Today marks the 16th Bloggaversary of Sober Catholic. In honor of that, I’ve edited and cleaned up a messy note I wrote who-knows-when on “The Sober Catholic Way.” It is a summary of everything I’ve been doing since I became sober on May 22, 2002. Some I do better than others. This was originally a …
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I’ve always loved this passage from the Second Reading of the Divine Office for the Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr: From a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop: Now at last, Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he delights in the glory of Christ, with Stephen he exalts, with Stephen he reigns. Stephen went …
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Today begins Advent, that season on the Church’s liturgical calendar in which we prepare for Christmas. It is more than that. This isn’t just some kind of nice symbolic commemoration of Our Savior’s birth 2,000 years ago. If you pay attention to the Mass readings for the past month, and especially if you pray the …
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 …
Continue reading ‘Visits to a Cemetery in November Devotion’ »
Today is the feast day of Pope St. John Paul II. He acceded to the throne of St. Peter on this day in 1978; I was 15 years old. He died on April 2, 2005; I was 42. A lot happened to me in between those ages. I would have loved to have lived a …
I received an email from the Militia of the Immaculata this morning announcing a new apostolic initiative of theirs! Here’s the email (I copied it.) Join the Militia of the Immaculata for a 31 Day Rosary Challenge set to begin on October 1st!!! The idea is to pray the Rosary at different hours and different places, …
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Years ago I had written about my old AA friend Garry. I had been looking up stuff at random on Facebook and one thing lead to another and I discovered that he had been arrested for DWI in my old hometown. You can read about that here and here. This first link tells about our friendship …
September 15th is the the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. It honors the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which are: First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon Our Lady and St. Joseph took the child Jesus as was customary under Mosaic Law after her 40 days of purification were over. They were to …
Today, September 14th, marks the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (sometimes called the “Triumph of the Cross.”) It marks the day in 326 when St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, discovered the True Cross in Palestine. It also celebrates the dedication of Constantine’s two churches, that of the Anastasis and that of Golgotha …
In her diary, ‘Divine Mercy in my Soul,” St. Maria Faustina Kowalska writes of when she was given the gift of appearing before the judgement seat of God: 36 Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I stood alone before the Lord. Jesusappeared such as we know Him during His Passion. After …