Category Archives: Church

Meditations on the Nicene Creed

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The year 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, where the Nicene Creed was composed and approved by the bishops of the Latin and Greek Rites of the Catholic Church. 

Pope Leo XIV recently traveled during November 27-30th to Iznik, Turkey (modern day Nicea) to honor this anniversary. The thought occurred to me to try come up with some thoughtful meditations for Sober Catholics. We say this Creed often (usually at Mass) and with anything said repeatedly, we might lose the meaning or impact of the words.

Here it goes (the Creed is in bold  typeface, my meditations are in italics.)

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I think we overlook the  impact or significance of this first stanza; we are literally declaring belief that there is one God Who created everything and there is nothing in existence that was made without His making it. And when we read the opening lines of the Gospel of John, we realize that God the Father did all that through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is mind-boggling. A simple statement of faith and belief, and yet enormous in its meaning. Just dwell on that for a few moments. How does this place things in context? I would think that our petty Earthly concerns, like battles over politics and economics (and the ideological and partisan fighting over them) can best be seen in a different light.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.

I think we often become too familiar with Jesus; again, for the reasons I mentioned above regarding anything said repeatedly often loses its impact. If this stanza is read “with fresh eyes,” that is, if you try to read it as if for the first time, you become reconnected to Whom (and What) Jesus is. He isn’t just some nice person who lived long ago with nice teachings. He wasn’t just born in time like everyone else. He is eternal, without beginning or end, and once again, we are reminded that it was He through Whom all of Creation came into being. Quite an awesome (in the original sense of the word) thought. 

For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

And now we come to His mission on Earth; that this Person Who existed from all Eternity and through Whom all creation was made, became one of us. And not in the manner you’d naturally think: that of an already grown adult, perhaps mighty in appearance and stature. No, He decided that it was fitting and necessary to become this through a woman; just like every other human who ever lived. Just think a bout that for a few more minutes. God Eternal became just like one of us (excepting that He couldn’t sin.) How’s that for identification? He. the Lord of the Universe, decided that it was right and proper to join in our humanity as an infant. His self-identication screams ‘humility,’ quite unlike contemporary 21st  Century identity politics. 

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

And here we come to the core reason for His mission on Earth: that of suffering and dying for us to redeem us for our sins. I often think it is unfair for Pontius Pilate to be constantly recalled for his role in Jesus’ death; after all, it was the Jews who demanded His crucifixion and the Romans who executed Him (not ignoring at all that all this was done on account of our sins.) Pilate was merely the political coward who failed to honor his original conviction that Jesus was innocent and just caved in to public pressure (political expediency.) Perhaps he is commemorated in the Creed to be that constant reminder to political leaders (and regular folk) that their actions have repercussions long after death.

He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

The great promise for all who believe in Him who is our brother. He will return one day and set all things right. Justice will reign forever. Things are bad today? Fear not, have faith and persevere to the end and you will receive your just reward: an everlasting life of peace and love with the Trinity and the saints.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

It is often said that the Holy Spirit is the forgotten member of the Trinity; that the Father and the Son get almost all of the attention and devotion, except perhaps when we are nearing Pentecost and are reminded of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the Church. This entire stanza focuses our attention on the Third Person of the Trinity and reminds us just who and what the Spirit is. Each section is worthy of  some focus during meditation. Do we really ever dwell much on the Holy Spirit as the “Lord, the giver of life?” As sober Catholics we should pay special care to this aspect of the Spirit. We had “lost or life” to our drug of choice and only regained it through an action of  the Holy Spirit: something happened which redirected our lives away from the drug or drink; someone reached out to us and got past our defenses….. This stanza reminds us that we really need to include the Holy Spirit in our spiritual life, along with the Father and the Son.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Now comes the Really Important Stuff that you are committing to. Just like people forget the significance of the final petitions of the Our Father (“…forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…” ) and what that all implies, with the final stanza of the Nicene Creed we are attesting our assent to certain things we declare and agree to be True. And we may not realize that God will hold us to it when the time comes for us to stand before Him in Judgment. Do you really believe in the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church,” and that unity, holiness, universality, and apostolic Church is the Catholic Church; that all others are schismatic or heretic? Do you assent to the efficacy of the sacraments in the role they play for salvation? 

Amen.

I hope that when you recite the Nicene Creed, it come alive to you and you see it like you’ve not seen it before. 

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!!)

Martinmas: beginning a penitential period of atoning for alcohol abuse

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Tomorrow is Martinmas, the Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours. Three years ago I posted about him being the patron saint of reformed alcoholics. I am updating that post with reasonable speculation on why such a patronage is attributed to him.

St. Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier who renounced military service and became a monk whose act of charity, that of cutting his cloak in two to clothe a freezing beggar, became one of the most recognizable scenes associated with him.

Anthony van Dyck - Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar.

In my research of the post of three years ago, I saw his patronage of reformed alcoholics mentioned in multiple Catholic sources, but none really explained why. There are no stories of St. Martin struggling with alcohol, nor any recorded miracles specifically involving alcoholics.

Catholics often have an odd manner by which they attribute patronages to saints. For example, St. Gerard Majella is the patron saint of pregnant women due to a miracle where he gave a young woman a handkerchief, telling her to keep it for future use. Years later, she was in a life-threatening childbirth, but when she pressed the handkerchief to her stomach, the danger passed, and she gave birth to a healthy baby. This and other stories of his intercession for mothers and the unborn led to this patronage. You might think that this patronage should belong to a woman, perhaps a medieval midwife known for piety and miracles. But no. It’s a man. St. Cecilia is the patroness of musicians, despite there being no record of her being one. (Miraculous angelic music was heard being sung at her wedding.) St. Catherine of Siena is the patroness of fire prevention, supposedly due to a quote of hers: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” St. Lawrence is the patron of cooks, because he was barbecued to death. St. Clare of Assisi is the patroness of television, because she had a vision of a faraway Mass. There are others, but you get the idea. So, why might St. Martin of Tours follow this pattern of being attributed to something he was never associated with, or because of some odd connection?

St. Martin is the patron of vintners and wine-makers. When he became bishop of Tours (located in a wine-rich region of Gaul, modern-day France) vineyards were flourishing. Wine was important to the economy,  so he was adopted as a saintly benefactor by the winemaking industry. It would be natural, then, that when the product of this industry is abused, that he would be invoked to intercede for those doing the abusing.

It isn’t all that surprising that his feast day became a major celebration of the wine harvest in many regions of Europe, especially given the coincidental falling of that date soon after the harvest. The new wine was sampled, there was much feasting  and… there was much drinking. So, like I said three years ago: 

(November 11th) 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.

People, perhaps because of exhortations by the clergy, were inclined to atone for the excesses committed on November 11th. Those who overindulged on Martinmas entered into a season of restraint, penance, and prayer; and given that Christmas was coming up in over a month, this may have also joined with preparation for commemorating the Nativity of Christ. Forty is a penitential number in Christianity (it rained 40 days and 40 nights after Noah built the ark; the Hebrews wandered for 40 years before finding the Promised Land; Jesus was lead into the desert for 40 days to endure temptation…) and so a 40 day period of fasting and penitence was prescribed and gradually spread throughout European Christianity. This is known as “St. Martin’s Lent,” and eventually evolved into the liturgical season of Advent.

Therefore, he was gradually over time accorded the title of “patron of reformed alcoholics.” He himself never abused alcohol (no record of anyone charging him with that;) nor any record of him exhorting people to abhor drink (there is no scriptural basis for avoiding alcohol, except passages about taking all things in moderation.) So, although I could not find anything specific, like a homily about him, or some biographer suggesting it, one could make a logical leap and connect him to reformed alcoholics in a manner similar to the above examples of a saint being given patronage over something they might not have had anything to do with during their temporal sojourn on Earth.

St. Martin of Tours is also the patron saint of soldiers (easy to see where that came from,) of the poor (he was known for acts of charity, like giving a beggar half of his cloak,) and of …. tailors! See, there’s another example like the Sts. Cecilia, Gerard Majella, and Clare. His patronage of tailors comes from his act of cutting his cloak in half!  

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!!)

‘Mater Populi Fidelis’: the new doctrinal document from the Vatican and how it might be a good read for sober Catholics

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I just finished reading the “Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation.” It isn’t always that I recommend a Doctrinal Note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith for recovered/recovering alcoholics to read, especially when at first glance it seems to have absolutely nothing to do with sobriety.
 
I began reading it with some fear and trepidation, (because, you know, the contemporary Church hasn’t inspired tons of confidence in certain matters,) but after finishing it, the document makes a lot of sense.
 
Well-written with copious footnoted references (22 pages of text with 12 pages of footnotes) it definitively places in the proper context the role of Mary in salvation, as well as clarifying certain popular, pious titles of Mary (“Co-redemptrix,” and “Mediatrix of All Graces.”)
 
It spends far more verbiage on the latter title than the former; pretty much negating future use of that title by the faithful. Basically, that Mary is NOT the “Mediator” of all Graces,” and as I said, the document spends quite a lot of pages on that, citing extensive Scripture passages, along with Church Fathers, Doctors and Popes. I had always accepted that title given how many great spiritual writers of the past have taught that, and I figured they must know what they’re talking about and so I never questioned it. She is the “Mother of Grace,” and that is defined in its proper relationship to the salvific work of the Trinity. It makes sense, when you think of it: If you were to pray to St. Maximilian Kolbe for his intercession in some matter, and you were granted whatever it was you asked, was the grace received routed through Mary? Or, was your prayer heard in Heaven by St. Maximilian (by whatever manner saints receive these requests) and answered by God through St. Max? Same can be said for when a miracle is received through the intercession of a person on the path to beatification or canonization: Rome has made it clear that when it investigates a miracle, it determines if any other saint might possibly have been involved. So, is Mary somehow in this channel of grace in the Cause for someone’s path to sainthood?
 
It doesn’t go quite that far in negating the “Co-Redeemer” title, but warns against emphasizing it to the point of obscuring Christ’s role (He is the sole Redeemer, Mary’s role was a very subordinate one in support of His. That’s a bit simplistic, you should read the text yourself. Link at the end.
 
I do think that it makes an effective tool to use in evangelizing Protestants and Evangelicals. It might help them to overcome their “Mariphobia.” They’ll learn that they do not ‘have to go to Mary’ but in their journey through the text, they’ll uncover many, many, reasons why cultivating a Marian devotion is supremely beneficial and ‘going to Mary’ is often a great good. The extensive citations will help them better understand the Scriptural roots of Mariology and they should come away with a greater appreciation and understanding of why Catholics have, for 2,000 years, been basically crazy nuts for Mary.  

If your initial response to this was one of rebellion or resistance, and you actually think that St. Maximilian Kolbe would have publicly spoken out against this document, then you lack an appropriate understanding of humility and obedience to legitimate religious authority, even when you think it is wrong. St. Maximilian Kolbe was a model of obedience to the Church, as anyone who has read his writings can attest to.

Many Catholics online of the traditional sort are sounding the alarm against it. While their concerns are noted, I do believe their reading if it was too influenced by their bias against anything coming out of Rome since Pope Benedict XVI. (An understandable concern which I implied in the second paragraph.) However, these same people, who laud the past (as do I) also fail to recall the obedience of the saints to Rome and her pronouncements, even when they might have opposed them. I recall the shepherd children at Fatima obeying the local church as regards to the Apparition of Our Lady in 1917, even though they knew the Church was wrong. St. Padre Pio likewise obeyed the restrictions placed upon him for many years. Today, priests who are censured by Rome of their local bishop often go rogue, their pride overcoming their good sense and humility. Going father back, indeed, back to the beginning: Jesus obeyed the legitimate religious authorities in submitting to their judgment of Him, despite His being their God and their Master. Joseph and Mary also obeyed the religious laws of the time in having Jesus circumcised; and Mary, herself ritually purified. There was no reason for them to do so, given who Jesus is. Yet, they obeyed.

Now, back to the title of this post; why am I recommending this document to you? For the same reasons why I think it makes a great evangelical tool for use in tying to bring Protestants into the Catholic fold. It might go a long way towards clarifying in their minds just exactly who Mary is and what her role in the Church precisely is. That, along with the copious footnoted references to Scripture may just be the thing to overcome Mariphobia. Also, many Catholics, either new to the faith by reversion or conversion, as well as lifelong cradle Catholics, may have “Mommy issues” and this translates to problems identifying with the Blessed Virgin and seeking her help; especially in accepting her role as our spiritual Mother and intercessor. Even if there does not exist any such thing in you, you might still not be drawing close enough to your spiritual Mama. This document might assist in overcoming that.

Read the document (it’s not really all that intimidating, honest!) and after being exposed to 22 pages of reason why Mary is our Mother and what her role actually is, you may come away with a clearer view.


Here is the document, so that you can read it for yourself: Mater Populi Fidelis:’ Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation..

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!!)

Indulgenced Cemetery Visits Devotion for November 1-8

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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!!)

Prayer request for a homeless addict and thoughts on unworthiness

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I received an email a few days ago (only saw it today as it was in my Junk folder☹️) from Richard S., a homeless addict in the United Kingdom. I won’t post his entire email here out of respect for privacy (even though it lacks personal identifying info.)

Some points, however:

I’m a Catholic and I’m an addict in England, UK. I’m struggling like hell.  I recently was given a copy of your book “The Sober Catholic Way” and it’s truly helping me. 

00000 TSCWBookCover.

If you only knew how it feels to discover your writing has made an impact!

 I feel as if I’ve let my Blessed Mother, Mary down and I’m not worthy.  Let alone our Lord Jesus. Anyway, many blessings and love to you and your family.

This part touched me. Who among us hasn’t felt this way? I replied:

About you letting Mama Mary and Jesus down: they perfectly understand. Mary’s love and Jesus’ mercy is greater than our deepest faults and flaws and our inability to overcome them. This is something everyone forgets from time to time, including me. Mary is a good Mother and will help lead you closer to Jesus. 

And so I am asking you for prayers for Richard S. (If you’re in the UK and know of resources for homeless addicts; and Richard does have access to medical personnel, he probably knows what’s available, but just in case something is overlooked, please email me at paulcoholic at gmail dot com .)

Richard is also a member of the Militia of the Immaculata. It’s UK Center is: Militia of the Immaculata in Great Britain and Ireland.

Here’s how to order it: The Sober Catholic 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!!)

Ensuring salvation “…at the hour of our death.”

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Have you ever thought about the hour of your death? Not just about your death in general, or how long you might live. But exactly when you’ll die?

This is the last chance for Satan to snatch you from the Lord. Unless you’ve prepared yourself by way of the Sacraments, prayer and a lifetime of “spiritual progress,” your final minutes on Earth will be The Enemy’s last chance to get you for Itself for all Eternity.

Worried? There’s a prayer for that!

It’s Mom to the rescue! Doesn’t Mom make everything better? Well, same thing for when you’re about to face the end of your mortal existence.

The venerable and ancient prayer of the Church to the Blessed Mother, said by millions of Catholics daily in the Rosary is the succor for such a worry.

“Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.”

See those last six words? “…at the hour of our death.”

Mary will watch over you. But not just you, when you say the “Hail Mary” on the Rosary or just by itself in moments of need, you are offering it up for other people as well. It does not say “pray for me, a sinner,  at the hour of my death,” but rather,  “pray for us sinners,” so you’re not just praying for yourself, but for other people, too, now, and at the hour of their death. And when you think of it that way, all of these people are also praying for Our Lady’s intercession at the hour of your death, too. It’s a community thing of the Church Militant (those members of the Mystical Body of Christ still alive on Earth.)

Now, here’s where I wander over into left field a little (or, score a “wonder goal” or have a “moment of magic,” which are the soccer/futbol equivalents of baseball’s “out of left field” idiom, I’m told.)

I have been dwelling on the Hail Mary recently, especially that petition to pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death and its connection to the persistent teaching of numerous saints, especially St. Maximilian Kolbe, St, Louis DeMontfort, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and St. Leonard of Port-Maurice, that those who are devoted, or consecrated, to the Blessed Virgin Mary are never “lost,” that is, “damned.” Their salvation is ensured (but not necessarily guaranteed. You still have to maintain sincerity of faith and steer clear of mortal sins. But that all should be easier with Mary’s help.)

This is NOT the Catholic version of the deeply heretical and unbiblical “Once Saved, Always Saved” idea that a few non-Catholics hold. (Don’t these people read St. Paul?) But is infers that as Our Lady is also our Mother, and as she loves us more than we can ever know, if we give ourselves to her, she will protect us at the hour of our death from the attacks of Hell.

Let’s take an example of one of these devotional promises. There’s a practice known as The Three Hail Marys. You are recommended to pray three Hail Mary’s every morning upon rising and again upon retiring to bed; at the end of the prayers you ask Mary to “preserve me from mortal sin this day (or night.”) You do this every day and when you die, you will not go to Hell (Purgatory, however, maybe!) 

This may be easier to comprehend and accept when you really understand the importance of the collective prayer of the Church Militant when praying the Rosary or a Hail Mary. The sheer number of prayers ascending to Heaven asking Our Lady to intervene for us during our final moments here in Time is huge. Just think about it: there are hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of Hail Marys are said every day. There’re 53 said in the Rosary alone, plus numerous other times in other prayers. Multiply those by however many are reciting their prayers… Now multiply that for every day until the final day for you on Earth. That’s potentially hundreds of billions of petitions, if not trillions over the course of  a life, for Our Lady to protect you from Hell’s final furious assault on your soul. 

Therefore, it stands to reason that this is not pious silliness, but a reasonable conviction of the faithful and a reliable promise by Our Mother. If you sincerely pray the Rosary every day, or recite the Three Hail Marys, or some other Marian devotion related to all this, then you will not be damned. And one thing bears mentioning: it doesn’t mean that you can do this and then intentionally go off and commit serious sins, and often, thinking that we’re going to be saved just because we’re saying three Hail Mary’s or a daily Rosary. We all lead sinful lives, but the difference is the willful intent to sin versus the willful intent to not sin, and to reinforce that desire through repentance and frequenting the sacraments. Presumption of God’s mercy and exploiting Our Lady’s priviliges will quickly land you in the hot place. 

There is another method to ensure our salvation. I won’t go into it here as I’ve covered it already (quite well, if I say so myself 😉) in this post on Marian Consecration and the Guarantee of Eternal life. PLEASE READ THAT, TOO! It goes well with this post. Here’s another post on the subject, written wayback in the early days of SoberCatholic: “Now and at the Hour of Our Death”

 A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU: The I Miss Christendom YouTube Channel lists 5 Things Catholics Can Do To Ensure Salvation. These are:

  • The Three Hail Marys (post on that here.)
  • The Brown Scapular (I don’t think I’ve written anything on that, but a post on sacramentals is being drafted.)
  • The Daily Rosary (I’ve written numerous posts on the Rosary, as well as a book on the Rosary.)
  • The Nine First Fridays  (My post on that is here.)
  • The Five First Saturdays (I wrote on that here.)

Note: This was previously published on Paul Sofranko Space. It’s been edited and significantly expanded for SoberCatholic.

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!!)

On Devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ

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July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. The devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ is as old as the Church, for we’ve learned through catechism or the Divine Mercy devotion that the Church was born from the side of Christ when St. Longinus pierced His sacred side with a lance and blood and water flowed out. Water signified Baptism, while the Blood signified the Eucharist. 

Some feel that it predates the Church. In Devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ, I wrote that…  

It is said to have dated to the Circumcision of Our Lord, when according to approved private revelations, Mary collected the blood Jesus had spilled.

Today, July 2nd, used to be the Feast of the Most Precious Blood, but it was removed from the Roman liturgical calendar in 1970. Nowadays, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is referred to as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, so it was essentially combined into that. It is called ‘precious’ because it is Jesus’ offered His own blood to pay for the redemption of humanity. Jesus shed His very blood for the sake of all humanity, atoning for humanity’s sins. The devotion to the Most Precious Blood is yet another one dedicate to repentance and reparation, much like the Holy Face devotion, the Sacred Heart and the Fatima Message.

I find the Precious Blood Devotion to be a particulary pertinent one for us Sober Catholics, given that wine, abused by us during our active drinking years, is transubstantiated by the priest into His Blood during Mass. That which was killing us is now the source of our redemption. This does not mean that we can partake of the wine at Mass; as I said in Appendix B of “The Sober Catholic Way,”

While the wine is transubstantiated by the priest during Mass, it still retains the properties of alcohol.

The Church teaches that the entirety of the Real Presence of Christ, that being His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity are found in the transubstantiated bread. Therefore there is no reason at all for an alcoholic of any length of sobriety to receive the Eucharist in the form of wine.

Nevertheless, I think that the idea of turning something that was dangerous for us into a devotion to help keep us sober, merely because God transformed it into a substance through which we can attain eternal life, is emblematic of how He works through His Church. There is a lot to dwell on with that statement, if you pause to consider it. That’s the whole message of SoberCatholic.com and my books: that the Catholic Church through the Mass, Sacraments and her devotions can sustain one’s freedom from addiction. And get you so much more. 

Check out the resources on the Precious Blood I linked to in this post.

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!!)

Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church in Rome

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Today is the Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church in Rome. As I prayed the Divine Office this morning, I was struck by the Intercessory Prayers from the Morning Hour:

INTERCESSIONS

Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith,

– give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.

Your martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood,

– give us a faith, O Lord, that is constant and pure.

Your martyrs followed in your footstep by carrying the cross,

– help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.

Your martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb,

– Help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

Courtesy: Common of Several Martyrs – Morning Prayer

I was reminded that we all may be called to be martyrs. But even if not, some of the intercessions do remind us alcoholics and addicts of the road we are called to trudge along, especially:

Your martyrs followed in your footstep by carrying the cross,

– help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.

and:

Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith,

– give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.

For the first one, evryday we are beset with annoyances and trials. “Normal people,” i.e, the ones who can drink safely, either take these in stride or resort to a few drinks to “take the edge off.” We, of corse, cannot. Furthermore, while in the past we abused the privilege of being able to drink by resorting to it for any reason, we also failed to learn socially acceptavle ways to “take things in stride.” In our recovery we had to relearn basic skills we somehow missed when others learned them. Even long after sobriety, we sometimes have to engage these new coping mechanisms willfully, so as to avoid the drink. Normal respond in stride, alcoholics have to think about how to cope. As Sober Catholics, we’ve learned to “offer it up.”

For the second one, we can reframe the martyrdom as having witnessed our old self dying for recovery. This means that in willingly turning away from the drink, we killed that old addicted version of ourselves and are reborn in Christ Jesus. In essense, we have found what true freedom is; liberation from the chains of addiction and having our souls fed by Holy Mother church via the Mass and Sacraments. We become free to become our truer selves.

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!!)

Counsel

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The fourth of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit is “Counsel.”

According to Catholic Answers::

Counsel allows a man to be directed by God in matters necessary for his salvation.

I mentioned in the post on Knowledge:

If you look over the list of the seven gifts, you can conclude that all depend upon and work with each other. All the more reason for us to draw closer to the Holy Spirit. We ask for the “wisdom to know” about things we have to deal with and the things of the spirit: the moral and ethical decisions that confront us. Stick close to the Sacraments as they enliven the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you.

It appears to me that “Wisdom” and “Knowledge” (as well as “Understanding” contribute to “Counsel.” Once you have cultivated those first three, Counsel seems to naturally follow.

We are all “Trudging the Road of Happy Destiny,” and we need not go it alone. While the fellowship of a Twelve Step movement may appeal to some, it isn’t all there is. Cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit isn’t something we should only pay attention to in the latter part of the Easter season. It should be an ongoing, daily thing (I’m also speaking to myself on this!) Walking with the Church in the liturgical year, confessing your sins regularly (at least once a month) and most definitely developing a relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary (the one and only Spouse of the Holy Spirit.) 

When I decided to write this series of posts of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I wasn’t aware that I’d be developing the idea that the gifts aren’t necessarily separate things, but are a contiguous whole. Perhaps “as if” there is “one gift” but it has seven interdependent components, all contributing to the whole. 

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!!)

Knowledge

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The third of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit is “Knowledge.” We are also familiar with this gift since we appeal for it in the Serenity Prayer along with Wisdom:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

According to Catholic Answers::

Knowledge is the ability to judge correctly about matters of faith and right action, so as to never wander from the straight path of justice. 

It is probably that gift of the Holy Spirit most affected by our drinking as we can hardly ‘judge correctly’ about anything, much less about “matters of faith and right action.”

If you look over the list of the seven gifts, you can conclude that all depend upon and work with each other. All the more reason for us to draw closer to the Holy Spirit. We ask for the “wisdom to know” about things we have to deal with and the things of the spirit: the moral and ethical decisions that confront us. Stick close to the Sacraments as they enliven the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you.

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!!)