Category Archives: Sacred Heart

Sister Ignatia of Alcoholics Anonymous

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Aleteia has a good article on Sister Ignatia: The Catholic nun behind Alcoholics Anonymous

Sr. Ignatia assisted AA co-founder “Dr. Bob” Smith at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, OH in AA’s early years. She was of tremendous help in developing a treatment program for alcoholics, probably the pioneer in such matters.

Sr. Ignatia was also responsible for what became the AA tradition of giving “chips” or medallions to people who have passed sobriety milestones (one day, 30 days, etc.). She gave Sacred Heart badges to people upon the completion of their hospitalization.

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 of Jesus

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Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an ancient and popular devotion amongst Catholics. The Sacred Heart is also important to alcoholics in recovery, as those who know AA history are aware that Sister Ignatia of St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio, (who worked closely with Dr. Bob, the co-founder of AA) gave out “Sacred Heart Badges” to those alkies who were successfully treated there. From it came the AA tradition of “chips”or coins marking periods of sobriety.

An example of a Sacred Heart Badge:

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Image courtesy of Roman Catholic Sacramentals Foundation

Romans 8: 35-39 “Then who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation? Or anguish? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or peril? Or persecution? Or the sword?

For it is as it has been written: “For your sake, we are being put to death all day long. We are being treated like sheep for the slaughter.”

But in all these things we overcome, because of him who has loved us.

For I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor the present things, nor the future things, nor strength, nor the heights, nor the depths, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Sacred Heart represents Jesus’ love for us, and our devotion to it represents our returning that love, our offering of ourselves as sacrifices to make reparation for sins against Jesus (blasphemy, sacrilege, indifference).

How can YOU do this? By consecrating yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus! You can read the prayer on EWTN’s site, go here: Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I have written previously about the Sacred Heart, check the Sacred Heart Post Archives out to learn more!

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!!)

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Friday is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is an ancient Catholic devotion, finding its Scriptural roots in St. John the Evangelist laying his head upon the chest of Jesus during the Last Supper. He would have heard and felt His Heart beat. However, it would not be for another 1,000 years when the devotion actually developed.

The following is an excerpt from a post that I wrote last year:

The Sacred Heart is an old Catholic devotion dating back centuries. It focuses on the human nature of Jesus (the heart long being considered the center or source of human emotion). As Jesus had become human to redeem us for our sins, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus concerns the Divine Love of God for us, and our response to that is our reparation for our sins. We sin, we repent and we make reparation.

In light of this, that the Sacred Heart was chosen as a symbol of recovery is not surprising. In our recovery, we are making reparation for the sins we had committed in our addictions. And in our recovery, we accept and respond to the love God has for us. We know we messed up and abused the gifts that God gave to us. But despite all of that, He still loves us as His prodigal children and always takes us back no matter how bad our sins. As long as we repent and try to amend our lives we are on the right path.

No sin is greater than God’s ability to forgive. Our repentance has to be sincere, and we have to make a best effort at amending. But no matter how evil, we can be forgiven. No matter how often we fall, we get right back up.

via The Sacred Heart and Alcoholism.

I have blogged about it numerous time before, here is a link to the Archive of Sober Catholic posts on the Sacred Heart

Here is an excellent little overview on the history of the devotion:

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Catholic Encyclopedia has an even more in depth article on it:

Catholic Encyclopedia on the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Finally, here is a link to the Mass Readings for the Solemnity:

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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 Apparitions at Fatima

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In 1917 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three Portuguese shepherd children 5 times near the town of Aljustrel, in the parish of Fatima. It is one of the best known and documented Marian Apparitions.

Mary requested of the children that they pray much, and return to the site on the 13th of the month for the next 5 months; which they did through the last epic appearance in October. August was missed on the 13th due to the seers’ being kidnapped by the authorities. Mary did appear to them on the 19th, however. Our Lady is not to be denied.

I bring this up as I have long believed that the Fatima Apparitions are important, especially in these times. But they are also important to us alcoholics and addicts as they concern prayer, reparation and admonishments against sexual sin.

The devotion to the Rosary is an obvious major development of the Fatima Apparitions, and as readers of this blog know, I regard the Rosary as a great tool for people in recovery. I even wrote a devotional book using the Rosary for alcoholics (details on ordering are at the end of each Sober Catholic post! 🙂 )

May 13th is the first of the 5 appearances, and this year is the 97th anniversary. Try and go to Mass, or if not possible, say the Rosary.

I do not think I have blogged about the Apparitions before, if so that is an oversight that is being corrected. I will continue with this, either here or on my other blogs (In the Land of My Exile I Praise Him… and The Four Last Things ) on or before the 13th of the month through October. Which blog depends upon the subject, at any rate I will post information here when I blog about them elsewhere.) I plan on doing this annually until 2017, the centenary of the Apparitions (God-willing).

To get you started, please visit the following links, the first two are from the official Fatima site in Portugal (they’re in English, but also other languages); the latter two are from the EWTN site.

History of the Apparition.

The Message of Fatima.

FATIMA at EWTN.

FATIMA – The Apparitions (on EWTN).

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 and Alcoholism

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Barefoot’s World had a piece on how Sr. Ignatia created the “Sacred Heart Badge” for those admitted to St. Thomas Hospital as an incentive to maintain their recovery and as a “merit badge” to show their progress. Number 9 wrote about it earlier, also quoting the same source: Sacred Heart Badge (the 1st white chip).

The Sacred Heart is an old Catholic devotion dating back centuries. It focuses on the human nature of Jesus (the heart long being considered the center or source of human emotion). As Jesus had become human to redeem us for our sins, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus concerns the Divine Love of God for us, and our response to that is our reparation for our sins. We sin, we repent and we make reparation.

In light of this, that the Sacred Heart was chosen as a symbol of recovery is not surprising. In our recovery, we are making reparation for the sins we had committed in our addictions. And in our recovery, we accept and respond to the love God has for us. We know we messed up and abused the gifts that God gave to us. But despite all of that, He still loves us as His prodigal children and always takes us back no matter how bad our sins. As long as we repent and try to amend our lives we are on the right path.

No sin is greater than God’s ability to forgive. Our repentance has to be sincere, and we have to make a best effort at amending. But no matter how evil, we can be forgiven. No matter how often we fall, we get right back up.

I wrote this as Friday is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

(Via About Catholicism.)

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

(Via CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA.)

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!!)

The Sacred Heart and the Sacred Heart Badge

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I wish I saw this yesterday, but I was busy with some projects impacting this site, but Spera Rose, over at Speramus- We Hope has an excellent post on the history Sacred Heart devotion, but especially some useful information on the Sacred Heart Badge:

The Broken Heart of Jesus, the Merciful Saviour—-History of the Sacred Heart Badge

The Sacred Heart Badge was used as an early “award” for people in early recovery back in the 1930’s and 1940’s. It was the inspiration for the “chips” that AA members receive nowadays. (This isn’t from her post.)

You can obtain one for yourself by clicking on a link near the end of her post. 🙂

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!!)

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is about the Divine Love of God for humanity and the Divine Mercy He has showed upon us because:

John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

(Via USCCB.)

The Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion is an old one for Catholics. It is about love and mercy and reparation for sins and forgiveness.

More information can be found in this post.

It also has a connection to AA history.

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!!)

"What to do kit for addictions"

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John W. Garcia, a member of Catholics in Recovery offers this video on basic Catholic tools to aid in your recovery from addictions.

It does answer one common objection that comes up when people state that you cannot rely solely on religion, and that you need the support of a group, the “slogans” and other tools that you develop in recovery meeting rooms. Those are nice, but not needed.

The “What to do kit for addictions” offers all sorts of things the Catholic Faith has that can help you recover, and maintain that recovery. In addition, and this is key, it offers the tools needed to retrain yourself in how you react to things. This seems a central point in any addict’slife.We need to relearn how to react to things in a non-addictive way.

John is also the person behind the excellent Sober for Christ resource.

Watch the video and visit his site.

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!!)

Suffering as foreshadowing destiny

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A recent article in Spirit Daily: entitled “OPEN TO GOD, CLEANSE, AND FIND THAT BIG PROBLEMS OFTEN MEAN A GREATER DESTINY” says what I’ve suspected in that sufferings, trials and problems in general in life may be indicative of greater and better things later on.

Read and ponder!

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!!)