Category Archives: Heaven

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!!)

Hurt people hurt people

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I often run across memes online with the phrase “Hurt people hurt people.” This means that people who have been hurt turn around and hurt others. It is assumed that since they’ve never experienced any healing from the hurt, or even justice for it, the  wound festers and they respond by hurting others.

I sympathize with the rationale behind “hurt people hurt people.” It’s hard to be sensitive to other people’s pain when your own has never been completely healed, or the ones who hurt you seem to continue on happy and healthy as if nothing happened.

I do not always think that the pain rendered unto me by the actions of my family after my Mom died in 2005 has ever been completely dealt with, and certainly “justice” (however that is defined) has never been enacted. Nor has the pain from the trauma my sister visited upon me in 1995 been dealt with (I thought I had blogged about that incident, but I can’t find any post on it. So be it, let it rest, for now. 2025 is the 20th and 30th anniversaries of many traumas. The dates are coming up in a coiuple of months.) For all of that, it’s easy for me at times to be resentful and less than empathic towards others. I am a hurt person who once in a while hurts others. Bear in mind that everyone does this; but at least I know the source of where it comes from. We all walk around broken and wounded. The wounds are there; some healed over, others not so much. 

It is obvious from all this that people need healing, and that access to effective and affordable mental health resources is imperative. Also, people need to embrace forgiveness. If a hurt person cannot get access to mental health resources, then “forgiveness” may help as far as it goes.

There is one method by which a person who has been hurt can find healing and perhaps justice as well. Although much patience is required.

“Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay.”

That is a passage from the Bible. You can’t get a better method of justice than God going to bat for you and doing unto others what should be done unto them.

St. Paul refers to it explicitly in his Letter to the Romans:

Romans 12: 17-19

“Render to no one harm for harm. Provide good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men.

If it is possible, in so far as you are able, be at peace with all men.

Do not defend yourselves, dearest ones. Instead, step aside from wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is mine. I shall give retribution, says the Lord.”

St. Paul was quoting (“For it is written”) the Book of Deuteronomy 32:35: “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay them in due time, so that their foot may slip and fall.” 

Granted, this is something that will happen “in God’s time;” and while we would rather those who’ve hurt us to get their comeuppance in our lifetime (and quickly!) and maybe even being able to witness it; this is one of those things that it is better to wait for. God’s justice is sweeter when it happens when it’s supposed to. 

It is also important to note that the people on whom God will wreak His vengeance and justice on are those who are unrepentant. I think that if those who’ve hurt you realize the gravity of their actions and repent, even if they do not outright make amends to you, “somehow” God will pass a healing on to you. (Based on this, my family hasn’t repented; I have passed out of family history, mostly fogotten and unregarded. At best, a footnote mentioned at gatherings.)

Another Scripture verse harkens to this vengeance:

Psalm 23:5 “You set a table before me in front of my enemies…”

What better vengeance than for God to bestow His blessings on you in the sight of those who’ve hurt you? This could be in this life; your ‘enemies’ witnessed you moving on from the pain they’ve caused and you seem (outwardly, at least) unharmed.

But it could also be in the next life. You die and enter Heaven, joining in the celebrations of the “wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:1-10).” That incredible eternal feast which takes place after the Second Coming and the final triumph of good over evil and the resurrection of the dead, where all the faithful gather in joyous union with the glorified Christ.

Just think about the possibility of your unrepentant and unforgiven enemies witnessing this from the tortures of Hell (which I think may be one way to increases their suffering.) These are the people who have willfully done you serious harm; whether it be crimes such as physical or psychological abuse, or something else (neglect, bigotry, prejudice…) They have also probably harmed many others. Now they are paying the price for their sins and deservedly so. 

Take heart, of sorts: there is no need for you to nurture the pain with in you as a reminder of past injuries, dwelling on the injustices done unto you and dreaming of a way to get even; or, worse, spread the pain onto others by treating them the same way you had been. For when a “hurt person” “hurts others,” they are no better than those who’ve hurt them. Worse, even for they know the pain and should be sensitive to that pain in others.

Leave it up to God. He knows exactly why those people hurt you. He knows what’s in their hearts and souls and He alone can wreak proper justice. If that includes Divine Vengerance, so be it. Better Him than 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!!)

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!!)

Paolo Mancini and the eternal implications of being misunderstood

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Paolo Mancini was the husband of St. Rita of Cascia, who is the patron saint for my alcoholism recovery because she picked me to be her client and my sobriety date is her feast day. St. Rita is known for many things, among them she is the patroness of those in abusive marriages. This was because Paolo was reputed to be a violent, hot-tempered man.

But Paolo is slowly being rehabilitated. Why? Soot from candle smoke. The following block quotes are from The Catholic Travel Guide.

Very often Saint Rita is portrayed as a long- suffering and even abused wife, whose husband was a violent drunkard, and an unfaithful spouse. The tradition behind this story dates far into history and has been repeated almost without variation down to our own time. The fact is that the story is rooted in a tradition now known to be erroneously based, as well as inconsistent with other details of Rita’s story.

After Rita died her:

casket was decorated inside and out with images depicting Rita, Jesus and Mary Magdalene, as well as with symbols illustrating the spiritual influences on her life. There was also engraved upon its outer cover a poem which spoke of Rita, her suffering and her love. Pilgrims would come to pray before this casket, which was never buried in the ground but remained in a small room within the convent, exposed to the view of visitors. Here they would place devotional candles as signs of their affection and reminders of their prayers. Over many decades the smoke from these candles darkened the casket, eventually making it difficult to read clearly the poetic inscription. In time someone noticed that the poem spoke of a maritu feroce or violent husband.

It was not until the 20th century, when the nuns of Cascia had the monumental casket cleaned and restored, that the maritu feroce vanished. It was discovered that the actual wording was tantu feroce (so violent) and the context clearly referred to the fierce wound of Rita’s thorn, a suffering of quite a different kind.

Source: The Catholic Travel Guide.

Everyone is misunderstood to varying degrees. Perhaps people who are recovering from alcoholism and addictions are more often misuderstood than others. We have experienced our fair share, (and then some!) of misunderstandings. Unless we are famous, or infamous, these vanish after our deaths as we pass from the memories of the people we knew. Sometimes after death, the bad memories that people hold of the dead fade, and mostly good memories remain. Perhaps this is an indication of the person’s eternal fate? 

Everyone today who is familiar with St. Rita of Cascia is also aware of Paolo’s reputation. Which might suck for him given that he’s been dead for around 600 or so years. But does it suck? 

If you’ve read biographies of St. Rita, you learned that her husband died a violent death. He was ambushed and murdered by rivals of some sort. To me, this indicates that while his reputation for being a violent and abusive husband is likely false, it does not necessarily follow that he lead a life of heroic virtue and was a living saint. The circumstances about his death clearly imply that right or wrong, he had enemies who took his life. So, he wasn’t a bad husband, but he may have, in years past, been involved in shady dealings. 

I say “in years past” because it can be taken from St. Rita’s biographers that she did pray intensely for Paolo’s conversion for many years after they were married. So, piece together the clues, and it is reasonable to conclude that for the first bunch of years after they were married, Paolo may have been a loving husband as regards to Rita and was a good provider; however, he may not have been an erstwhile churchgoer, and had incurred a few enemies along the way who wanted him dead, years after Rita brought him back into the Church.

After Paolo’s murder, Rita was distraught over his murder. He had died a sudden death with no preparations for it; as in he didn’t confess his sins beforehand or had viaticum. She grieved over the fate of his soul and prayed hard for his salvation. St. Rita’s biographers indicate that she had recieved a signal grace from Heaven that her prayers for her dead husband’s soul moved God to mercy and Paolo was received into the loving arms of Jesus.

But does this matter now to Paolo? The title of this post is “Paolo Mancini and the eternal implications of being misunderstood.” If Paolo is in Heaven as the story suggests, would he care that he is still regarded as an abusive husband? 

For that matter, does St. Mary Magdalene care that she is known by many as the prostitute that Jesus saved from being stoned? There is some doubt amongst scholars as to which of the numerous “Marys” is the prostitute. 

If you are in Heaven, would you give a shredded scapular over what people back on Earth think of you? You’re in the Beatific Vision, that blessed realm of Heaven where you enjoy God’s Holy Presence and you see Him as He is. What difference does it make what those still trudging their road of destiny think of you? If and when they arrive, they’ll learn the truth about Paolo and the Magdalene, and THAT will remain with them as opposed to the transitory reputation wrongfully attributed to them. (And if they end up in the Other Place, who cares what they thought?)

What’s the lesson in all this as it applies to Sober Catholics? Keep fighting the good fight, “keep your side of the street clean” as they say in AA, work on your soul, keep trudging onward towards Heaven and fret not about what others think of you. Easier said than done, but after no one is saying or doing anything on Earth and in Time, Truth reigns forever in Heaven and people will get to know the Real You. (I’d LOVE to meet Paolo. His wife is my patroness, and his first name is similar to mine! PS: I will have to edit some of the posts I’ve written about St. Rita as they still allude to Paolo’s old reputation. )

Incidentally The Catholic Travel Guide references The Precious Pearl: The Story of Saint Rita, written by Fr. Michael DiGregorio, OSA as the source for the information on Paolo. I have this book, and I highly recommend it, as well as anything else from Virtual Gift Shop at the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia.

HEADS UP: Thank you for reading this far. As a reward, you get to know that the annual Novena to St. Rita begins!!!! Here are two good ones:

NOVENA PRAYERS to St. Rita of Cascia from the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

St. Rita Novena from Pray More Novenas

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!!)

Divine Mercy Sunday and Me

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Divine Mercy Sunday (which was today) is one of my most anticipated Church feasts. Because of my past history as an alcoholic, this feast day touches me more personally than others typically more favored by “normal people.” 

The part about the feast that “gets me” is referred to in the Diary of St. Faustina, “Divine Mercy in My Soul.” In paragraph 699, Jesus tells her (boldface words are those of Jesus, the italicized boldface is my emphasis:)

“On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy  be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.”

 In paragraph 1109:

I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy  

In paragraph 300:

Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. 

You are clean again, all sins including the temporal punishment due for them are wiped away; your soul is in the state it was in just after your Baptism. You are as pure as the driven snow.

Although the Catholic Church attaches a plenary indulgence for those who partake in the Divine Mercy celebrations, the conditions for earning the indulgence (particulary “complete detachment from sin, even the least venial”) make it nearly impossible for anyone to earn it. However, Jesus attaches no burdensome conditions on the reception nof the Sacraments; all He said is that in order for your sins to be entirtely washed away, including any punsishment due them, is to go to Confession and recieve Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday. Not many parishes offer Conferssion on Sunday, but most do on Saturday afternoon, usually just before the Sunday Vigil Mass. This is what I did; I made it to Confession last night and attended the Divine Mercy Vigil. 

I ran across a video on YouTube that explains how Jesus’ promises are even better than the plenary indulgence:

You have tp watch it!

By the way, if you really enjoy the Divine Mercy Devotion, and wish to watch more videos on it as well as great catechetical and devotional programs, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (the religious order that maintains the Divine Mercy Shrine in Massachusetts,) they have a streaming service full of programs to get you to Heaven! Divine Mercy Plus is a website (link is the 1st 3 words of this sentence) and apps for Apple devices and Android; plus apps for TV streaming devices (such as the Amazon FireStick.) There is also an app for desktop computers!

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. Gemma Galgani, Feast day April 11

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St. Gemma Galgani is one of my favorite saints. To my shock, I discovered that I’ve never blogged about her. 

St. Paul the Apostle writes in Hebrews 12:1 about a ‘great cloud of witnesses.’ These are the saints in Heaven who are a part of the Mystical Body of Christ. They interact with us when we pray through them; we discover them in various ways, such as through our own exploration of the Catholic faith – perhaps the Holy Spirit ‘suggests’ someone. Sometimes they even pick us to become a devotee of theirs. If we were fortunate enough to be named after a saint or we took a saint’s name for Confirmation we might endeavor to learn more about them. Through them we become aware of other saints. This latter way is how I learned about St. Gemma Galgani, whose feast day is April 11.

I am a devotee of St. Maximilliam Kolbe. In my reading of his writings I discovered that he had a devotion to St. Gemma Galgani. While he was living in Nagasaki, he had written to his friary in Poland for a biography of her. He apparently had read this biogrpahy numerous times (I think 5? 6?)  (You can obtain it through Tan Books, its publisher. It’s also available from EWTN.)

Once I learned that St. Maximilian had a devotion to St. Gemma, to the point of having read her biography numerous times, I naturally became attracted to her and looked up things; I learned a lot from this site, and became hooked.

St Gemma Galgani.

She was a mystic and was very dedicated to the Passion of Christ. She bore the stigmata (although not permanently; they appeared on Thursday evening and lasted until Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.) Satan had attacked her and tried to burn her autobiography. 

She is the patron saint against temptations, against the death of parents, against tuberculosis, of students and of pharmacists. For these reasons I believe that sober Catholics should cultivate a relationship with her. She can help you with your temptations (of the drink, of impure acts, other things.) Many people who have sobered up return to school; she can watch over you in your studies. Since she was so dedicated to the Passion of Christ, perhaps she can even help you understand it better and apply it to your life. It is said that every saint meditated on the Passion. If you want to increase your chances of going to Heaven someday, St. Gemma can help 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!!)

Reminder about the Miraculous 54 Day Rosary Novena for Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery (begins Ash Wednesday!)

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A while back, I announced an idea. I’m reminding you of it today because Lent is coming up, and there’s a Lenten observance you may be interested in: “A Miraculous 54-Day Rosary Novena for Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery.”

Lent begins on March 5th this year. Last year, I prayed two successful Miraculous 54-Day Rosary Novenas. I did some calculations with a calendar and discovered that starting with Ash Wednesday as the first day, the 54th and final day would be:

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY!!!!!

I don’t think that’s a coincidence. The very Sunday when the floodgates of God’s unfathomable ocean of Mercy open up and spill out over every sinner who in humility begs for forgiveness is the very day the completion of the Miraculous 54-day Rosary Novena ends! 

Think about that. Are you still trapped in the miseries of alcoholism and drug addiction? Or, do you know someone who is? This may be the perfect time for deliverance from that slavery. And it may not even be for alcoholics and drug addicts. Sex and porn addicts, as well as anyone who can’t break masturbation, take comfort! Your deliverance may be at hand! You will be beseeching the Blessed Virgin Mary, the very Mother of Purity, for her intercession to liberate you from lust! How can she not help you?

So, get the word out. Start preparing. Get in the spirit by ramping up your own Rosary devotion. (Need help? There’s this book: The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts.) Start working on your examination of conscience. We’re supposed to do that every evening before bedtime (just a review of our day and where we might have offended God or not done His will; but we do a more detailed one just before going to confession. Here’s a great guide to Confession, complete with an Examen.) If you are a Twelve-Stepper, now’s a good time to do (or repeat) your 4th Step Inventory and find someone to do the 5th Step with.) Try doing the 10th Step throughout your day.

To sum it all up, this Lent of 2025 could be the season when you finally become free of your deepest, darkest character defects. I have loads of things wrong with me, and so I will definitely be doing it.

So, what are the basics of this novena, and is it truly miraculous? I think it is, at least in the sense that practitioners have reported they’ve gotten their petitions answered. (Obviously, the petitions have to be reasonable and subject to God’s Will for you.)

The Miraculous 54-Day Rosary Novena originated in the late 19th century in Naples, Italy, when a young girl suffering from an illness thought to be incurable prayed to Our Lady for help. Mary appeared to her and promised her healing if she prayed three novenas. The girl did so, and was miraculously healed. In a later apparition, Mary specified that the full prayer should have 3 novenas in petition, and 3 novenas in thanksgiving.

How to pray the Novena:

The novena consists of five decades of the Rosary (one set of mysteries) each day for twenty-seven consecutive days in petition; then immediately five decades each day for an additional twenty-seven consecutive days in thanksgiving, regardless of whether or not the request has been granted yet. (This is where faith comes in; you’re thanking the Blessed Virgin and God for granting the request without first waiting for it to be granted. That’s gratitude, too.) 

The first day of the novena always begins with the Joyful Mysteries (regardless of what day of the week the novena is started); the second day, the Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed; and the third day of the novena, the Glorious Mysteries are prayed. The fourth day of the novena starts all over with the Joyful, etc., and continues on in that sequence (Joyful-Sorrowful-Glorious) throughout the 54 days of the novena. The Luminous Mysteries aren’t included only because they did not exist when Our Lady taught this novena to the girl. 

There are special additional prayers to begin and conclude it during all the days of petition and thanksgiving, as well as at the end of each decade. Please visit these sites for information on how to pray the Miraculous 54-Day Rosary Novena:

How to Pray the 54-Day Rosary Novena courtesy of Hallow

FIFTY-FOUR DAY NOVENA (This is a downloadable PDF file; it also has more prayers than the previous two links. 

Is this novena truly miraculous? I believe so. I think you do have to follow the format provided by the instructions I linked to; I’ve said 54-day rosary novenas in the past without the special prayers, and the results were not what I hoped for. Faith abides. If you are sincere, and if the petitions are in accordance with God’s will for you, then there should be some positive result. A full healing? Perhaps! Just increased strength and determination to recover? Possibly? Doors opened for you to be admitted to a treatment facility? Maybe! How the petitions are answered is up to God, but they could very well include a complete remission of your urges to drink, drug, lust, and whatnot.

It is said that the only prayers that God is guaranteed to answer positively are those for a soul’s salvation, since He desires that all be saved. (Even though not all are.) So perhaps connect your recovery to your salvation?

Let this upcoming Divine Mercy Sunday be the best yet! May the ocean of mercy pour down upon you and completely wash away your sins and leave you renewed, refreshed, and forgiven! 

Please read these posts on Divine Mercy Sunday:

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Sunday: A great day for those who’ve really messed things up

Sacred Heart and Divine Mercy Sunday

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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!!)

The Sign of the Cross Apostolate

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 I have been delving deeper into EWTN’s programming since I posted the other day about Mother Angelica is as helpful and inspiring today as she was decades ago. I have also begun exploring their programming on Lourdes (an obvious devotion for anyone who is an alcoholic and addict or is otherwise afflicted with physical and emotional maladies.) I found this series from a few short years ago: My Lourdes Faith Journey. It is like a companion to this book: Everyday Miracles Of Lourdes – Twenty Extraordinary Experiences Along The Way To The Grotto

Both are products of the work of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers. Many of the chapters of the book serve as episodes of the “My Lourdes Faith Journey” program. One in particular stood out for me. At the end of Episode 5- Jamie Jensen, Mr Jensen (a quadriplegic who’s been to Lourdes well over a dozen times and serves on the Board of Advisors to the Hospitality NA Volunteers group) casually mentioned about a “Sign of the Cross Apostolate.” I couldn’t find any website, not even a page on the Volunteers Hospitality  site, but that might be because it’s very simple and probably spreads by word of mouth by those who participate in the Volunteers Hospitality pilgimages. 

Here’s some background: Our Lady of Lourdes North American Volunteers is an apostolate dedicated to arranging pilgrimages to Lourdes for North Americans who need to immerse themselves in the baths, visit the grotto, and obtain a physical, mental or spiritual healing. They are based in Syracuse, NY (not too far from my hometown of Oneida!) The book, “Everyday Miracles of Lourdes” details 21 stories of healing and conversion. The EWTN series “My Lourdes Faith Journey,” like I said above, is about many of those stories. Marlene Watkins, the host of the show and author of the book, interviews the pilgrims. It’s quite a wonderful, uplifting experience. 

Now, about the Sign of the Cross Apostolate. Mr. Jensen refers to it near the end of the episode he’s featured on. Since he is a quadriplegic, he cannot physically make the Sign of the Cross. People have to do it for him. He said in the book’s chapter on him as well as on the show, that if he could  move his arms only once, it would be to make the Sign of the Cross. 

The Sign of the Cross is an important part of the Lourdes devotion because St. Bernadette said that it is the path to Heaven when done with devotion and piety. The Sign of the Cross is also important when you consider the words:

“In the Name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen””

Whenever you pray ‘In the name of,’ such as praying in the Name of Jesus (“In Jesus’ Name!”) and so forth, you are submitted to the authority contained in that name. In essence, when  making the Sign of the Cross, you are inviting the Will of God into your life and and are subjecting your prayers to His authority. You may get the things you prayed for or you may not. It’s all up to whether it’s a part of God’s Will for you. So, when you make the Sign of the Cross, you are inviting the Trinity. (I think you are also inviting the Blessed Mother in since being the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, she is an integral part of the Trinity. St. Maximilian Kolbe wrote extensively on her ‘Quasi-Trinitarian participation in a quasi-hypostatic union’ – or something like that – with the Trinity since she is the Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, and Spouse of the Holy Spirit.) 

Many people cannot make the Sign of the Cross because of their physical disability. Many people cannot do it in certain countries because it’ll mean imprisonment or death. This kind of shamed me (not a bad thing; the world can use a greater awareness of ‘shame’) since I am a rather casual Sign of the Cross maker. 

THAT is the Sign of the Cross Apostolate. Making the Sign of the Cross for those who cannot. That’s it. No special prayers or writings or devotions. Just make the Sign of the Cross for those who cannot. 

So, every time I make the Sign of the Cross, whether in private or in public (a courageous act!) I will do it with this in mind. Not only for my salvation, as per St. Bernadette’s conviction, but for all of those who cannot do it for whatever reason. 

You should too! Spread the word about this!

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!!)

Sacred Heart and Advent

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Advent begins on Sunday. It is the traditional time of preparation for both comings of Jesus: it’s a memorial of His first coming as a baby as well as an anticipation of His Second Coming in Triumph to judge all nations and history. This latter is obvious if you pray the Liturgy of the Hours and take a look at the Mass Readings. They’ve been quite apocalyptic in recent weeks and will continue to be so.

For this Sacred Heart Friday, I will try and connect the Sacred Heart Devotion to this time of preparation. 

What do we do in preparing for Jesus’ coming? (Either one.) We enter into a penitential mindset. I only learned this a few years ago, that Advent is a time of penance; perhaps not quite to the degree that Lent is but just as you prepare yourself to receive Him in Holy Communion by confessing mortal sins and serious venial ones, you have to rid yourself of character defects and other sinful habits. This all reminds us of why He came in the first place (to redeem us of our sins) and that when He Returns, it will be to bring to closure human history and the final separation of the Elect from the Damned.

The practice of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a perfect way to prepare for Advent. It adds a certain dimension otherwise lacking, I think. For in its practice, we are offering our actions as a means of reparation for those who are trapped in sin. These may scoff at God and Belief, or, if believers, they may be lukewarm or be those who feel they have plenty of time to get it right with God. 

Out acts of reparation according to the Sacred Heart Devotion may just be the catalyst to spur these people back on the path to God.

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!!)

The Sacred Heart Devotion and the Works of Mercy

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I almost gave up on coming up with a topic for today’s Sacred Heart Friday post. Then I got a wee bit of inspiration and decided to look at Mass readings for this upcoming Sunday, which is the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. I got nothin’ from the First Reading, same for the Responsorial Psalm. St. Paul let me down with nothing in his Letter used for the Second Reading. (Just kidding, you ol’ namesake, you!)

But, the Gospel. Yumpinious Yumpiniorum! 

It is from Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,

and all the angels with him,

he will sit upon his glorious throne,

and all the nations will be assembled before him. 

And he will separate them one from another,

as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 

He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 

Then the king will say to those on his right,

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. 

Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 

For I was hungry and you gave me food,

I was thirsty and you gave me drink,

a stranger and you welcomed me,

naked and you clothed me,

ill and you cared for me,

in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say,

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

or thirsty and give you drink? 

When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,

or naked and clothe you? 

When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply,

‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did

for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left,

‘Depart from me, you accursed,

into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry and you gave me no food,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

a stranger and you gave me no welcome,

naked and you gave me no clothing,

ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say,

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty

or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,

and not minister to your needs?’

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,

what you did not do for one of these least ones,

you did not do for me.’

And these will go off to eternal punishment,

but the righteous to eternal life.”

 

And all of that reminded me of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy:

 

The Corporal Works of Mercy:

• To feed the hungry;

• To give drink to the thirsty;

• To clothe the naked;

• To shelter the homeless;

• To care for the sick;

• To ransom the captive/visit the imprisoned

• To bury the dead.

 

The Spiritual Works of Mercy:

• To instruct the ignorant;

• To counsel the doubtful;

• To admonish sinners;

• To bear wrongs patiently;

• To forgive offenses willingly;

• To comfort the afflicted;

• To pray for the living and the dead.

If you’ve been following along with all these Sacred Heart Friday posts, you must be acutely aware of the reparative aspect of the Sacred Heart Devotion: that we offer up sacrifices in reparation for the sins of others.

Well, we can attach the working out of the devotion to doing the Works of Mercy. Take a look over the list: there are quite a few (if not all) which, when combined with the Devotion, help in making reparation for others’ sins.

Perhaps when Jesus comes again, there will be fewer goats and more sheep.

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!!)