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 She immediately reminded me of a character who appears in one unpublished short story I’ve written, and in a number of unfinished drafts.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!!)

St. Martin of Tours: Patron St. of Reformed Alcoholics

Today is November 11, the Feast of St. Martin of Tours. His hagiography his readily available online (just look him up) but one thing that intrigued me about him is one particular aspect of it. He is frequently referred to as a “Patron St. of Reformed Alcoholics.” 

I have no idea why, except for references to November 11th being a German holiday involving ‘winecorking,’ which centuries ago involved much drinking and carousing and so on, before beginning a 40 day fast (“St. Martin’s Fast,” or “St. Martin’s Lent.” This gradually evolved to become “Advent.”)

OK, so today is like a Carnival (Shrove Tuesday, or the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of traditional Lent in February or March) and people celebrated like crazies and did all sorts of naughty things before settling down to a rigorous, penitential fast to atone for that. I still have no clue as to what this has to do with ‘reformed alcoholics,’ unless the proto-Advent inspired people to reconsider their abuse of alcohol. 

If anyone has any substantive sources with citations, please post them in the comments, or email me. (I’ll edit and update this post as needed.

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!!)

Visits to a Cemetery in November Devotion

This is an annual post on a fruitful pious devotion for November:

Catholic Culture has an excellent article regarding a very beneficial pious activity that can aid in your own spiritual progression. It also is a good reminder of where we’ll end up someday. (A grave. Morbid, true, but you wouldn’t be here unless you’re more aware than most people that you will die someday.)

Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November is something I blog about here annually. It is about the act of visiting a cemetery during the first 8 days of November.

To summarize from the “Catholic Culture” site:Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls: A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery each day between November 1 and November 8. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence, again applicable only the Souls in Purgatory, is also granted when the faithful piously visit a church or a public oratory on November 2. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, that one Our Father and the Creed be recited. A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained when the Eternal Rest  is prayed. This is a good prayer to recite especially during the month of November:  ‘Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.'”

The article explains the differences between plenary and partial indulgences.

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!!)

AA’s “Big Book, 5th Edition is going to be a thing, I guess

I received an email today from someone who thought I’d be interested in this bit of news: Welcome to the Big Book Fifth Edition story submission page! | Alcoholics Anonymous.

I was! Apparently some of my wondering in this post: Hypothetical 5th Edition of the Big Book to have major changes? is coming true. There will be an update to AA’s basic text this decade. However, all the worrying by some people that the ‘First 164 pages’ (i.e. the classic program of recovery spelled out by AA co-founder Bill W.) will be changed has come to naught. According to this quote:

In that spirit, the 2021 General Service Conference recommended that “a Fifth Edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, be developed, including an update of stories to better reflect the current membership, keeping in mind the 1995 Advisory Action:

“The first 164 pages of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Preface, the Forewords, ‘The Doctor’s Opinion’, ‘Dr. Bob’s Nightmare”, and the Appendices remain as is.”

Source (a pdf file you can download): STORY SOLICITATION.

So, it seems that they’re going to leave the classic program of recovery untouched. Oh, well. Hopefully the archaic language and century-old thinking on alcoholism doesn’t spell doom for AA. Perhaps they are quietly ‘thinking ahead’ and anticipating a 6th Edition in 2039 (the centennial anniversary of the 1st Edition of the Big Book) and will update the First 164 then. I just hope it won’t be too late after people have abandoned AA for other, more relevant recovery programs that adapt as time moves forward. I can see it now: a majority of AA Home Groups are dominated by people with decades of sobriety and they’re all at least 50 years old and wondering where the young ex-drunks are. 

One personal note: this news originally came out several months ago. The deadline for submitting stories is 31 Oct 2022. One week away! I guess I’m not ‘tuned into’ AA news like I thought. I am sufficiently active on In the Rooms to have heard it there, assuming they would mention such a thing. No matter. I won’t be submitting any story; I doubt they’d accept a story from someone who’s program of recovery is Holy Mass, the other Sacraments, spiritual reading, the Matt Talbot Way, and online recovery (and who last attended a F2F AA meeting in early 2014.) I do hope there’s 1 or 2 (or even 3!) personal stories that focus on online recovery! If they update the Personal Stories section of the Big Book to reflect the current membership, then online recovery has to be represented. Especially as it was critically important to many during the COVID lockdowns!

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!!)

John Paul II, I love you

Today is the feast day of Pope St. John Paul II. He acceded to the throne of St. Peter on this day in 1978; I was 15 years old. He died on April 2, 2005; I was 42. A lot happened to me in between those ages. I would have loved to have lived a different life in which Pope John Paul II was a constant fixture in it, but that was not to be. I left the Church in 1987 and returned in 2002, so I missed 15 years of his papacy.

The fact that his writings remain and I have almost all of them is a consolation. (Now to do the reading of them!)

I never met Pope John Paul II. However, I do have an odd personal connection to him. I may have written about this before but a quick search did not find it. When he was dying I was a part of the vast global audience watching the vigil in St. Peter’s Square. It was a Saturday afternoon and I also wanted to go to Confession. I left for it and figured the vigil would still be going on. But no, when I returned home after Confession and a few errands I learned that he had died right after I left. I found out the exact time he died and in my head backtracked my travels that afternoon and guesstimated the time spent at each and came to the really interesting conclusion that John Paul had died when I was in the Confessional, give or take 2-3 minutes before or after.

I like to think that he was facing his Particular Judgement at the same time I was getting absolution.

So, while I admire all of those people who had a personal audience with him, or who saw him being driven past them in his Popemobile during one of his many travels around Earth, I think I got one on you. He was meeting Jesus at the same time Jesus was absolving me of my sins (through the priest.) I don’t recall what my penance was, but I assume Jesus just ushered JP2 right on through. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into the Kingdom prepared for you since the beginning. Mom is right over there holding the Gates open for you.” And behind Jesus by the Gates is the Blessed Virgin Mary with a smile waving her arm at John Paul II to get him inside.

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!!)

Today is the 105th Anniversary of the founding of the Militia of the Immaculata

NOTE: Edited from an earlier post. 

Today marks the 105th Anniversary of the founding of the Militia of the Immaculata, an evangelization apostolate of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Established on the evening of October 16, 1917 at the Conventual Franciscan’s College in Rome by St. Maximilian and six of his fellow students, its goal is to “win the whole world for Christ through the Immaculata, Mother of God and of the Church.”

The original aim of the MI was “To pursue the conversion to God of all people, be they sinners, or non-Catholics, or unbelievers, in particular the freemasons; and that all become saints, under the patronage and through the mediation of the Immaculate Virgin.

Kolbe was inspired to “do something” after a violent anti-Catholic demonstration by the Freemasons on Rome in early 1917, hence the original reference to the freemasons.

It has since spread throughout the world. One joins after a period of prayer and meditation on the charism of the MI. You then consecrate yourself to the Blessed Mother under the formula devised by St. Maximilian. His method is similar to the consecration of St. Louis DeMontfort; it differs only in that it includes an external evangelical dimension. One typically selects a feast day associated with the Blessed Mother in order to join with however many others are consecrating themselves, and as a way of honoring Mary. The Act of Consecration is as follows:

“O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.

If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and, “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the world.” Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter, you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin.

R. Give me strength against your enemies.”

The Daily Renewal of Total Consecration is:

“Immaculata, Queen and Mother of the Church, I renew
my consecration to you this day and for always, so that you
may use me for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus in
the whole world. To this end I offer you all my prayers,
actions and sacrifices of this day.”

I have been a member of the MI since 2002; I recently celebrated my 20th anniversary of consecration to Mary this past October 7th, having selected the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary as my day to enroll.

Although the Militia of the Immaculata is not a recovery organization by any means, I do credit my consecration with keeping myself sober when AA was insufficient. I have always said here on “Sober Catholic” that my Catholic Faith has been primarily responsible for my sobriety, with AA and the Twelve Steps providing the focus for drinking-specific issues and root causes. But for spirituality and the growth and depth of my maturing relationship with my “Higher Power” (Jesus), the enduring basis for sobriety, I credit the Faith. And although I may not have realized it at the time, my consecration to the Blessed Mother quite possibly gave me the strength to deal with things that AA couldn’t. Putting yourself in the hands of Mary for her to use by whatever means she wishes to bring about a “Civilization of Love,” you’re pretty much guaranteed of a solid sobriety. Not that I haven’t on occasion “felt thirsty,” but the feeling withers quickly. The fact that as you develop your relationship with Mary and she leads you closer and closer to Jesus; this has a cumulative effect on your sobriety and recovery. Mary leads you to the Divine Physician. I have read quite a lot of Mariology in the tradition of ‘total consecration,’ especially Kolbean. And the more I read that, the more I am convinced that if you want to stay sober, consecrate yourself to Mary through the Militia of the Immaculate.  Note: I may develop those italicized lines into a series of posts since I think it is worth exploring.

I do think that “Sober Catholic” is a direct result of inspiration from Mary. This is all subjective, of course. But that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

Quotes and other information courtesy of Militia of the Immaculata in the USA. When you visit that site, you’ll discover plenty of information on the history and founding of the MI, including how to enroll and the preparation needed, as well as material on the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe.

If you’re not in the USA, go here: MI International and you can locate information for your country.

I have also blogged about St. Maximilian Kolbe numerous times: St. Maximilian Kolbe post archives on Sober Catholic.

I administer an Unofficial M.I. Group on Facebook.

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!!)