Category Archives: Advent

Turn the Page

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Today is the end of the Church year. Sunset marks the Vigil of the First Sunday of Advent; that liturgical season when we prepare for the Coming of Christ. We remember His first Coming, the time of His Incarnation as a humble, innocent little babe, dependent on human parents and raised like any other child (with probable exceptions in His case, given His divinity and the sinlessness of His Holy Mother.)

We use the preparation of His first Coming to remind us that He will come again. (This is quite plain to anyone who prayed the Liturgy if the Hours these past few weeks.)

This post has the title “Turn the Page,” a common thought when the calendar turns to a new year, whether it be the liturgical one or secular.

It us a reminder that life progresses. What is around “today” may not be so “tomorrow.” Life changes, we change and adapt to it as a matter of course. We should always be mindful of this and our ultimate end.

As alcoholics and addicts there us much about our past we wish had never happened. Knowing that we cannot go back in time to correct it, we use the experiences to plot our course into the future. If we have been hurt, we try to not grow callouses on our souls and become hardened to others. This is often difficult as we fear being hurt again by others. Nevertheless, we keep before us our sins and weaknesses and remember that others aee suffeting too.

We trudge each day down rhe road to our destiny. Some days are better than others. We fall, er pick ourselves up. Relying on God’s graces, we continue on. We keep turning the pages of our calendars, each day new, each day a new chance.

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!!)

Ember Days for Advent

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Last September I mentioned the traditional liturgical practice of Ember Days. This week marks the series of days for Advent. They fall today, December 19th and this Friday and Saturday, December 21st and 22nd.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent:
“Ember days (corruption from Lat. Quatuor Tempora, four times) are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross). The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.”

That they fall immediately before the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord (a/k/a “Christmas”) is no coincidence. We can use the Ember Days practice of prayer, fasting and abstinence to put the finishing touches on our Advent preparations for Jesus’ Coming.

Use this “mini Lent” to clear out the cruft in your life, to help develop your interior life to better listen to the “still, small voice” of God speaking to you from within. As I said in that September post, any Lenten practice you use for fasting and abstinence will work. Fasting in this instance need not be from food, but could be from behaviour. Fast from profanity, from TV watching, Internet use (well, after you read this post 😉 ) or something else that may get in the way.

May God bless you and keep you safe from harm and may Christmas this year (and all years) be a time of focusing more on Jesus and less on commercialism and materialism. He did not Incarnate so that we can buy stuff.

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!!)

Advent is upon us!

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As I’ve been doing for nearly eleven years, I’m about to remind you of the beginning of another season on the Church’s liturgical calendar. Although you are probably aware of Advent starting tomorrow night, my doing so is like a little exhortation to not just think of it as another page on the calendar or noticing differently colored priestly vestments or a new missal; no, it’s to help drive home the awesome wonderfulness of the liturgical calendar.

We pray and worship with the seasons and each one benefits us in a different way all the while drawing us closer to Jesus.

To me, it also helps the years pass by more quickly and aids in coping.

Advent is here, and with it we await Jesus’ first coming among us as a helpless babe. Teaching us humility, that the Second Person of the Trinity had the audacity to come to us in that manner rather than in some mighty and magnificent way (like one would expect), God drives home a difficult message and becomes humble. Humility is a trait not quite respected in most “advanced” cultures on Earth. We could use more of it. (NOTE TO SELF!)

Take advantage of the season: Jesus is coming and we have to prepare! Clear away from your hearts and minds all that is impure, unwholesome, wicked and selfish. Conquer self-will, try God’s will. Go to Confession at least once and clear out the gunk.

Here’s a good resource for those of you who wish to delve deeply into the season: Praying Advent 2018

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!!)

Happy New Year!

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Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the Catholic Church’s liturgical year. Just like that secular New year when everyone makes resolutions or otherwise sees it as a time to “turn over a new leaf” or “start over,” we can also use the new Church year to start anew.

Become a better Catholic! Take advantage of the Sacraments! Go to Daily Mass (if you can), start going to Confession more often (like maybe once a month! Or more!) Know of Eucharistic Adoration at a parish somewhere near you? Then go and have a Holy Hour! Read the Cathechism of the Catholic Church and grow in your knowledge of the Faith! Read your Catholic Bible! According to St. Jerome, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!”

There’s LOTS of things that you can do to grow spiritually! Tough times are possibly ahead for Catholics – deepening your knowledge of the Faith and strengthening your relationship with the Lord are ways to deal with whatever is coming down the road…

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!!)

Claiming God’s Mercy

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The Year of Mercy ended last Sunday with Pope Francis’ closing of the Holy Doors in Rome. (Obviously, this post is late. 😉 ) However, mercy is not limited to a single “year.” God’s Mercy is available to everyone who desires it and is easily found in the “tribunal of mercy,” also known as the Sacrament of Penance (or “Confession” or “Reconciliation.”)

Advent begins today. Embracing the Sacrament of Penance by going to Confession during the season of Advent is an excellent way to prepare for the coming of the Lord. For that is what Advent is about, preparation for the arrival of Jesus’ first coming and if you have been praying the Divine Office these past few weeks in November, you are aware that the Church hasn’t waited for Advent; many of the readings in the Church’s “official prayer book” have been referring to the Lord’s Second Coming as well. It is not enough that we need to commemorate His first arrival in a stable in Bethlehem, we have to also be made aware that there is a promise of a Second Coming. The Church in Her infinite wisdom and love is shepherding us along the path towards the narrow gate that Jesus spoke of.

Matthew 7: 13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, which leads to perdition, and many there are who enter through it. How narrow is the gate, and how straight is the way, which leads to life, and few there are who find it!

Source: Matthew – Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible

Why? Because His Second Coming won’t be like the first; He will come as a Just Judge, bringing to completion human history. We will be judged according to our faith and deeds and especially how merciful we ourselves have been to others.

To pass through that narrow gate, we need to repent and claim the Mercy of God.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ appeared in mystical visions to the young Polish nun Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska back in the 1930’s. I’ve blogged about the “Divine Mercy” devotions before SEE Divine Mercy Post Archive. In her Diary in which she described the visions, she records several statements made by Him on Mercy. Read a few of them and be inspired to seek a priest and have your sacramental confession heard (the numbers refer to paragraphs in her Diary):

723: The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy. My mercy is confirmed in every work of My hands. He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are mine, and his enemies will be shattered at the base of My footstool.

687: (Concerning the Chaplet of Divine Mercy) Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.

1567: Make known to souls the great mercy that I have for them and to exhort them to trust in the bottomless depths of My mercy.

So, think about “where you’re at” in your recovery and also in your relationship with the Lord. Avail yourself of His Mercy. Many parishes have special days and times set aside for Penance in addition to the regularly scheduled times. If you haven’t been to Confession in many years, perhaps call the priest to make an appointment. He can possibly suggest a good examination of concience to help you get started, or just while you’re there guide you along the way.

How to pray The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy

How to get the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul: the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

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. John the Baptist and Recovery

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I’ve just read a book on St. John the Baptist: (John the Baptist: Prophet and Disciple) and now is an appropriate time to have done that since it’s Advent. As John is the Precursor of Christ, foretelling of His first Coming, this book helped me to better prepare for Christmas.

One thing about my reading it is that I should have given St. John the Baptist a much larger role in this blog. I don’t think I’ve mentioned him too often. This is odd as I’ve kind of felt this blog to be in the spirit of his mission. He pointed the way to Christ, he was not the light, but merely reflected the light of Christ. He decreased, so that Christ would increase. Likewise, I’ve used this blog to not especially promote a plan of recovery (save for possibly a “Matt Talbot Way”), but rather to point the way to what resources the Church offers to alcoholics and addicts. Rather than illuminate a “Catholic Recovery Program” invented by me, I’ve sought to reflect the light of the Church with regard to the possible efficacy of the Mass and the Sacraments, prayers and devotions, the Saints and others, to those who might be searching for it, but do not see it. Don’t come looking to me, take a look at what I’m pointing out. I’ll get out-of-the-way, you spend more time in Church. 😉

And so, I’ve had some attachment and self-identification with the “Voice crying out in the wilderness” tagline that St. John the Baptist used. In fact, if I recall back when I started this blog in January 2007, I considered that for a title for this blog. I probably rejected it as being too wordy and not properly descriptive.

So, this one sober Catholic “Voice crying out in the wilderness” of recovery, pointing the way to the healing power of the Church and Her resources, is going to spend a few posts writing about St. John the Baptist and how his message of prayer, fasting and repentance can be useful in recovery.

A brief review of the book linked to above: It’s a very good work, it should be in every Christian’s library. It very much helped me to better appreciate the role of John in salvation history and his place within Christianity. My only problem with it is I think it could have gone through one or two more rewrites. The author frequently brought up points as if it were the first time he mentioned them. A minor cosmetic or stylistic problem, but I got annoyed every time he brought up, for example, the issue of scholars regarding John as merely being a product of “Second Temple Judaism.” The multiple times he mentioned this is fine, it’s just that the way he brought it up was as if each time was the first. But don’t let that get in the way of getting the book, ordering information is in that link up above.

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!!)

Advent: Jesus is Coming

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Today is the First Sunday of Advent. As you should be aware, Advent marks the time in which we await the Lord’s first coming as and infant in the Incarnation. It is also a reminder that He will come again, as a just judge of humanity at some point in the future (perhaps near!) when history as we know it ends.

As alcoholics and addicts struggling with the various issues keeping clean and sober at whatever point along the “road of happy destiny” we are trudging along, Advent is a excellent time for us to increase our spiritual progression and development.

The Lord is coming. Are you prepared to welcome Him? Is there a place for Him in your heart and soul? Take the time to weed out the spiritual and worldy garbage that clutters up daily life. Undertake deeper examinations of conscience to root out the underlying causes of sin.

Make a home for the Lord in your life. We can ALL do better at this. There is no cause or reason to be content and satisfied with your spiritual and devotional life.

Get up, and be on your way!

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!!)

Making room in the Inn

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Advent, a time of waiting for the coming of Christ the Lord. How well do we receive Him into our lives? Is He welcome in all areas of it or do we compartmentalize (pigeon-hole) Him in convenient places?

There are many distractions, and we do not make sufficient room for Him in the inn that is our lives. He is pushed outdoors.

Some of these distractions are addictive. These addictions fill the “hole in the soul” that should be filled by Jesus and the Sacraments. Grace alone should suffice but we improperly seek it. We are misdirected in our gropings in the dark for Truth and Life. We don’t find them in the right places. We stray from the path marked out for us.

Jesus is ever-present in the Blessed Sacrament and ever-waiting for us to come to Him. We prepare our way to Him through prayer, meditation and examining our consciences. We offer up a contrite heart as a sacrifice to Him, so that we will be pleasing in His sight.

And then Jesus, upon being asked, enters our lives and fills our very being with the stuff we seek: healing, direction, life. Things we sought elsewhere and failed miserably because we were deceived.

Christmas is coming, with Jesus in the Manger. Are we prepared to welcome and receive Him?

(Blogger’s Note: This post is a part of the 2010 Catholic New Media Advent Calendar on Catholic Roundup For those new to Sober Catholic my usual source for inspiration is either the Sunday and Daily Mass Readings, or some commentary on the liturgical season. I then try to make it applicable to those recovering from alcoholism and other addictions. But, if you are in a conversion or a development of the interior life mindset, (or just love the Sacrament of Confession), you might find my ramblings useful. 🙂

My other blog, with it’s own post for the Calendar, is: The Four Last Things a blog on Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. Its first post explains it: The Four Last Things.

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!!)

LET IT PASS AND IT WILL PASS

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Spirit Daily has an article posted yesterday (or today) entitled: LET IT PASS AND IT WILL PASS. It is on the spiritual and sacramental benefits of Confession.

In Twelve Step movements we usually hear a lot about cleaning up the past, and this in important in 4th and 5th Step work. Past hurts, resentment and guilt all can clog up and retard your spiritual development. Not to mention unconfessed sins can perhaps condemn you if they are mortal.

In the Spirit Daily piece linked to above, the writer describes how Jesus can help you clean up your past through Confession.

This is the season of Advent. We must prepare for the coming of the Lord. Clean up your life by examining your conscience and going to Confession before Christmas.

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 Catholic New Media Advent- the Catholic Roundup Podcast

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It’s now “Official”, the Catholic New Media Advent Calendar has been announced on the project’s home page here—> A Catholic New Media Advent- Catholic Roundup Podcast 87

(Via Catholic Roundup.)

Click on the link and download the podcast into iTunes or whatever you listen to podcasts on. You can also play it in your browser by going to the “Recent Episodes” box along the right-hand side and click on the “Podcast 87” thingy scrolling along. Just remember to plug in your headset.

Your’s truly was mentioned, as I am assisting him a bit, but that is unimportant 😉

It isn’t too late to get involved. You can email Sean through his blog (or me through this one) and we can set you up with what you need to know and do.

During the podcast Sean brings up a interesting point about those of us who write blogs or record podcasts. For the most part, we do this alone. It is not as if there is an office building where we arrive at daily, sit at our desks and post to our sites. We do this at home. There is a sense of loneliness and isolation due to the obvious disconnection from our readers and listeners. I write a blogpost and you might be reading it years later and thousands of miles away. And I do not know what you look like or sound like. We will probably never meet. And sometimes it’s a wonder if anyone is out there.

There are sites like “St. Blog’s Parish” and “Amateur Catholic- The ‘B’-Team”, but they’re hardly interactive. There has been only recently conventions of bloggers and podcasters, but that costs money to travel to and stay at unless one is held in a city near you.

What am I getting at? Projects like Sean’s New Media Advent Calendar are events that enables us to work together. It brings us closer inasmuch as we become aware of each other’s existence and work. The attention and traffic that it might bring to our online endeavors is important, too. But in working together and reading or viewing each other’s contributions gives us a sense that there is a community of Catholic New Media people out there and we are a part of something wonderful.

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!!)