Category Archives: Blessed Virgin Mary

Ninety-nine years ago, today

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Today is the 99th anniversary of the beginning of the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal.

Two years ago I took a greater interest in the Apparitions than before and in studying them, discerned that they would be of great beneficial use to recovering alcoholics and addicts.

On the one hand, I probably shouldn’t have started blogging about them when I did, as I haven’t written in too great a detail about the individual apparitions; the result being too many posts of perhaps shallow substance (at least “shallow” for anyone very familiar with them). The primary purpose of this blog isn’t really to delve too deeply into things like Marian Apparitions. But, I do have two hands and the other one counters with the proposition that perhaps I may have whetted your appetite on Fatima several years prior to their centennial, and hopefully you have gone beyond what I have written here, explored them on your own and have taken to heart the Fatima message of prayer, penance and conversion.

The Fatima message is essentially the message of this blog. So… perhaps in response to the approaching centennial, I can incorporate more things on Fatima throughout the year, rather than just on the Apparition date. (I’m obviously blog-planning out loud…)

EWTN has a good page on first Apparition at Fatima.

Here are all my posts on Fatima to figure out what I was doing.

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 am the Lady of the Rosary, I am your Mother

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70,000 people witnessed the last public Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Cova da Iria, near Fatima, Portugal on October 13, 1917.

Why am I blogging about this now? To fulfill a commitment I made when I started blogging about Fatima last year, that up through 2017 I would blog on the Fatima Apparitions on or about their anniversary because I think the Fatima message is very important for Catholics, including those in whatever stages of addiction recovery they are in. (NOTE: even though the publication date should read “October 13, 2015,” the post was actually written in late November 2015.). Due to a variety of circumstances, including sloth and this and that and the other thing, I’m late with this piece.)

Why did this Apparition take place? The “Miracle of the Sun” happened, as promised, to prove the Apparition’s authenticity. The sun started dancing in the sky, defying all known laws of physics, and was seen many miles away (so it wasn’t a localized event.)

Perhaps it is fortuitous that I am late with this post. Why? “Aren’t you just grasping at straws, Paulcoholic, so it would seem as if you can fall down and still come up smelling like roses?” It seems I did the same thing last year: Last year’s late post on the Solar Miracle. Well, maybe. BUT, think about some of the events that have happened in the world these past few weeks, after this post should originally have come out. The terror attacks in Paris, Lebanon and Nigeria. World War III probably getting warmed up in the Middle East. An increasingly insane US Presidential election campaign season. These are all frightening and worrisome things.

What happens when you are scared, at least when you were a child? You’d go running to your Mom!

Mary is our Mother. She cares for us and since we are the adopted children of God, we are Christ’s brothers and sisters, and thus we are her children, too.

Pope St. John Paul II greeted the world upon his appearance to the world as Pope with the words, “Be not afraid.” It is said that those words in various forms appear 365 times in the Bible, thus letting us know that we are not to fear whatever is going on.

The Miracle of the Sun was frightening. Imagine if you were there, you see the sun dance and whirl about, seemingly plummeting to the Earth. But no one was hurt. No humans were harmed in the occurrence of this apparition. The fact that it happened was a reassurance to all of the reality of the apparition and of Mary. (Satan would NOT ahave had the power to do this.)

And so some words to all: “Be not afraid.” It is hard. But having Faith is. No matter what is going to be happening in the upcoming years, have Faith. Hold fast to the Church, grab your rosaries and USE THEM! pray the Rosary daily. Get the Diary of St. Faustina (see: St. Faustina and Divine Mercy. Make use of the upcoming “Year of Mercy”.

Easy? No, especially if we rely on our own resources. This is why we also need God’s graces, which are there for the asking. Pray. Go to Mass. Go to Confession. Read Scripture (a good CATHOLIC Bible.) Pray some more.

Be not afraid…

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!!)

Fatima Apparition of 13 September 1917

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By the time of the fifth Apparition in September, the popularity (or notoriety) of the event was growing. On the 13th of September, 30,000 people had gathered in the Cova de Iria to witness whatever was to happen. The secular, anti-clerical atheistic press ramped up their ridicule.

After the usual question posed to Mary about what she wants, the seers were exhorted to continue to pray the Rosary. Otherwise, it seemed that all that happened was the seers asked questions about certain individuals and whether intercessions for them will be answered. (Some will, some won’t. An important consideration to be aware of when you pray, never assume your prayer will be answered in the manner you wish.)

After a final reminder to return for the final apparition on October 13th, Mary disappeared back to Heaven.

You can keep up with Sober Catholic’s blogging on Fatima, as well as why I’m posting about it, by visiting this link: All the Fatima 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!!)

And the Virgin’s Name was Mary

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Yesterday, September 12th was the Optional Memorial of the Holy Name of Mary. I had tried to wrte a post, but couldn’t come up with anything. I still can’t come up with anything terribly deep and profound (not that I often do 😉 ) but still feel compelled to write something. And so here goes an exhortation:

Call on Mary! Saints and mystics (as well as exorcists) have all commented that the name of the Blessed Virgin is terror for the demons. (Yes, there are demons.) Whenever you feel your sobriety is at risk, call upon the name of Mary! I isn’t some magic incantation or anything like that, the name of the Mother of God is a prayer unto itself.

As the Litany of Loretto indicates, Mary’s name comes with many attributes. She is known as:

Mother of Christ
Mother of divine grace
Mother most pure
Mother most chaste
Mother inviolate
Mother undefiled
Mother most amiable
Mother most admirable
Mother of good Counsel
Mother of our Creator
Mother of our Savior
Virgin most prudent
Virgin most venerable
Virgin most renowned
Virgin most powerful
Virgin most merciful
Virgin most faithful
Mirror of justice
Seat of wisdom
Cause of our joy
Spiritual vessel
Vessel of honor
Singular vessel of devotion
Mystical rose
Tower of David
Tower of ivory
House of gold
Ark of the covenant
Gate of heaven
Morning star
Health of the sick
Refuge of sinners
Comforter of the afflicted
Help of Christians
Queen of Angels
Queen of Patriarchs
Queen of Prophets
Queen of Apostles
Queen of Martyrs
Queen of Confessors
Queen of Virgins
Queen of all Saints
Queen conceived without original sin
Queen assumed into heaven
Queen of the most holy Rosary
Queen of families
Queen of peace

So, call your Mother. She’ll be there after all the names on the phone list you got at your first AA meeting didn’t answer.

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!!)

Fatima and Prayer

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The Fatima Apparition that was to happen on August 13th was delayed by political subterfuge. As I said last year, Our Lady wasn’t to be defeated by a political hack.

Along with the repeated request to return on the 13th of next month and to continue to pray the Rosary, Our Lady exhorted the seers to pray for souls, as many have no one to pray for them. As a consequence, many perish in damnation.

Praying for other people is one of the great works of mercy that we can do. Many people scoff at prayer, typically these people either never tried it, or did but didn’t get whatever it was they wanted and sadly concluded that it doesn’t work. (It does, but sometimes the answer is “No.”) Prayer is the uplifting of the heart and mind to God, and at what better time can we ask His intercession for people we know? How prayer works is somewhat of a mystery. As God already knows what we desire, there would seem to be little reason to tell Him. However, prayer may work for us as it reminds us of Who we are dependent on. In praying for others, we become aware that we are not in this for ourselves, we are “our brother’s keeper,” and prayer may bring unknown graces upon others, giving them strength to persevere when they themselves didn’t think to ask..

Perhaps like when you found that added, needed strength to begin recovery.

Prayer is central to the Fatima Message, it is key to the success of why Our Lady appeared.

As I have said previously, I plan on blogging about these Apparitions in hopes that Catholics in recovery can find some additional tools to pack in their spiritual toolkit for fighting addictions. Every month from May through October, on or about the 13th, I shall post something on that month’s Apparition through the 100th Anniversary in 2017. Initially I’ll be very basic, but when the anniversaries approach again up through 2017, I hope to delve deeper. I am still beginning my journey of exploring the spiritual wealth of Fatima, and the more I read, the more I am coming to regard Fatima as an essential devotion to any Catholic in recovery from addictions. Next year’s posts should be more detailed.

You can keep up with Sober Catholic’s blogging on Fatima at this link: All the Fatima 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!!)

Quick post on Fatima

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I am over a month late with this post, on the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal on July 13, 1917. Last year I started a series of posts on the Apparitions, to be done on or about the anniversary dates of each and ending on the centenary in 2017. I am doing this because the Fatima message of prayer, penance and conversion is very important to all Catholics nowadays, as well as being very useful to those Catholics trying to maintain a clean and sober life.

In reviewing the information on this particular Apparition, this post will be very brief and not too informative, mainly because there were a few, oh…. shall we say…interesting events that happened during it and I will hold on them until 2016 and 2017. These events are controversial and I’d just as assume wait. (Sometimes I think I should have waited until this year to begin this series. But, no matter. If it gets you to reading up and studying the Fatima Message if you might not have otherwise, all the better!)

The less controversial parts of this apparition was the seers inquiring about certain people, making intercession for a number of the local villagers and their families. What is interesting is that these children had direct access to the Blessed Mother and got immediate responses to their petitions. Would that we always had that grace! Some prayers were answered, others…not.

You can get caught up here with All the Fatima 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!!)

Daily Adoration

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In the post Abiding in Jesus, I mentioned the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. The Gospel reading that inspired the post gives me a good excuse to relate something that I’ve been doing since July 1st.

Every day I stop off at my local parish and spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. My intention is fifteen minutes in the morning en route to work, but I haven’t quite gotten the discipline down yet of leaving sufficiently early, so I wind up doing about five. If I leave for work with not enough time, then I just spend the fifteen minutes on the way home.

I am not saying this to brag, or to declare that I am “holier than thou,” I do it for myself and for the world. (“Not bragging?”)

For myself, as I feel called to “kick it up a notch” spiritually and one excellent way to do this is to bask for a while, even if for just a short time, in the Presence of Jesus. There are also the usual trials and tribulations that life brings, all the crosses that we have to bear if we are truly be called the followers of Christ.

For the world, as if you have been following the news for quite a while, things are quite terrible. It seems that Satan is pulling triple shifts to tear down the Church and civilization. We all have to choose sides and take up our weapons. Or just become better equipped to cope with things.

Why July 1st? I wanted an aid in doing this and so I ransacked my bookshelves on the Holy Eucharist and found this: Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary
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From the publisher’s blurb: “Here, then,” says St. Alphonsus, “is our heaven on earth–the Most Blessed Sacrament.” This book was conceived and written to help us grow in the knowledge and love of God and in appreciation for what He has done for us. For each of the 31 days of the month, St. Alphonsus provides for us a “Visit to Our Lord”–which is a brief meditation on and a fervent prayer of love toward Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Each Visit to Our Lord is followed by a “Visit to Our Lady.”

Since there are meditations for every day of the month, I decided to start on the 1st.

After doing this for 47 days now, I can attest that I have grown “in the knowledge and love of God and in appreciation for what He has done for us.” (“Are we still sure he isn’t bragging?”)

I do feel an increased intimacy with Him. I have always grasped the Real Presence intellectually, but have found it difficult on an emotional level. This is helping with that. I suppose it is true that the more often you spend time with Someone, the more you get to know them and become closer.

The book has 31 meditations, I will be using it for those months with 31 days. For months with 30 days, I’ll be using this: Moments Divine: Before the Blessed Sacrament
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From the publisher: “This pious book is especially suited for use any time before the Blessed Sacrament. Each of the 30 chapters contain true stories, various prayers, an Act of Contrition, Sacred Heart reading, Spiritual Communion and so much more. … it will enrich any devotional collection and inspire greater love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.”

I have a few other little books and things to do while I’m with Him, but the above books provide the focus.

I have exhorted you all often in the past to spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to do this. Just for in and of itself, (like, why would you need an excuse to spend time with Our Lord?) but also as an aid in the spiritual warfare destroying the world.

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!!)

Fifty-four Day Rosary Novena

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There is a rather dedicated but powerful novena to Our Lady called the “54 Day Rosary Novena.” There are variations on it with regard to preparatory prayers, but I typically keep it simple and just state the intentions I’m praying for followed by the saying the Rosary.

For the 54 Day Novena, you say 3 nine day Rosary novenas in a row in petition for something (this takes 27 days), folowed by 3 nine day Rosary novenas in a row in thanksgiving for the answer (this takes another 27 days, totalling the 54), regardless of whether or not the petition was granted. It may be granted during the 54 days, or maybe afterwards.

I bring this up because a particularly important time to do this is available. Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, if you begin the 54 day novena today, it will end on the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7th. There’s got to be some amazing spiritual signifiance for these Marian days to have been placed 54 days apart!

So, begin one today, the first petition novena will end on August 23rd, start the second petition novena on August 24th, and so on.

Pray for anything. Petitions for yourself and your struggles with addiction, petitions for the world and society about you. Whatever, just break out your beads!

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!!)

Immaculate Heart of Mary and Purity

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Back when I was looking around for Catholic resources for addiction recovery, I was stunned to discover that almost all of them dealt with porn, lust and sex addiction.

Today is the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, an optional Feast Day on the Church’s liturgical calendar. Mary is the refuge of those seeking purity, as it was only through her immaculate conception that Our Lord was able to become Incarnate and redeem us from our sins (as He certainly could not be born through a woman enslaved by Original Sin, right?)

Today is also the 98th Anniversary of the Fatima Apparition of June 13, 1917. It is a happy coincidence that the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary falls this year on that anniversary.

One of the significant parts of the “Message of Fatima” is that the Lord is greatly offended by the increase in sexual impurity. Those are my words, Our Lady didn’t speak that way to innocent children. She basically said that various fashions are displeasing to the Lord and many people go to Hell for such offenses. Later on, I think, this was interpreted to mean the increasing secular nature of culture and the growing trends towards immodest fashions and casual sex.

If the Lord was offended by the standards of sexual culture 100 years ago, you can imagine His offense today.

Anyway, if you are troubled by lust and impurity, the Rosary is a safe refuge. Praying it slowly, meditating of the Mysteries can interrupt the thought processes leading you to impure acts. Perhaps find sacred art and place it around your residence. Fill your mind with holy things! It will take effort, some times easier than others. Lust never sleeps; like alcohol, it is “cunning, baffling and poewerful.”

Related posts: Immaculate Heart of Mary and IHM and Fatima Apparition of June 13th.

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!!)

Fatima: Prayer, Conversion and Penance

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Today, May 13, 2015 is the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. On this date 98 years ago the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three little shepherd children near Fatima, Portugal. I introduced this last year in this post: Fatima. It also contains links for your further edification as you should really, really, be interested in this Apparition of the Virgin.

As I said in that post, I plan on blogging about the Apparitions at Fatima on or about the anniversary dates of each one. The reason is that the “Message of Fatima” is an important one, and is very applicable to those struggling with addictions.

On May 12, 1982, Pope St. John Paul II gave a General Audience just before leaving on a pilgrimage to Fatima. His intent was to give thanks to the Virgin Mary, whom he felt had preserved his life after an assasination attempt one year earlier in St. Peter’s Square. He said in that General Audience, “I am going particularly as a pilgrim of brotherhood and peace to that land that the Virgin chose to launch her sorrowful appeal for prayer, conversion and penance.”

The Holy Father later stated that “I nourish the hope that this gesture of mine will serve to reawaken in believers a renewed sense of responsibility, inducing each one to question himself fairly about his consistency with the values of the Gospel.”

I was reading a compilation of speeches that Pope St. John Paul II gave on the ocassion of his 1982 pilgrimage to Fatima, compliled by the Daughters of St. Paul, entitled “Portugal: Message of Fatima,” and these quotes jumped out.

“Prayer, Conversion and Penance.” These are the core strategies for those of us struggling with alcoholism. We pray, we have an ongoing conversion, and we live penitential lives (or, we do this as best we can. Some times and years are better than others. But we carry on.).

And we must always do a “self-check” ala AA’s “Step 10” concerning how best we live our lives according to the Gospel’s values. Do we choose the Gospel, or the World? Do we live by the divine Gospel message, or secular political or economic messages? Do we cause an injustice and refashion the Gospel so that it fits into our secular ideologies?

If you missed last year’s posts, all my Fatima posts are here: Fatima Post Archives.

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!!)