The idea of using the Devotion to the Sacred Heart as a way to keep clean and sober isn’t strange to anyone familiar with the Matt Talbot Way. The Sacred Heart is central to the Way. It is essentially transferring your love for your favorite chemical onto Jesus. You ‘give’ your love for your addiction …
Continue reading ‘The Sacred Heart Devotion as a recovery method’ »
I have been sober today for twenty years. To me, anniversaries ending in “0” or “5” are monumental. I don’t know why, it just seems that way. I had to let that sink in. Twenty years. While I am not trying to act out the sin of pride, if you knew me way back when …
One of my favorite passages in Scripture popped up today in the First Reading for the Mass for Monday of Holy Week: Isaiah 42:3 “The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoldering wick he will not extinguish.” Courtesy: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version We alcoholics are bruised reeds, and remain so long …
Today’s Gospel Reading for the Saturday of the Second Week of Lent is a popular one involving mercy and forgiveness. It is the story of “The Prodigal Son.” I wrote about it before: Prodigal Alcoholics. In that post I focused on mercy and forgiveness. There is also another point: the longing to belong and rejoin …
Continuing along with the theme of yesterday’s post, we read in this excerpt from the First Reading of today’s Mass for Thursday after Ash Wednesday “…But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them…” (Deuteronomy 30:17) Keep God in the center of …
Continuing on with my Friday (almost) weekly Scripture meditations on the Passion of Our Lord, I managed to get only a few more verses on July 8th than last time. Matthew 26:41 “Be vigilant and pray, so that you may not enter into temptation. Indeed, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” “The …
Continue reading ‘The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’ »
OK, I did it again! Although I didn’t formally announce it, I sort of strongly implied that I’d be blogging daily during Lent. I actually may have come out and said it, I don’t remember. Well, no posts these past two days. {{{sigh}}} (The “I did it again!” refers to my annual Lenten pledge to …
Today’s Lenten post is an excerpt from the Gospel for today’s Mass for the Saturday after Ash Wednesday. Luke 5: 31-32 “And responding, Jesus said to them: “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who have maladies. I have not come to call the just, but sinners to repentance.” …
Continue reading ‘Those who are healthy do not need a physician’ »
Today is my sobriety date! Twelve years ago today was my last drunk. I have frequently tried to figure out the hour at which I took my last drink, but this only serves to keep fresh the memory of the last day. I had a brief bout with sobriety before, having stopped in early February …
The Responsorial Psalm for Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent is: Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. via USCCB. We have all been there, this stroll through the dark valley, when all is dark and we feel that there is no hope. …