St. Benedict's Ladder of Humility: Step 2

Posted on by

The second step on the Ladder of Humility is that a person should not love his own will nor take pleasure in satisfying their own desires.

This is very similar to the Third Step of 12 Step recovery movements: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

The Rule of St. Benedict quotes the Gospel According to John:

John 6:38;

I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

If we are Christian, then we imitate Christ.

If we follow our own will, to the exclusion of allowing the work and will of God to lead us, then we are being selfish. We are declaring that we are our own god and that our will is the master of our own lives.

This is what got us into trouble when we were drinking. Granted that our wills were somewhat compromised by our addiction, nevertheless our drinking enabled us to place ourselves at the center of our existence as we needed to feed our self-indulgences that were running wild. This hurt ourselves and most especially others. This is a black-and-white example of the dangers of putting our wills first, rather than seeking to do God’s will. In a selfish world, we see violence against each other and against nature, we see broken homes and families, we see discord and strife.

Satisfying one’s self-indulgent pleasures (usually of the physical or carnal variety) merely warps your relationships others. More discord.

Seek the will of the One who formed you in your mother’s womb.

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!!)

St. Benedict's Ladder of Humility: Step 1

Posted on by

In St. Benedict’s Rule, the first step on his ladder of humility is that one must always keep the fear of God before one’s eyes.

As I have said earlier, “fear” isn’t raw, naked terror, but more along the lines of respect. After all, who is God? He is the One who made you: you owe your whole, entire and compete existence to Him. You didn’t create yourself and you shouldn’t end that creation. You do not “own” yourself and have full rights over your body, you owe a certain responsibility to God for your life.

St. Benedict was referring to sin. From the Psalms:

Psalm 36:2;

Sin directs the heart of the wicked; their eyes are closed to the fear of God.

Leading to:

Psalm 7:10;

Bring the malice of the wicked to an end; uphold the innocent, O God of justice, who tries hearts and minds.

God knows what is in your heart and your mind, it can never be concealed from Him. So much of our sinning we do in the dark, or think we do there, but nothing is hidden in the dark from the Lord.

You need only read Psalm 139 to get tremendous, and comforting, insights:

O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.
My travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all.
Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.
Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?
If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, you are there too.
If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light”
Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.
You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works!
My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.
How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!
Were I to count, they would outnumber the sands; to finish, I would need eternity…
…Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my concerns.
See if my way is crooked, then lead me in the ancient paths.

God knows where you are, every step of the way, from the moment He formed you in your momma’s womb, and thereafter onward. There is no hiding.

Humility has a definition from the meeting rooms of AA that goes something like “humility is accepting reality for what it is, adjusting your life to that reality, and being content with the result.” Take out the word “reality” and put in its place the word “God” and you get:

“Humility is accepting God for what He is, adjusting your life to God, and being content with the result.”

A pretty fair summation of the first step of the Ladder of Humility.

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!!)

Keeping the faith, finishing the race

Posted on by

It is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and the Second Reading from the Mass for today is from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy:

2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18;

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Despite all the trials, troubles and tribulations that Paul went through, he never took his eyes off the prize: persevering in the faith that is the pursuit of Jesus Christ and finishing that pursuit having done the job he was born to do, and did well.

Paul was tenacious in his zeal for Jesus, and that paid off: in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles today 1/3 of this planet is now Christian. Perhaps not very good ones, but that’s for God to judge.

How zealous and dedicated are we? (I’m asking this of myself, too.) Will we let the opinions and attitudes and behaviors of other people affect how we live our Christian vocation? Or do we set it aside when it gets inconvenient and difficult?

Paul’s perseverance was aided by God. The Lord helped him through his pain and suffering so as to enable Paul to accomplish his mission. Just as the Lord will assist us when we seek to do His will in all things, Paul got it done despite everything only because God helped him.

Paul’s comment about keeping the faith and finishing the race reminded me of statements in AA meetings when some member dies, it is usually remarked that “so-and-so died sober,” as if that is all that mattered. Most often it does as drunk we can hardly accomplish anything.

But as I’ve written before, “Not drinking” is only the start. “Not drinking” is not the goal in itself, it is the basis by which we move out into the world and transform it by our sobriety and Catholic Christianity.

We clean and sober Catholics, as well as anyone else no longer practicing their addiction, have been given a new lease on life. We are in our second lives, so to speak. The first one was wasted by our alcoholism and addictions. Our new start, regardless of how long we’ve been clean and sober, is a second chance at doing whatever we were placed on the Earth to do. Even if that mission was based on our prior addiction (as in we were made addicts for a reason) we must make the most of it. We find that out through prayer and meditation (Step 11 for people in a 12 Step movement).

Go to Mass or read the Mass readings prayerfully today. Peter and Paul started a conquest of the world that is still going on now. Join them.

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!!)

St. Benedict's Ladder of Humility

Posted on by

This is just a heads-up to announce another days-long project for this blog. I am going to start a 12 day long meditation on St. Benedict’s “12 Step Ladder of Humility”. I think I mentioned this back in my first post in January 2007 as something I was going to do, and well, it’s better late than never. 🙂

Who was St. Benedict? The Online Guide to St. Benedict has an excellent biography of him, as well as a lot of useful resources on his life.

He was born about the year 480, and died around 547. His feast day is July 11, and that factors into why I’m starting this project about now. But more on that later.

He wrote a “Rule”, a sort of governing document for monasteries and the lives of the monks living in them. Many people who are not monks also study and live by this Rule as it is an excellent guide to living the Gospel. It was this Rule of St. Benedict that earned him the titles of “the Patriarch of Western Monasticism” and “Co-Patron of Europe”. Most monastic rules are influenced by his Rule.

Anyway, as stated earlier, his feast day is July 11th. I will begin this series on St. Benedict’s 12 Step Ladder of Humility on June 30, so one step per day will take us to his feast day. It is not a novena, nor another prayer, just a series of meditations.

The only similarity between St. Benedict’s 12 Step Ladder of Humility and the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is the number “12” and the word “Step”. Well, there is the “humility” factor, too.

Anyway, visit the Online Guide mentioned above. His religious Order, the Order of St. Benedict has a great online directory and guide.

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!!)

Twelve Steps for Catholics

Posted on by

John, from the Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center emailed me a link to an interesting series of blogposts on AA’s Twelve Steps, this time with a Catholic perspective.

Adrienne, of Adrienne’s Catholic Corner has written 12 Steps for Catholics from March through June of this year. That last link in the previous sentence is a link to her 12 Steps label, containing all the articles. If that doesn’t work, all are archived in her left sidebar.

They make for very good reading for those of you not attending AA meetings, or feel that AA may be too “New Agey”. With a proper, well-formed and guided perspective, the Steps are no threat to one’s Catholic Faith.

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!!)

Year of St. Paul

Posted on by

Pope Benedict XVI has declared that the following year, from today June 28th through June 29th, 2009 to be the Year of St. Paul .

St. Paul is important, not the least of which being that he was the Apostle to the Gentiles. It was as a result of his efforts that Christianity spread around the Mediterranean and therefore to the rest of the world. Secondly, I was named after him. :-). But also to anyone who has undergone a conversion process, whether of a religious kind, or just the conversion of one’s interior life such as stopping drinking and drugging, St. Paul is the model. Not that he was an alcoholic or addict (he wasn’t), but his life underwent a radical conversion and as a result of that conversion lived his life to the fullest in pursuit of souls for Jesus. No compromiser, he. Whatever his interests and loves were prior to his conversion, they were set aside for the love of Christ.

There are a number of sites that you can visit to learn more about the Year of St. Paul. The Catholic News Agency has a nice introductory page, as does the Catholic Educator’s Resource Center. Catholic Culture has another guide to the whole year.

He took the message of Christ and proclaimed it to the world. We are called to do that as well, at least in our own way in the manner best suited to us.

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!!)

Following the Lead Wolf

Posted on by

There is another Catholic blog that may be of interest to some readers. It was recently started by a friend of mine with the screen name of “Colorado Ben”, and his blog is Leidolfr, the Leader Wolf .

It is new, only 2 posts so far, but shows some great promise in the area of dedicated Catholicism and spiritual growth. To quote from his header: This blog is dedicated to fearlessly investing the talents God has given me and loving God, others, and myself with my whole being. Life is not for those who wish to lay down and die. It is for those who wish to live! For years, I had been running from true, abundant life. Now I hunt it with all my strength. Share it with me! We are the ones to blame for our own failure. In God, there is no failure. Ever. Root Scripture of Inspiration: Genesis 49:27; St. Matthew 22:36-40

Colorado Ben is a Catholic man, one who is uncompromisingly faithful to the Church and Her teachings, regardless of how unpopular it is. He is a great slayer of internal demons.

Read him, he’s good.

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!!)

God will never allow the righteous to stumble

Posted on by
I believe that it was yesterday’s readings in the Liturgy of the Hours that I came across this line:

Psalm 55:23;

Cast your care upon the LORD, who will give you support. God will never allow the righteous to stumble.

One might think that this is overly comforting but a lot of nonsense as many of us since our drinking and drugging days have stumbled. Therefore how can this be true? Since we left our addictive living behind, haven’t we stumbled anyway? Therefore, what of this testimony from the Psalmist that God won’t allow us to stumble?

I am uncertain as to the finer theological points explaining this apparent flaw. Maybe there is a flaw in the translation. Another Catholic translation (The Jerusalem Bible) restates this as He will “not allow the virtuous to falter.”

Anyway, regardless of the word, there is an implied confidence that faith in God and in His support will never be for nothing. Perhaps then there is nothing incorrect in using the word “stumble” or “falter”, but in rather who is to blame when we actually do stumble.

Was it that our faith was weak? There had been several times early in my sobriety when I was going to Confession in an attempt to root out sinful behavior, and that behavior still occurred. Who was to blame? God? No, He gave us free will to choose His will or our own. His gift to us to use as our conscience guided us. These behaviors continued and I was going to give up. Praise God I never did, but was given the faith to endure and progress and perhaps quell those sinful behaviors.

And so I stumbled and faltered when my faith was weak. My fault. We too often blame God for our own wrongdoings. “Well,” we say, “I am a believer, I struggle to progress spiritually, why did I stumble? God wasn’t there for me.” Where in fact, it was us who wasn’t there for God. For whatever reason, our faith was lacking, we allowed distractions and other concerns to get in the way of permitting God’s help, we relied on our own means and faltered. We fail to realize that it is a cooperative effort, we place our faith in God, and He rescues us, but He also respects our free will when we drift off and leave His guiding hand behind.

You may stumble, but never fall. As you consciously or unconsciously turned away from His help, you can turn back. “God allows U-turns”, as a bumper sticker on my car says. If we fall, it is only because we failed to turn back to His arms reaching out to grab us.

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!!)

We are not Saints…YET!

Posted on by

There is another new blog that might be of great interest to Sober Catholic readers.

Ken J., himself a Sober Catholic reader and member of Catholics in Recovery , has started a new blog at We are not Saints…YET! . He describes it as his thoughts on alcoholism, recovery and the Catholic faith.

Please support this endeavor!

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!!)

More on Catholics in Recovery

Posted on by

Leslie over at Quiet Consecration asked me about the new Catholics in Recovery social networking site.

Not sure what else I can say beyond what I posted before except that it is just an extension of what I hope to accomplish on the Internet concerning providing Catholics who are recovering from some addiction a place to meet and greet each other and learn more about the Catholic faith.

It is what I had been searching for back in 2002 when I sobered up and found AA to be lacking. I took one look at AA’s spirituality and knew that it wasn’t going to keep me sober. It might help establish a basis, but long term, permanent sobriety was going to need something greater. Taking a cue from something I learned in perhaps the Big Book (AA’s basic text, formally known as Alcoholic’s Anonymous) I checked out the religion of my youth. As I was already slowly returning to Catholicism, it wasn’t a stretch, but still it took some effort.

Afterwards I started poking around the Internet looking for online Catholic resources for recovery, and found virtually none. Some websites for Matt Talbot and the Calix Society, but nothing like the plethora of 12-Step and non-denominational Christian sites. So, what’s a newly sober Catholic to do? I waited a few years and started this blog, and then later the social network, in hopes of finding other like-minded Catholics in recovery to share with.

In other words, I am creating what I had hoped to find before. I am hoping it’s a start towards developing an online Catholic community of those in recovery from some addiction.

At this posting, Catholics in Recovery has only 6 members, way less than the invite list. But it’s a start. A social network is as active as it’s members.

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!!)