Monthly Archives: January 2012

Lent and a gift opportunity

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Lent will be here in just over one month (Ash Wednesday is February 22nd, I think) and although it is not normally associated as a season of giving gifts, there is a gift that might be of interest to a person in recovery in your life (or yourself).

As many know, I published a little devotional booklet entitled “The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics”, it is available online for a $2.99 download through Smashwords.com.

Here is the direct link:

Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics

Thank you in advance! I appreciate every reader.

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!!)

Free Workshop on Drug and Alcohol Addictions

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From a Press Release:

A free one-day Drug and Alcohol Addictions Workshop will be held on Thursday, January 19, in Fort Myers, Florida. Sponsored by the National Catholic Council on Addictions (NCCA), the workshop—which will be held in the Citrena Room at the DiamondHead Beach Resort—will run from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., with complimentary lunch provided.

The workshop, intended for the Catholic Diocese of Venice and surrounding dioceses, will focus on the medical aspects of addiction, the role of the family, and Catholic devotions as a useful tool in recovery. In addition, attendees will learn how to establish a parish-based substance abuse addiction ministry.

Faculty for this free workshop include Jeff Henrich, LADC, Guest House’s Director of Men’s Services; Ron Keller, Guest House’s Director of Outreach; Terry Sullivan, Outreach Representative; and Erik Vagenius, Director of Substance Abuse Ministry for the Diocese of Palm Beach.

The National Catholic Council on Addictions works to educate members of the Catholic Church about alcoholism and other addiction problems. NCCA provides spirituality support resources including a prayer booklet “Prayer for Addicted Persons and Their Loved Ones”, Serenity Prayer bookmarks and pocket calendars, and other educational and support resources for Catholic parishes.

To register or for more information, contact the NCCA’s Marketing Director, Louise Westcott, at 800-626-6910 Ext. 1200, or email ncca@guesthouse.org.

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!!)

Just one more

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Today’s meditation in “Walk in Dry Places” by Hazelden mentions the diminishing returns of having “just one more drink.” As if having “one more” could bring the comfort and solace that is missing, it merely hastens our descent into deeper addiction. It is a false promise, an illusory note that we can be satisfied by a physical thing or act for what is essentially a spiritual problem.

As Catholics, we have access to a wealth of spiritual aids that we can dive into, and fill our soul. Mass and the Sacraments, but also devotional practices such as the Rosary. The Rosary, when said slowly and prayerfully, meditation on the Scripture-based Mysteries, can do wonders for filling that “hole in the soul”, which never seems to be satisfied by just another drink.

Reading Sacred Scripture is the ultimate devotional tool at our disposal. Reading the Word of God and dwelling upon the words and meanings is excellent for that satisfying spiritual hunger.

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!!)

Recovery Daily Meditations

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For 2012 I started re-reading some 12 Step daily devotionals, namely AA’s “Daily Reflections” and Hazelden’s “Walk in Dry Places”. The latter is designed mainly for people with more than a year or two of sobriety. The former is excellent for the newly recovering, or anyone who wants a “refresher.”

Although not a recovery book, per se, I also started again (not sure if I’ll continue) “Daily Affirmations for Forgiving and Moving On.” by Tian Dayton, Ph. D. It is basically about what the title suggests, getting over resentments and hurts. Whether you have hurt others or not is beside the point, chances are that if you are recovering from alcoholism and other addictions, you have been whacked upside the head by other people’s actions towards you. Real or imagined, we all have been deeply hurt by others. It is a good daily read to help get over hurts. It would seem to me that in doing so, one could also address the hurts YOU have caused.

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!!)