There is a pious Catholic practice I recently became aware of, even though it is over a millennia old. It is the service of the “Rogation Days,” which takes place annually on the Feast of St. Mark (the Gospel writer) on April 25th, and on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday preceding Ascension Thursday. I missed …
Alcoholism had us (or still has) ensared us in it grip. By our own efforts we are unable to free ourselves from enslavement. An excerpt from the Responsorial Psalm from today’s Mass on the Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent is a very good prayer for those still trapped, or for anyone still struggling …
The best way for conversion (or reversion if you left the Church and are coming back) is to humbly petition the Lord by prayer to guide you. The Holy Spirit does wonders if you ask him. In this excerpt from the Responsorial Psalm from today’s Mass of the First Sunday of Lent… Psalm 25: 4-5 …
A while back I wrote: “So, this one sober Catholic “Voice crying out in the wilderness” of recovery, pointing the way to the healing power of the Church and Her resources, is going to spend a few posts writing about St. John the Baptist and how his message of prayer, fasting and repentance can be …
Today is Ash Wednesday, and is thus the beginning of Lent; a time of prayer, fasting, reparation and penance. Coincidentally, among the main themes of this blog. This is an excerpt from the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours for today: Isaiah 58: 5-12: “This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: …
While doing my morning meditations today I read the following passage from the Old Testament “Wisdom” Book, the Book of Sirach (Chapter 2, Verses 1-13). I found it to be a very good and hopeful exhortation to persevere in keeping faith with the Lord; for those who persevere to the end will be saved (as …
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The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola are online! You can find them here: Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius These are important for a host or reasons, one of which is that it has been said that the Twelve Steps are very similar to them in nature. Having them online is useful for those …
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The Second Reading from Today’s Mass of the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time has one of my favorite Scripture passages, and the first one I ever attempted to memorize. To me, it is at the heart of being a person in recovery: Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by …
On Page 552 of the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous (their basic text), there is a very helpful suggestion on how to rid yourself of resentments towards a person. You pray for them every day for two weeks. According to the writer of that Big Book chapter, they had held a deep resentment towards someone. …
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The “Five First Saturdays” were instituted at the request of Mary in 1925, during an Apparition to Lucia, one of the then only surviving seers of Fatima. Our Lady requested that the faithful, on the first Saturday of the month for five consecutive months: • Go to Confession • Receive Holy Communion • pray the …