Category Archives: Prayer

A Walk with the Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots, Day 4

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Today we cover “this knot which robs the peace of my heart, paralyzes my soul and keeps me from going to my Lord and serving Him with my life…” as we move into Day 4 of our walk through The Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots.

Guilt over some grave matter that you did? Other sins of commission? How about sins of omission (Things that you’re supposed to do, but haven’t)? Unfinished business? Something is nagging at your conscience and not letting you rest. It is serious to the point of preventing your relationship with the Lord from achieving it fulfillment. We are all supposed to go to our Lord and serve Him.

Matthew 6:33 “Therefore, seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added to you as well”.

via Matthew – Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible.

Like I mentioned in Day 1, a “deep examination of conscience, that “fearless and searching moral inventory” spoken of in Fourth Step of the 12 Steps Movements, is called for to get at a root cause” of what might be paralyzing your spiritual progression.

Since the Church teaches that we go to Jesus through Mary, the Blessed Virgin would be a wonderful aide in helping you take care of this matter.  Dwell on this intention for today; meditate on what the “knot” is so that when you pray the Rosary for this day’s Novena, you can ask with particular need Mary’s intercession for 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!!)

A Walk with the Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots, Day 3

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For Day 3 in our daily walk with The Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots we cover “this knot in my life…and all the rancor and resentment it has caused in me…’.

All right, resentment. Whether the rancor in life is caused by us or by others, the resentment that results is one character defect that we alcoholic own (Along with anger; there’s others, but resentment holds a “special” place in our wounded mind.)

Resentment means “to feel again,” as in to “sentiment” again. You hold a grudge. Someone wronged you and you feel it for years. The letting go of it is hard. But letting go is a must.

So we take a look at this knot. What distance that has transpired in time since its creation is unimportant. It happened, the knot was tied, and it still pains you all these years and has caused rifts between you and others.

Use this Novena to ask Mary to help you forgive. As tough as forgiveness may be, it is essential to your salvation (kindly say the “Our Father,” and really think about the passage near the end: “…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive others who trespass against us.” God’s forgiveness of your sins is dependent upon you forgiving others…)

Mary can lead you to the softening of the heart, to the feeling that “what was done was done and the time spent dwelling on it is now over.” For some transgressions the time taken to the act of forgiveness may be long. But as long as you start along the path to forgiving the trespasser, your healing can begin.

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!!)

A Walk with the Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots, Day 2

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Today we cover “sins of egoism, pride, rancor and … lack of generosity and humility…” in our daily walk with The Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots.

These sins blind you. The more of your “self” that you are bound up in, the less you are open to God’s graces, the less you see Jesus in other people. You adopt a “me versus them” attitude, with the “me” feeling inherently superior.

And leave it to an alcoholic to feel superior to others, even with all the serious character defects these sins reveal.

Work on becoming smaller. To quote St. John the Baptist:

John 3:30 He must increase, while I must decrease.

via John – Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible.

Becoming “smaller” is also the “Little Way” of St.Therese of Lisieux, who taught that one should do everything with love, even the smallest, most insignificant task. Nothing is too small for God if done with Love.

So perhaps do “little things” as if they were the most important things in the world at the moment.

They just might be, to someone.

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!!)

A Walk with the Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots, Day 1

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Last week I introduced you all to The Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots. (Well, some of you, a few have known of it 😉 )

I said this Novena just once, at the end of this past December (I did not post daily prayers). The “knots” I won’t bother bringing up, but as I said the prayers each day I noticed that the Novena might be best said for offering up different “knots” for each day.

To that end I am going to start the Novena over, each day specifically offering up “knots” that are seemingly special to that day’s prayers.

Today, Day 1: “this knot….and all the negative consequences that it provokes in my life…”

What specific “knot” in your life is the catalyst for all sorts of negative consequences? A deep examination of conscience, that “fearless and searching moral inventory” spoken of in Fourth Step of the 12 Steps Movements, is called for to get at a root cause of a number of negative incidents in life.

Take a look around your life. What seems to be the negative consequences that abound in it? Can you trace them back to a source (or sources)? Many sins are symptoms of deeper sins.

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 Mother of God and Undoer of Knots

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As it turns out, “Mary, the Undoer of Knots” is one of Pope Francis’ favorite devotions. Following yesterday’s Novena of Mary the Undoer of Knots post, I ran across an article this morning  from “ZENIT – The World Seen From Rome:” The Mother of God and Undoer of Knots.

Also:

Today, January 1st, is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

Luke 1:48 “For he has looked with favor on the humility of his handmaid. For behold, from this time, all generations shall call me blessed.“

via Luke – Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible.

Do you honor your Mother? Do you call Mary, “blessed”? Or do you think she was just some incidental figure in salvation history, a random person selected by God to bear His Son, and it could have been just anyone? Entrust your sobriety to her. A good Momma takes care of her children.

BeholdYourMother

 

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 Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots

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As we close out the old year and await the new, we tend to reflect upon our life as it has transpired so far. We notice how messed up it can be. No matter how long we’ve been clean and sober, regardless of how serene we are: upon a closer examination we can often see that our life has messy parts. If fact, one can say that the messy parts are all knotted up. To assist my readers in cleaning up the mess and undoing the knots, I would like to introduce to you all the Novena of Mary, Undoer of Knots.

The devotion and accompanying novena are old. According to the Holy Rosary site:

“How this devotion started?

To show us the mission granted to the Virgin Mary by Her Son, an artist Johann Melchior Georg Schmittdner painted Mary Undoer of Knots with great grace. Since 1700, his painting has been venerated in the Church of St. Peter in Perlack, Augsburg, Germany. It was originally inspired by a meditation of Saint Irenaeus (Bishop of Lyon and martyred in 202) based on the parallel made by Saint Paul between Adam and Christ. Saint Irenaeus, in turn, made a comparison between Eve and Mary, saying:“Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it”.

But what are these knots?

There are the problems and struggles we face for which we do not see any solution … knots of discord in your family, lack of understanding between parents and children, disrespect, violence, the knots of deep hurts between husband and wife, the absence of peace and joy at home. There are also the knots of anguish and despair of separated couples, the dissolution of the family, the knots of a drug addict son or daughter, sick or separated from home or God, knots of alcoholism, the practice of abortion, depression, unemployment, fear, solitude…Ah, the knots of our life! How they suffocate the soul, beat us down and betray the heart’s joy and separate us from God.”

As you can see from the above paragraph on what the knots are, this is a devotion and novena that can be extremely useful for people struggling with alcoholism, addiction and sobriety (their own, or others’. So maybe this can also be of help to members of Al-Anon and related family groups).

These are short excerpts from each day’s meditations, they give you an idea as to how relevant this Novena can be for you:

Day 1: this knot….and all the negative consequences that it provokes in my life…

Day 2: sins of egoism, pride, rancor and my lack of generosity and humility…

Day 3: this knot in my life…and all the rancor and resentment it has caused in me…

Day 4: this knot which robs the peace of my heart, paralyzes my soul and keeps me from going to my Lord and serving Him with my life…

Day 5: the bitterness, anger and hatred which this knot has caused me…

Day 6: persevere in the living word of Jesus, in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Confession…

Day 7: free me from the snares of Evil…

Day 8: to practice the virtues of courage, joyfulness, humility and faith…

Day 9: this knot in my life…You know very well the suffering it has caused me…

So, pray it! It can be said at any time of the year, whenever you’re inspired or just feel the need. I figured that New Years’s Day can be a good time, especially as it is also the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. The following link contains the Opening and Closing Prayers and Daily Meditations: The Unfailing Novena of Mary Undoer of Knots. Although the above excerpts should help you in thinking about the intentions  you wish to pray for and offer up through the Blessed Virgin to Jesus, I would suggest that you read it over once before starting.

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!!)

With my whole heart, I have sought you

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Psalm 119: 9-17 “By what does an adolescent correct his way? By keeping to your words.
With my whole heart, I have sought you. Do not let me be driven away from your commandments.
I have hidden your eloquence in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord. Teach me your justifications.
With my lips, I have pronounced all the judgments of your mouth.
I have been delighted in the way of your testimonies, as if in all riches.
I will be trained in your commandments, and I will consider your ways.
I will meditate on your justifications. I will not forget your words.”

The composer of the 119th Psalm continues the theme of the first 8 verses, that of seeking the Lord with the whole heart and equating purity and holiness with following the Commandments.

This is yet another example of how this Psalm is a good one to know for those of us in recovery. “I have hidden your eloquence in my heart, so that I may not sin against you,” shows that interior conversion helps one abstain from sin. The Twelve Steps are an excellent method to kickstart conversion, but when combined with a desire to know God through His sacred teachings, how much sweeter will recovery be!

Furthermore, the Psalmist declares that he will not keep silent, that not only does he desire the Lord to impart His ways, but that such things are a delight and will be shared with others.

This entire section is a good lesson in the desire to know God’s will, to learn God’s teachings and the joy of following the Commandments. All because they keep you on the righteous path (as well as armament against relapse).

NOTE: This is Psalm 119 in most Catholic Bibles based on the Latin Vulgate, it is Psalm 118 in Bibles based on the Greek Septuagint.

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!!)

Blessed are they who walk in the law of the Lord

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Psalm 119:1-8 Blessed are the immaculate in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are those who examine his testimonies. They seek him with their whole heart.
For those who work iniquity have not walked in his ways.
You have ordered your commandments to be kept most diligently.
I wish that my ways may be directed so as to keep your justifications.
Then I will not be confounded, when I will look into all your commandments.
I will confess to you with honesty of heart. In this way, I have learned the judgments of your justice.
I will keep your justifications. Do not utterly abandon me.

This is a humble, honest prayer by a penitent beseeching the Lord’s guidance and will. They know that those who seek to follow the Lord’s Commandments will have a difficult time, as with anything that must be “kept most diligently.” But in doing so, the pray-er finds great reward in holiness and blessedness.

This prayer is a good one to use by those of us in recovery, regardless of how long we have trudged the road. Discerning God’s will is not easy, and the psalmist asks the Lord for assistance in doing so (“I wish that my ways …”).

The penitent knows that following the Lord’s path is a way that will give great help in fighting impurity and sin (“For those who work iniquity…”) If you refrain from sinning, you are walking in the Lord’s ways. So, trying to follow the Commandments helps in the struggle against sin.

The psalmist knows that after sinning, greater humility will result from confessing. At least, that is how I interpret the verse, “I will confess to you with honesty of heart. In this way, I have learned the judgments of your justice.” In your honest and humble examination of conscience, you learn what sins you have committed. Upon taking these sinful acts and comparing them to the Commandments, you may develop a greater understanding of them and gain greater ability to amend your life. Why do I persist in doing thus and so? You sin, you make an honest confession, the penance humbles you and in humility you gain a greater awareness of God’s will in your life and how to cooperate with it (“I will not be confounded…”).

Finally, a promise to keep to the Lord’s path is combined with a plea for God to not abandon the penitent, for it is known that only with God’s grace can we keep to a pure and holy life. We cannot do it by our own efforts.

NOTE: This is Psalm 119 in most Catholic Bibles based on the Latin Vulgate, it is Psalm 118 in Bibles based on the Greek Septuagint.

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!!)

Novena To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus

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Today is the first day of the Sacred Heart Novena. As a courtesy, I will be posting it daily from the site “Pray More Novenas,” but not here. I will instead be posting it to the Sober Catholic Blog Page on Facebook and also on theSober Catholic Blog Page on Google+. So please go to either Page every day for the Novena Prayers. In fact, if you are on Facebook or Google+, “Like” or “Circle” the Pages, as there is activity on them that isn’t here on the blog (like inspirational quotes, pictures and other things.)

The Sacred Heart is an old and venerable Catholic devotion, particularly regarding conversion of heart and mind and in reparation for sins. It was also a very important aspect of early Alcoholics Anonymous, as “Sacred Heart Badges” were awarded to recovering alcoholics at St. Thomas’ Hospital in Akron, Ohio by Sister Ignatia (a close ally and partner to Dr. Bob, AA’s co-founder). These badges later inspired AA’s medallions and coins, awarded to alcoholics on various sobriety anniversaries.

NOVENA to the SACRED HEART of JESUS PRAYERS

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!!)

How can I repay the LORD for all the great good done for me?

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The Responsorial Psalm for Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper holds a wonderful prayer that can be used for an attitude of gratitude:

Psalm 116: 12-13; 15-17

How can I repay the LORD

for all the great good done for me?

I will raise the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the LORD.

Dear in the eyes of the LORD

is the death of his devoted.

LORD, I am your servant,

your servant, the child of your maidservant;

you have loosed my bonds.

I will offer a sacrifice of praise

and call on the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people…

(Via USCCB.)

For truly, how can one “repay the LORD for all the great good done?” He has indeed “loosed my bonds” from the grip of alcohol. And forever and ever “I will offer a sacrifice of praise and call on the name of the LORD.”

Perhaps one can repay by carrying the Gospel message forward, as well as helping others realize the healing power of the Sacraments.

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!!)