Category Archives: Wisdom Dose

Cleanse me

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The fourth verse of Psalm 51 continues from verse 3 the penitent’s petition for a clean slate:

Psalm 51:4: “Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.”

(Via USCCB.)

It is a recognition on the part of the penitent that the sinful offense has dirtied and sullied the soul. We are made in the image and likeness of God, our soul is a reflection of that image. Only God can forgive sins and therefore only He can wash our souls clean of our offense.

The penitent clearly states their sole responsibility in the sin. Even though someone else may have been involved, the sinner says “my guilt”, “my sin”. No blame is placed upon another. The sinner bears responsibility for their wrongdoing. We alcoholics and addicts are known for shirking responsibility. It is “people, places and things”, or our weakness, our disease, or some other such matter. Although there are mitigating circumstances that can lead us into our addictive behavior, in the end we committed the sin. At what point do we stop making excuses and just say that, “Yeah, these factors came in to play in my demise. But I could have said ‘no.’ I could have reached out for help that is their, even if it is a plaintive prayer into the darkness.”

We bear responsibility for recognizing our true nature as sons and daughters of God, and in seeing that since our souls were made to reflect His goodness, we must strive to keep them clean and on the path to holiness. We allow our consciences to be formed and guided by the Gospel.

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!!)

Have mercy on me

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The first verse of Psalm 51, after the introduction, is a plaintive cry for mercy:

Psalm 51:3: “Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense.”

(Via USCCB.)

The repentant sinner in uttering this cry asking for nothing less than a clean slate. The penitent knows that mercy springs forth from God’s inherent and eternal goodness. Furthermore, God’s compassion for the sinner puts and end to the offense, it is as if it never happened.

God is incapable, as a human understands it, of harboring resentment. The seemingly never-ending rehashing of a grudge or psychological wound is an imperfection of our human nature.

Verse 3 of this Psalm is therefore a confident understanding by the penitent that God will blot out the offense, and start over with the sinner.

As alcoholics and addicts, we have plenty to “blot out”. But also much to learn about compassion. Are we as ready to blot out the offenses of others against us? And how long are we capable of taking to do this? And does reconciliation always result?

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!!)

Psalm 51 Meditations

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One of my favorite Psalms is the 51st, “The Miserere”. The first 2 verses explain it:

Psalm 51:1-2: “For the leader. A psalm of David,

when Nathan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bathsheba.”

(Via USCCB)

Nathan the Prophet confronted King David with his adultery, and the Psalm is David’s repentence.

I have written up some notes that form the basis of some meditations on each verse of the Psalm. I think it is appropriate it since the Church’s liturgical year is winding down. As Advent approaches, the Church will start to remind us of the coming of Christ, and the need to repent.

(These meditations also serve as a revival of something I started in 2007, called the “The Wisdom Dose”, a series of originally daily, then occasional, then discontinued, meditations on the Wisdom Books of the Bible, including the Psalms. I will do these again, on an irregular basis.)

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 Spirit of Wisdom Came to Me

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There is a nice excerpt from the First Reading for Mass for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time:

Wisdom 7:7: “I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.”

(Via USCCB.)

As alcoholics and addicts we are familiar with seeking wisdom and prudence. It’s there in the short form of the Serenity Prayer said at most 12 Step meetings:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

One of the greatest gifts you can ask for is wisdom. It enables you to discern the good from the bad, to make rightly formed decisions as opposed to those based on feelings and emotion. It helps you to navigate the rough terrain and churning seas of daily life.

Pray for it.

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!!)

Understanding will guard you

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The next selection in the Wisdom Dose (no longer Daily, but only occasionally, sorry) comes from Proverbs 2:9-11;

Then you will understand rectitude and justice, honesty, every good path;
For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will please your soul,
Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you

In a way it relates rather well to the upcoming Solemnity of Pentecost. For in those passages we see the kind of guidance and protection that the Holy Spirit can provide us if we struggle to do God’s will.

We learned (or should have learned) in catechism class as children (or as adults in RCIA) that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord. We see these reflected in the above scriptural passage.

Gifts such as these are excellent ones to pray for during the Pentecost Novena, which I wrote about in the previous post.

Think about them when you pray it. Offer them up as a petition.

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!!)

Guardian and protector

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For today’s Daily Wisdom Dose we turn to Proverbs 2:8;

Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his pious ones.

This is a continuation of Proverbs 2:7 (look it up) and ensures that despite the trials and tribulations and turmoil of ordinary life, God will see us through them. It may be difficult, and often times it would seem if God is not there, as indeed it is hard to see Him when all is dark. But at those times when God seems furthest away, He is really quite close, hearing the prayers of our wounded heart and soul.

Think back as to how you were led out of the darkness of active alcoholism. When things seemed at their most despairing point, something happened to get you out of it. The circumstances are maybe unique to each individual, but you are here now reading this instead of drinking or dying.

An instrument of God’s grace helped you. You may not have been “pious”, but the piety of your scream for help was heard.

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 and shield

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The Daily Wisdom Dose for today:

Proverbs 2:7

He has counsel in store for the upright, he is the shield of those who walk honestly…

By following God’s will, and in listening for it in either in prayer or in the variety of life, we are given His counsel, His advice and guidance on getting through the daily routine. Being upright and honest, that is, living out your life in accord with God’s will and commands earns for you the gifts of His counsel and strength. These are freely available to all, but most fail to avail themselves of them because they do not see and hear due to the distractions of life.

It is said that people of Faith, particularly those who pray frequently, experience less stress and anxiety than those who follow purely secular means of coping. The latter are groping in the dark, and in trying to get through things on their own experience the stresses of that burden. With the counsel of the Lord guiding you, and the shield of the Lord (the armor of Faith, the detachment from the values and morals of the world) about you, there is nothing that cannot be handled.

Prayer calms you, settles and relaxes you. I’ve written before about it, here
and here.

Once regular prayer clears out the daily fears and frustrations, you are better able to recieve the gifts that God has available for you. It’s there for the asking.

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!!)

For the Lord gives wisdom

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The “Daily Wisdom Dose” for today is from Proverbs 2:6.

For the LORD gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…

We have two sources form the Lord’s wisdom: the Bible and the Church. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Church was established by Him to safeguard His teachings and also to teach in His name until He comes again. The Church’s teachings are called “Sacred Tradition” and are not to be confused with tradition in the manner of things and doings and practices. Sacred Tradition is the apostolic teachings from the first century through today, the teachings of the Popes and Bishops in union with him (as opposed to Christian Bishops that are not Catholic). They do not add anything completely new to God’s Biblical Revelation, but are derived from Scripture. Sacred Tradition is encapsulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Reading the Bible, along with the Catechism and even the writings of the Early Church Fathers provides you with access to the “knowledge and understanding” from the Lord. They all direct you to God, the source of all life and wisdom and knowledge. Enlightened by this understanding and knowledge, you grow closer to God, and increasingly view the world through God’s eyes. Perhaps another way of putting it is you view the world from the perspective of eternity. Puts things that encourage you to drink in a different framework, yes?

Along the sidebar there’s the grouping of links called “For All Things Catholic”. In it are links for three excellent translations of the Bible (The New American, The New Jerusalem, and the Douay-Rheims). There’s also links to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In addition, there are links to numerous sites that can explain Catholicism much better than I can, including anything you need to know about exactly what “Sacred Tradition” is, especially its Scriptural basis. This may come as a shock to non-Catholic Christians, but all Catholic teaching is rooted in the Bible.

The three different Bible translations are useful. Perhaps you are having a difficult time with a particular verse. Reading that same verse in a different translation my assist you in understanding it better.

Get to the links!

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!!)

Call to intelligence

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The Daily Wisdom Dose for today is from Proverbs 2:3-5

Yes, if you call to intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice;
If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out:
Then will you understand the fear of the LORD; the knowledge of God you will find…

In the beginning of Proverbs there is the verse that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Today’s can be a revisiting of that. You understand that wisdom has a beginning, and you understand that in any relationship, you have to initiate or participate in it fully to gain the most of it.

The “call” to intelligence, and the “raising your voice” to understanding is prayer. Prayer is the raising of your heart and mind to God, seeking Him out.

Pray, and you will understand the fear of the Lord, and knowledge of God will be bestowed upon 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!!)

Turning your ear to wisdom

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Today’s “Daily Wisdom Dose” involves an act of humility, that of turning to another person and listening to their words and commands:

Proverbs 2:1-2

My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands,
Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding…

Such a person must command respect and legitimate authority if he expects another to accept their advice and to listen with one’s heart (“incline your heart to understanding”).

We alcoholics have proudly felt that we knew what was best for ourselves, and for others. Our alcoholism fueled a fantasy life in which we rewrote the day’s events, blotting out failures and setbacks. We swelled up in our own puffery, oblivious to our impending demise.

Now, in our sobriety, no matter how long it has been, do we have the humility to acknowledge that we don’t know everything? Do we have the humility to seek out people with greater knowledge of sober living, greater knowledge of the Catholic Faith, and struggle, despite how difficult, to live by that knowledge? Or are we are own self-declared and self-styled Pope or Bishop? We declare that we know better and will live by our own guidance and judgement.

True humility enables us to recieve true wisdom. Whether it is insight inspired by prayer and Scriptural readings, or insight learned from another, wiser person, humility enables us to get ourselves out of the way, and receive what we need to learn and know.

Incline your heart to understanding, listen to the wisdom with your reason, to intellectually grasp what is being said, and listen to the wisdom with your heart, to absorb the meanings of what is said. Do not fear being changed.

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!!)