Love your enemies

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!!)

Deeds, Words, Prayer

In “Divine Mercy in My Soul,” the spiritual diary of St. Faustina Kowalska (for info read this: St. Faustina and Divine Mercy) Jesus communicates to St. Faustina something important about mercy:

“I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first – by deed, the second – by word, the third – by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.” (Diary paragraph 742)

This is a possible Lenten practice. Obviously, not just for Lent, but keep in mind that the best Lents are those that transform us into Jesus and thus what we become at the end of the season we should try and maintain afterwards. And thus, practicing these “three ways of mercy” during Lent will assist you in venerating His mercy and helping you become more merciful.

Given these increasingly trying times, mercy is certainly needed more than ever. Consider what Jesus told St. Faustina: “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My Mercy.” (Diary paragraph 300)

So, the first way is “deeds of mercy.” There are the 14 Works of Mercy identified by the Church:

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

There is also this, from St. Faustina’s Diary, paragraph 163:

“O Lord. I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue.

Help me, O Lord, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, O Lord, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor.”

Study that prayer and see how you can apply it everyday. I try. It’s not easy.

The second way is “words of mercy.” Be mindful of your speech. Be kind in your discourse with other people. Stop gossiping. Let rumors die with you. Stop being harsh; especially on the Internet, whether in Facebook debates and Twitter wars, knock off the crap. It’s not as if you’re going to actually change someone’s mind, anyway. At least not if you’re using vitriol.

Lastly, “prayers of mercy.” Pray for others. Start praying DAILY the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Get 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!!)

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

I knew I wrote something before about today’s feast, the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle. I searched and found it, from very early in Sober Catholic’s history. I can’t do any better today, it said all that I wanted to, and more! So, here’s a blast from the past, a sober oldie from February, 22, 2007:

“We are not celebrating a chair, so to speak, but rather the authority of the Pope, who derives his authority to teach and lead the Catholic Church by virtue of being the legitimate successor to St. Peter, the first Pope.

Jesus established His Church on Earth, and appointed St. Peter to lead it in His stead. This is why the Pope holds the title “Vicar of Christ”, he is the visible head of Christ’s Church on Earth, and teaches with the same authority. This is shown in today’s Gospel reading:

Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

St. Peter was the only Apostle to answer Jesus’ question correctly, and Jesus revealed that it was not through his own ability that he answered, but only through the revelation of God the Father. This is a basis for the Catholic Doctrine of Papal Infallibility, that the Pope is protected from teaching moral and doctrinal error by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is not protected from behaving immorally, as history has shown there to have been “bad popes”, but only when he exercises his authority as the successor to St. Peter in teaching matters of Faith and Morals. He cannot pick the winners of the World Series, the Super Bowl or the World Cup, or mandate that involvement in a war somewhere is wrong. Only in his role as leader and teacher of the fullness of Gospel and Apostolic Truth is he infallible.

This makes sense. You would think that Jesus’ Church would have a leader who has a guarantee of certitude in teaching. Otherwise he’s just a human, subject to human frailties and weakness. He is just a human, and subject to those flaws, but excluded are the areas I already referred to.

This is because Jesus knew that we would be easily led astray but all manner of strange teachings, as shown by all the Protestant and Evangelical denominations that all claim authority, but contradict each other, and often teach things in contradiction to Sacred Scripture. They have no singular authority with the guarantee that was conferred upon Peter and his successors.

This certitude is what attracted me to the idea of the primacy of the Catholic Church in my sobriety. AA was wonderful in helping me to establish my sobriety, but the vagueness and shallowness of its spirituality leaves it open to many personal interpretations and too many risks for falling for anything that sounds good. While this may be fine in some areas, when my immortal soul is at risk, I need a little definition.

In its 2,000 years of history, the Catholic Church has never changed its teachings on Faith and Morals to be fundamentally different than what they were. Her teachings have become more developed as the Gospel and Apostolic writings have become better understood, but the core remains the same.

This, to me, strongly implies that the Church has the guarantee of protection by the Holy Spirit. No mere human institution could have survived the Catholic Church’s turbulent history. It is a creation of God, and therefore as with all things that are of God, endures despite itself.

We, as Catholics, therefore need not have worries or questions about the why’s and what’s of Reality. The answers to everything are all in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition (the body of teachings of the Church from the Apostles and their successors, rooted in and derived from Scripture, and which illuminates it as well.) All other belief systems have some elements of truth, just not the fullness of God’s Truth. The human elements shift and change with passing human fancy.

Not a bad deal to safeguard your sobriety? This is the first of probably many (and occasional) postings on “Why the Church?” as a vehicle for sobriety I mentioned I would write, sometime before.

You want to weather adversity, and the storms that ordinary life tosses at you, no better refuge that the Rock: Peter, his successors and the fundamental certitude of their teachings, solidly rooted in Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.”

 

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!!)

I sought the Lord and he answered me

An excerpt from the Responsorial Psalm for the Mass for Tuesday of the First Week of Lent:

(Psalm 34:5) I sought the Lord, and he heeded me, and he carried me away from all my tribulations.

Courtesy Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

Seek the Lord and you will find Him. Perhaps not in the manner that you’d expect or the way you hoped. He will respond in the way best suited for your salvation.

This passage from the Psalms carries with it much hope for the alcoholic and addict still suffering, or for anyone having difficulties accepting the Cross of their recovery. (We all may learn we have our own Simon of Cyrene in our lives. We have to hope that we can recognize him or her.)

We have to keep in mind that God’s response to our prayers is in His time and not ours. We may have to endure in our tribulations; but this just means in the end we will emerge stronger and more secure in our partnership with God and our reliance on Divine Providence is bearing fruit.

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!!)

Porn addiction links updated

Although I blog almost exclusively on alcoholism, with occasional references to other addictions, I do know that porn addiction is rampant and more prevalent than alcoholism. I first discovered this in 2007 when I was researching online Catholic resources for addiction; I found scores of sites and resources for lust, much more than for drinking.

For that reason I developed a section of links in the sidebar for “Porn Addiction Links.” I just added a few.

Not all of these are Catholic, some require a fee for membership. So proceed at your discernment.

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

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

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

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!!)

He left everything and followed him

In this excerpt from the Gospel for today’s Mass for the Saturday after Ash Wednesday we read in Luke 5:27-28 And after these things, he went out, and he saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the customs office. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving behind everything, rising up, he followed him.

Courtesy: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

Just like that, Levi heard Jesus’ summons and followed Him. Granted, tax collectors’ were hated by the native population given that they worked for the occupying power, but to just up and leave was something. Perhaps Levi felt guilty working for the enemy and getting rich in the process. We learn in he next verse, Luke 5:28: And Levi made a great feast for him in his own house. And there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others, who were sitting at table with them. This implies that he was wealthy. Either tax collectors were paid well or or they scammed the natives. Or both. Anyway, Levi, (a/k/a Matthew, the writer of the first Gospel) found sufficient reason to leave then and there.

Was he inspired? Did Levi “sense” something in Jesus? Something that indicated that His was a better way than the life of greed and avarice Levi was leading? Was money Levi’s god, his idol?

We may never know, except after our completion of the journey and arrival in Heaven. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful thing to meditate on… was Jesus’ presence a healing one, or of such an inspiration that would cause someone to just quit their job and follow Him? Did He seem that different from others?

Many people wonder if they would have the courage to do that if they lived in His times and were summoned by Him. “Of course I would, because, He’s JESUS!!!

Well, you don’t have to quit your job today to follow 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!!)

A heart contrite and humbled you will not spurn

Continuing on with the “heart” theme with the Daily Mass Readings, this excerpt from the Responsorial Psalm for today’s Mass for the Friday after Ash Wednesday is “A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.” (Psalm 51:19)

Courtesy Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

This is a wonderful testimony, and offers hope to all of us who have stumbled along the way. Contrition is all we need and God will receive us with open arms. (Reminds you of Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son, eh?)

Lent is a fantastic time to develop a relationship with a confessional. Examine your conscience and go to Confession this Lent! (Several times; trust me, the more you go, the less scary it is!)

In looking over old posts about this passage, I discovered a few. Rather than link to each one, I’ll just refer you to my archive of every Psalm 51 post: Psalm 51 posts

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!!)