Sober Catholic Books UPDATE!

Recently my wife got me an early birthday present, Publisher Rocket by Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur. It’s a book marketing and research tool that comes highly recommended by pages and pages of Google and DuckDuckGo search results. I’ve only had it a couple of days and I am thinking I should have gotten it years ago. It helps you find a lot of things to aid your self-published books gain traction on Amazon along with a whole bunch of other useful tools for self-publishing. The Kindlepreneur site itself is a goldmine of things every self-publisher needs to know.

I have just used it to discover over a dozen categories in which to place my two books (see the signature that is at the bottom of every post for links to them.) I ust submitted a request to have Amazon place them in those categories. Right now just for the ebooks, I’ll try and add the paperback versions later today. 

That all being said, I’ve been inspired to dust off several of my Sober Catholic Books-in-progress. Although the Stations and Rosary books came out a decade ago, I’ve never given up on the idea of writing more. Things got in the way, including some nasty character defects (complacency and laziness) but I would occasionally piddle with a few ideas. 

Well, I have started work on two, maybe three books. One is on the Ten Commandments and the other is on the Litany of the Sacred Heart. The possible third is a prayer book. Not sure about that one. I have no idea when they will be finished, but I am enthused about self-publishing again. If something were to happen to me and SoberCatholic.com goes offline, then the books should be around as long as Amazon and the other publishers are online. So there’s that motivation. 

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 the basics of the Sacred Heart Devotion

This first “Sacred Heart Friday” post here on Sober Catholic is just a basic introduction. I can assume that if you’re Catholic and especially a sober one, then you pretty much know a lot about the Sacred Heart Devotion. Nevertheless, many people who read this are along different parts of the Road to Happy Destiny and as such may only have heard a little on it. (As a disclaimer: many of the following paragraphs are cobbled from earlier Sober Catholic posts on the topic.)

The Sacred Heart is an old Catholic devotion dating back centuries. Proponents state that it is based on the Gospel account of St. John the Evangelist laying his head on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper. The Devotion started during an apparition of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. It focuses on the human nature of Jesus (the heart long being considered the center or source of human emotion.) As Jesus had become human to redeem us for our sins, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus concerns the Divine Love of God for us, and our response to that is our reparation for our sins. We sin, we repent and we make reparation. The Sacred Heart Devotion is central to the Matt Talbot Way of Sobriety. Matt taught that the key to sobriety is transferring your love for the drink onto Jesus. We ‘gift’ Jesus our addiction; He takes it from us and if we relapse, we are taking back the gift.

The Sacred Heart is Jesus’ intense, sacrificial love for us, and our response to that love by loving Him in return with a love that sets our own hearts and souls aflame; including loving Him on behalf of those who don’t.

Jesus’ love for us is so intense that it supplies what is lacking in our prayers and desires. It ‘fixes our past,’ not by a manner of temporal engineering and changing that past, but by burying our sinful past in His Heart (“Let go, and let God.”) we can find redemption in a tangible manner. The Sacred Heart Devotion, when combined with reception of the Eucharist and visits to the Blessed Sacrament make Jesus feel less like an abstraction and more of a real live entity. No wonder that the Sacred Heart Devotion has been popular amongst those who are more ‘traditional’ and who practice true holy piety (that sense of affectionate respect and love for God and His Church.)

Central to the devotion is the Nine First Fridays. When Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque He had made special promises to those who would assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion for nine consecutive first Fridays of the month. This devotion is based upon one of the twelve promises made by Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary: “I promise thee, in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Communion on the First Friday of every month, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence, and that they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving the Sacraments, and My Heart shall be their secure refuge at that last hour.”

The website, “America Needs Fatima” has a great downloadable PDF flyer to print out: Nine First Fridays. Another site, Most Sacred Heart, has additional material on Adoration, Thanksgiving, Reparation, and Petition; four key elements of the Devotion.

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!!)

Introducing Sacred Heart Fridays

I know I’ll probably screw it up but I intend to write one (and maybe more) posts every Friday in honor of the Sacred Heart. 

I have been thinking about doing this for quite a few years and for a variety of reasons that will not be revealed, feel that 2023 is the year it’ll finally get done.

This project is long overdue. The Sacred Heart devotion is one of the oldest Catholic devotions and is second to that of the Rosary. The Sacred Heart devotion is also near and dear to Sober Catholics (or it should be!)

The posts will be inspired by classic Catholic devotionals on the Sacred Heart, some from my own interior life; some will be just book reviews (so as to introduce to you many classic and contemporary Sacred Heart spiritual readings.)

By the end of 2023, if I live to see its end, the 52+ posts will hopefully bestow upon you a greater devotion to the Sacred Heart than you already 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!!)

16th Bloggaversary of Sober Catholic: How I stayed sober for almost 21 years

Today marks the 16th Bloggaversary of Sober Catholic. In honor of that, I’ve edited and cleaned up a messy note I wrote who-knows-when on “The Sober Catholic Way.” It is a summary of everything I’ve been doing since I became sober on May 22, 2002. Some I do better than others. 

This was originally a long, 2,000ish word post. There was the summary you see in the next paragraph followed by a longer version that fleshed out the details. But then I decided this morning during a feeling-sorry-for-myself pity party that the longer version is itself a summary of an even much longer version that’s been lurking in my head for 15 or so years. That being a book on the topic of “The Sober Catholic Way of Sobriety.” Or something like that. I shall begin working on that right away. I do not know when it will be finished.

The summary of the ‘Sober Catholic Method’ or ‘Way’ or ‘whatver’ is:

Wow, that’s a long list, Paulcoholic? Isn’t a Twelve-Step program simpler? Yeah, maybe. But doing the above has kept this sick puppy sober for over 20 years and I knew that AA couldn’t. Some people demand happiness in this life and they find it often by avoiding suffering all costs and more and more turn to things which can only be called ‘addictions.’ Whether it is the typical alcohol or drugs, or an inordinate attraction to the self, or to the Internet and social media, or  to fandoms (pop culture things like TV franchises, movies, comics or other entertainment stuff.) Someone may not be an alcoholic or a drug addict, but I betcha they’re ‘addicted’ to something. You need a lot of tools to crowd all that stuff out or at least keeping them in their proper perspective is an attribute of the Sober Catholic Method. Or Way. Or whatever… 😉 So this all could be a wholistic approach to dealing with life in general and addictions in particular.

There are probably books or devotions that should be on there, but this my list. Yours may be slightly different. Anyone who takes a look at the list will arrive at the conclusion that it is simply a decent Catholic lifestyle. We are all supposed to go to Mass, Confession, and live the Gospel life which is learned by studying the Bible, Catechism, lives of the Saints and their teachings along with a few particular devotions to assist us on our way – to help us ‘stay on the beam.’ So be it. What makes it a ‘Sober Catholic Way?’ Life hasn’t been perfect for me nor am I a serene, happy saint-to-be. Life sucks at times, and I am often cranky and melancholic. But God never promises happiness and peace in this life. Only in the life to come. This should help me get there.

If you’ve appreciated this blog as well as this post, you can PayPalMe a non-tax deductible donation (my real name is Paul Sofranko, like the destination link says.) I will greatly appreciate every donation. (I do have plans for the money; plans to buy software which will help out in the production and marketing of self-published books. I figure that if I can raise sufficient funds through the kindness of strangers, then I’ll feel responsible and actually start working on the planned books. More on that later. )

 Or, you can just buy a lot of my books I’ve already done:

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. Stephen and St. Paul: united in Heaven

I’ve always loved this passage from the Second Reading of the Divine Office for the Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr:

From a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop:

Now at last, Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he delights in the glory of Christ, with Stephen he exalts, with Stephen he reigns. Stephen went first, slain by the stones thrown by Paul, but Paul followed after, helped by the prayer of Stephen. This, surely, is the true life, my brothers, a life in which Paul feels no shame because of Stephen’s death, and Stephen delights in Paul’s companionship, for love fills them both with joy. It was Stephen’s love that prevailed over the cruelty of the mob, and it was Paul’s love that covered the multitude of his sins; it was love that won for both of them the kingdom of heaven.

It is probably my second favorite reading, right behind the one from Holy Saturday (‘Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.”)

I particularly enjoy the one from today’s Office because it convincingly states one aspect of Heaven: enemies forget their animosity or hostility and are united in fraternal love. Now, St. Stephen didn’t hate St. Paul while the two were living; there’s no record they ever actually met. Even if they did, Paul (then named Saul) was just one of the good number of Pharisees who opposed and tried to silence Stephen. But the lesson is there: Paul hated Stephen and this contributed to Stephen’s death. But now they are joined in Heaven. What caused their differences on Earth now unites them in Heaven.

Something that provides a great comfort for all of us down here. Given our past alcoholic and addictive behavior, we have compiled quite a list of people who hold us in less than high regard. It is comforting to know that if we all make it to Heaven, all of that Earthy stuff is gone. Our actions are understood and forgiven, and nothing is left but love. 

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!!)

You miss it more when you’re deprived of it

I live in western New York State, near Lake Erie. We’ve been getting pummeled with a literal blizzard: high winds, snow, frigid temps. There are travel bans all over and as a result we were not able to get to the Vigil Mass for Christmas today. Chances are bleak for getting to any Mass on Christmas Day. Friday night I could not get to my Holy Hours.

You miss things more when you’re deprived of 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!!)

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When is something a ‘signal grace’ and when is it just an odd occurrence?

When is something a ‘signal grace’ and when is it just an odd occurrence?

“A ‘signal grace’ is a free gift from God (grace) that is extraordinary in nature and evident in some manner (signal). It may be a visible sign or deep interior feeling that a prayer has been answered or a direction you’ve been seeking has been given. Another name for signal grace is “God-incidence,” a play on “coincidence” as with God there are none, because God actually works in that mysterious intersection where seemingly unrelated events in space and time meet up.” I wrote that in this post on St. Rita of Cascia.

There are times when we may confuse some random coincidence with ‘a free gift from God (grace) that is extraordinary in nature and evident in some manner.’

I suppose then the following is not a signal grace since I wasn’t hit with any extraordinary feeling like in the St. Rita post. 

At Mass this evening I saw a young lady get up for Holy Communion. Her hair was dyed all sorts of colors, like a rainbow. Why would that be a signal grace? She immediately reminded me of a character who appears in one unpublished short story I’ve written, and in a number of unfinished drafts. Her hair is tie-dyed many colors, like the lady in church. I connected this to possibly being a signal grace because once again, I am going through a bad period in my life wracked with self-doubt and esteem issues (I’ll be out of a job at the end of the month. Yes, in the middle of the holidays. My boss is a…. Oh, never mind.) I figured the appearance in real life (at Mass, no less) of a woman who bears a striking similarity to a fictional character I’ve created is some sort of gentle reminder from God that ‘all will be OK’ and I’ll get through this. Why He would pick a real-life rendition of one of my fictional characters is a mystery, but He has His reasons. Possibly because when I am working on my fiction, that is the only time when I feel ‘all right.’ 

Then again, I suppose that it could have been a signal grace, just of the low-wattage variety as there may be concerns surrounding an extraordinary feeling involving my spotting another woman! 

The fact that I am fond of this character (yes, writers can be fond of the fictional characters they create) and she’s appearing in a few stories of mine and I’ve populated her backstory with some autobiographical events in my life, may in God’s eyes indicate that she’d be ‘extraordinary’ enough to serve as a signal grace. 

Hmmm. I am going to have to think about this.

Incidentally, the character in question’s name is “Russia.” Nothing whatsoever to do with current events; I conceived the character in 2014 and she’s been moving about my subconscious ever since. In her backstory, she was named ‘Russia’ by Ginger, her mother. You see, Ginger got pregnant in 1968 by some guy and she was returning home to get an illegal abortion. She was in a Greyhound Bus Depot in St. Louis and was waiting for her bus for the trip home. While waiting, she spotted a discarded book on Fatima on the seat next to her. Now, Ginger was irreligious and a Communist. You’d think I’d have said ‘atheist,’ but that would be too complicated for Ginger. She just had no opinion on God’s existence and any atheism was a disbelief of convenience intended to satisfy her Marxist friends. She was a Communist simply because guys with fists upraised in righteous anger were sexy to her and their rhetoric was fascinating, when she grasped it. The funny thing is, the guy who knocked her up wasn’t a Communist. On the borderlands, but not on the inside. Another funny thing about him is that while he obviously is an antagonist in the story, (appearing only in a flashback) he’s a protagonist in many later unfinished drafts of stories. Anyway, getting this odd post back on track, while perusing the book on Fatima, she was amused that the Fatima seers mistook ‘Russia’ as a name for a woman. They were so ignorant that they never heard of the country. Later, she decides to name the unborn child ‘Russia’ as a sort of concession to her new-found faith (the whole experience gets her started on converting to Catholicism) and an odd tribute to her Marxist past. (In case this story ever does get published, I didn’t spoil the ending; I think it is obvious to anyone reading the story that she’ll decide against having the abortion. The fun of the story is the path she took to get there.)

I submitted the story to the one Catholic outlet that I know exists for fiction.  They rejected it. I didn’t bother submitting it elsewhere; it’s too Catholic for any other fiction publisher. It may get self-published in some manner.

I’m currently taking forever in writing a novel in which Russia appears. She’s now 26 (the novel is set in 1995). She had dropped out of high school at 16 and has mostly lived an itinerant life; dwelling with her Mom’s ex-hippy friends or renting rooms in houses and doing odd jobs. She appears in my story on the run from a disastrous family situation (Ginger is dying and Russia’s bitchy older sister is making her life a living hell over things.) She winds up staying in the eccentric little beach town getting a job as a folk singer in a lakefront dive and shortly thereafter an intriguing job in a thrift shop. It gets complicated after that. 

Russia, her mother Ginger, the guy who impregnated Ginger, other characters I haven’t mentioned and the places they live are all a part of a series of novels and shorter works attempting to work out the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. Each story has something to do with one or more of them. I really need to dedicate more time to these. 

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!!)

Testing the new MarsEdit 5 microposting feature

Just a quick post to test a new feature of my favorite blog editor, MarsEdit (from https://redsweater.com). It’s a ‘micropost,’ short, quick posts like microblogging posts (Twitter, Mastodon, etc.)

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!!)

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St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena, Nov 30-Dec 24

Reblogged from last year, slightly edited: The St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena begins November 30th. It is piously believed that if you say this prayer fifteen times a day from November 30th (The Feast Day of St. Andrew, the Apostle) until December 24th, you will obtain what you prayed for. I think that the usual conditions apply: that it be in accordance with God’s will, that it not be detrimental to your salvation, and if it requires some effort on your part, that you do that (i.e. job hunting, finding a spouse, etc.) It is believed to have originated in Ireland in the late 19th Century.

You might think that fifteen times a day is difficult. I break it up: fives times with my Morning Prayers, five times with my Evening Prayers, and perhaps five times during the 3 PM Hour of Mercy or at bedtime. Another schedule is 5 times at breakfast, 5 times at lunch, 5 times at dinnertime.

Here it is:

St. Andrew Christmas Novena
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

[Pray this prayer 15 times daily from November 30-December 24 for your special intention]

I just remembered that I blogged about it last year.

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!!)

Random thoughts on Advent

Today begins Advent, that season on the Church’s liturgical calendar in which we prepare for Christmas. It is more than that. This isn’t just some kind of nice symbolic commemoration of Our Savior’s birth 2,000 years ago. If you pay attention to the Mass readings for the past month, and especially if you pray the 4 volume Liturgy of the Hours, the Church is also preparing us for His Second Coming. The readings are quite a foray into apocalyptic and eschatological prophecy.

Just something to think about. Advent takes on a kind of Lenten self-denial. Just like your are supposed to confess your sins before receiving Holy Communion (especially if you have mortal sins, but also, I think, if you have numerous venial ones) so as to properly receive Our Lord, we are to cleanse ourselves of ‘stuff’ during Advent.

All of the readings from the LOTH and Mass over these past few weeks kind of raised my consciousness from this being merely a seasonal observance to giving serious thought to them being actual warnings. The secular world is ill-prepared for any Divine Chastisement and such like; but we can individually undertake ‘spiritual preparedness.’ 

Advent calls us to get our houses in order. He is coming. Yes, it may be just that Christmas is a month away; but, the way things are going… it never hurts to ramp up your spiritual reading, prayer life and all that. 

Go to Confession. Maybe even every week during 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!!)