Catholic Recovery will be moving

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This is the contents of an email sent out to all members of Catholic Recovery

“This is for all who are member of the Catholic Recovery social network:

Catholic Recovery is undergoing some changes.

The Network is moving to a new location and will have a new name. The move is because Ning, the current host, is eliminating all free networks as of August 20th and is starting to charge fees.

Our network did have plans in place to continue, however, due the the state of the economy affecting myself and the other members who offered to support the site, remaining on Ning is no longer an option. Perhaps this is God’s will as in fact a much better situation fortuitously became available.

A CR member and good friend of mine has his own hosting account that he is sharing with me for some projects that we are working on. He suggested that I move CR to this new host, and as a result, I am.

The site will have a new name: “Recovery for Christ”. While the old name “Catholic Recovery” was nice, and described its purposes, the new name better identifies who we recover for, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We ultimately recover for Him, to be the persons we were created to be. It is also more in line with the Matt Talbot Way of recovery, in which you transfer your love for alcohol or other addictions onto a love for Jesus.

In addition, “Catholic Recovery” or “Recovering Catholics” is too often used by people who feel they need “recovering” from Catholicism. Hence, a name change. It will still be the same site, just a new name.

I am in the process of moving all of the current site content to the new site. I do not know how long that process is. So hopefully all the old forums, blogs, photos, videos and Groups will be soon available at the new location. Just in case the migration doesn’t go as planned, if there is any content such as videos and photos, or forum postings that are of interest, you may want to download or copy-and paste sometime before August 20th. After that date, Catholic Recovery will be gone from its current location.

As a part of this process, you should receive another email with activation instructions for your account at Recovery for Christ. Part of the migration process involves the sending out of account activation emails. If you get this, then you’ll know that things went well and the new site is up and running. There may be a few things to sort out afterward, but all the familiar stuff should be there. Just click on the link in the email and you’ll be taken to the new site.

If that doesn’t work, you’ll get an invitation from me.

With that, I hope to see you soon over there!”

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!!)

Purge of Untruth

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Spirit Daily has another excellent article on spiritual progression to consider:
IT’S PRIME TIME TO DIG DEEP AND ASK GOD TO CLEANSE YOU OF UNTRUTHS — HIDDEN OR OTHER

The author puts forth the notion that summertime is a prime time for spiritual cleansing, just getting rid of the gunk in our inner lives.

Through prayer, especially the Rosary, and petitions to the Holy Spirit for help in discerning truth from lies, we can clear out the garbage polluting our spiritual lives.

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!!)

Matt Talbot portrait

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Terry Nelson over at Abbey-Roads has created a wonderful original painting of Matt Talbot. He also wrote a nice short piece on the virtue of temperance and the need to adjust one’s lifestyle. Never an easy task, and it is often referred to as “spiritual combat,” for there are people and forces opposed to anyone altering their lifestyle to be virtuous.

You can see his artwork in this post:

Abbey-Roads: Fortitude and Temperance

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!!)

FORGIVE YOURSELF!

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Spirit Daily has an excellent article on the need to “FORGIVE YOURSELF!”

Kindly read it, it is very important for us alcoholics and addicts (anyone, really) to release ourselves from the emotional bonds that tie us to the deeds of our past. And not just for the here-and-now mental health. There is an eternal dimension, too.

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!!)

Who do you say Jesus is?

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In the Gospel Reading for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus asks a difficult question:

Luke 9:18: “Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’“

(Via USCCB.)

Only Peter had the right answer, that Jesus is Christ the Lord.

Who do you say that Jesus is? Is HE the Lord and Savior of your life, or do you have other masters?

If you are reading this blog, chances are that alcohol or some other addiction is or has been a master in your life. That may no longer hold true. Is there anything competing for Jesus’ attention?

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 Scriptural One Day at a Time

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An excerpt from the Gospel Reading for the Mass for Saturday morning shows that Jesus was teaching the concept of “One Day at a Time” to His disciples:

Matthew 6:34: “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

(Via USCCB.)

So do not worry about tomorrow. All you have is today. Tomorrow’s problems may be solved before the day gets here due to things outside your knowledge, or it may never come at all.

Just think about today and what you need to do to get through 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!!)

Mercy triumphs over judgment

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St. James in his New Testament Letter offers us a compelling reason to practice mercy:

This is the Reading from the Morning Prayer in today’s Liturgy of the Hours:

James 2:13: “For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

“Mercy” can be directly related to practicing forgiveness, and this is connected to the Lord’s Prayer verse in which Jesus essentially connects your desire for God’s forgiveness with you forgiving others:

Matthew 6:14-15: “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

You show mercy to others and it will be shown to you.

Forgiveness does not mean, at least to me, reconciliation with the person or people who have offended or hurt you. It may mean cutting the emotional ties and resentment over the deed they have done. You may pray for them and offer up sufferings for their salvation, but reconciliation may be too much to handle and cope with.

All Scripture passages courtesy of: USCCB.

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!!)

Lord, forgive the wrong I have done

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The Responsorial Psalm for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time is a hymn of forgiveness:

Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11: “Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile.

I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, ‘I confess my faults to the LORD,’ and you took away the guilt of my sin.

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just; exult, all you upright of heart.”

(Via USCCB.)

There are Steps in the 12 Step Movement to remove character defects (“faults”), and prayer and humility are the primary means for this to happen. It might not happen overnight, but instead over time, but as one’s descent in alcoholism and addiction may take place over time, so to does the healing.

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!!)