufficient to earn the remission of the temporal punishment for sins. Our efforts, themselves the work of God’s grace, express our openness to receive God’s mercy. In the work of our salvation, it is always God’s grace that is primary, with a power that far exceeds all our efforts.”

Courtesy: USCCB

I went to Confession on Sunday, just before the Vigil Mass for Sunday. I usually go twice a month. It does make a difference. For those of you who are fearful of Confession, don’t be! Work your way up, go once, then try again in a few weeks. It gets easier the more you go as you get used to it that way. Trust me, I actually look forward to going.

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!!)

Love your enemies

Posted on by

In this excerpt from the Gospel for the Mass of Saturday of the First Week of Lent (Matthew 5:44) Jesus exhorts us to: “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who persecute and slander you.”

Courtesy: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

Not easy for anyone, especially those of us who are in recovery and have a past littered with problematic relationships.

Jesus is asking us to make amends. Matthew 5 has a number of passages on this; just earlier in this chapter Jesus is warning us to make amends to our ‘brother’ before offering a sacrifice if there is anything between you both.

It is not easy, at all, to “love” those who took issue with our drinking, especially if we gave them reason to hate us for our behavior. Given all of this, it is difficult to come around in our recovery to try and approach them with love. But we try. We love them in our hearts, we do our best to do good to and for them. We pray for them.

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!!)

Renewing your mind

Posted on by

The Evening Prayer for today (Monday, First Week of Lent) has one of my favorite passages from Scripture. I wrote about it once before during a period of the year I call “Second Chance Lent,” and that post also has another passage from Scripture that is perfect for “real” Lent.

From August 31, 2014:

The Second Reading from Today’s Mass of the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time has one of my favorite Scripture passages, and the first one I ever attempted to memorize. To me, it is at the heart of being a person in recovery:

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

In recovery, we are essentially becoming transformed. We live by the principles of our recovery program (be it Twelve Step or something else) and if we are Christian, we seek out what the Church has to offer people struggling with their addictions. And one key thing, and this is something I’ve stressed from time to time: you don’t conform to this age, you do not seek value in the so-called “morals” of the World. They do not offer anything of substance and certainly they do not offer anything good for your salvation.

In this “transformation” and our “renewal” we gain the capacity to discern what is the will of God, “what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

How to discern the Will of God? Reading Sacred Scripture is one way. In the Gospel Reading for today’s Mass, Jesus tells His disciples:

Matthew 16:24-27 “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

Again, “taking up the Cross” is essential to our recovery. We do not seek to run away from our troubles, all of the problems, big or small, that life throws at us daily. That is what we did while drinking. Everyone has troubles, it is a fact of human existence. We now have to tools to effectively deal with them, and perhaps even people around us who can assist us.

But it’s more than that. It’s building a new life in recovery, and becoming a better follower of Jesus Christ! Our lives today are better than when drinking. And even better than before we first picked up a drink due to our “renewal” and “transformation.”

Mass Readings via USCCB.

So, “renewing your mind” is a recovery theme. We drop our old ways of thinking, acting, reacting and feeling and so on, and adopt new ones assisted by God’s grace. “Taking up the cross” is what all Christians are supposed to do, we cannot be followers of Christ unless we willingly embrace the Cross.

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!!)

Gratitude for God’s Generosity

Posted on by

Gratitude is one of the things I need to work on during Lent. I do not show it enough, particularly for the things I have received from God. Ingratitude (or at least insufficient gratitude) for God’s gifts tend to keep Him from giving more.

This excerpt from the Second Reading for today’s Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours is from a Sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen: “Let us show each other God’s generosity”

Recognise to whom you owe the fact that you exist, that you breathe, that you understand, that you are wise, and, above all, that you know God and hope for the kingdom of heaven and the vision of glory, now darkly as in a mirror but then with greater fullness and purity. You have been made a son of God, co-heir with Christ. Where did you get all this, and from whom?

Let me turn to what is of less importance: the visible world around us. What benefactor has enabled you to look out upon the beauty of the sky, the sun in its course, the circle of the moon, the countless number of stars, with the harmony and order that are theirs, like the music of a harp? Who has blessed you with rain, with the art of husbandry, with different kinds of food, with the arts, with houses, with laws, with states, with a life of humanity and culture, with friendship and the easy familiarity of kinship?

Who has given you dominion over animals, those that are tame and those that provide you with food? Who has made you lord and master of everything on earth? In short, who has endowed you with all that makes man superior to all other living creatures?

Is it not God who asks you now in your turn to show yourself generous above all other creatures and for the sake of all other creatures? Because we have received from him so many wonderful gifts, will we not be ashamed to refuse him this one thing only, our generosity? Though he is God and Lord he is not afraid to be known as our Father. Shall we for our part repudiate those who are our kith and kin?

Courtesy: Universalis

We too often forget this, that everything we have comes from the Lord. We lose sight of this in the myriad complexities and sufferings of the day. When things go well, we credit ourselves; when the go bad, we blame or get angry with God.

Look around your life and try to see the good you have. Be thankful.

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!!)

Repent, and believe in the gospel

Posted on by

At the close of yesterday’s Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent, Jesus proclaims: (Mark 1:15)

“For the time has been fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Courtesy: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

Repent means to be sorrowful of your sins and make a change of heart; you were a certain way and now you will change. The Gospel, as you should know, is the “Good News” of Jesus, that He is the “Way, the Truth and the Life,” and no one else is.

Lent is the time when do this, from the penitential practices that we adopt, the devotions we undertake, sacraments we participate in and the overall increased focus on who we are in relation to Jesus.

We use this time to transform ourselves into Christ. The Blessed Virgin Mary was the best at doing this; observing and being with Him all His life, she was His greatest disciple. Grab a Rosary and ask her to lead you to Him.

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!!)