Virtue to love

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Last Friday night I went to my weekly Holy Hour. What’s a Holy Hour? See here.

Anyway, while in my Holy Hour I chanced upon this passage from The Second Letter of Peter:

2 Peter 1:5-8

…make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge,
knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,
devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.
If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The passage makes a continuous connection of a right living that will bear fruit in growing into a deeper relationship with Jesus. You will not be idle (spiritually stagnant or lukewarm?) and will instead grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

Starting with virtue and concluding with love, the Letter provides a roadmap for living and loving the Way of Jesus. We should not be content to merely provide lip-service to our Christian vocation. We are instead called to live by it fully. It isn’t just for Sunday morning. It’s a way of living out our full lives.

All the more reason to continue with, or struggle towards, a clean and sober life.

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!!)

Jesus is the center of all things

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The Second Reading from today’s Mass is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians:

Col 1:15-20

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Just as the beginning of the Gospel of John (John 1:1-3) states that Jesus is the Word become Man, and was in the Beginning of everything:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.

…in Colossians Paul states the same thing. Jesus wasn’t just some itinerant preacher or ancient hippie and a great guy who taught nice things about how to get along. The New Testament declares some pretty heavy stuff concerning Christ’s place in the general scheme of things.

Yes, He was and is God. But the New Testament further defines His role in things beyond His primary purpose as humanity’s Redeemer. He is the Word of God, the part of the Divine Trinity through which God the Father enters into all created things and through which all things are created.

If creation was made perfect originally through Him (until Adam’s Fall caused sin and death to enter), then through Him we can be healed of our addictions and afflictions. (Either a divine miraculous healing or an increase in the courage to see a doctor.) Turn to Him who is the Divine Physician and petition Him to heal you of what ails you.

Just be open to hear the still, small voice within guiding you and pointing the way.

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!!)

Wrestling

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An excerpt from the First Reading from today’s Mass:

Genesis 32: 25, 31:

Jacob was left there alone. Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
Jacob named the place Peniel, “Because I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.”

The “some man” was an angel of the Lord, a representative of God. And perhaps, to Jacob, enough for his comments in verse 31. He wrestled with an emissary of God and did not lose.

We all wrestle with things. If you are a reader of this blog, you probably wrestle quite often with the urge to drink. Like Jacob, you might be wrestling with the urge for a long time, and it might feel as if you are wrestling with God, or a powerful angel.

As a matter of fact, you might be. You may be wrestling with an angel not of God, but one that turned it’s back on God. In other words Satan or one of his demons.

The existence of demons is still taught in the Church and such teaching is shared with the Jews and Muslims. It is not a medieval fairy tale that parents use to frighten their children in order to be good. Satan’s greatest victory after the Fall of Adam is the general conviction that he is a myth. You don’t defend yourself or be vigilant against a myth.

If Satan is aware of your struggles with alcohol, or any other addiction, he may make it more difficult for you. Sometimes interior promptings are not of God, or your Guardian Angel, they may be suggestion planted in you by one who wishes to see you destroyed. He knows that you are struggling to stop drinking (or stay stopped) and embark upon whatever mission God has planned for you. We are all born for a reason. God has a plan for each one of us. Addiction gets in the way and derails that plan.

So wrestle. You needn’t wrestle alone. Call upon the help of Jesus and the saints in Heaven. Despite the number of prayer requests they get, they can handle them all as they have all eternity to answer them (not that our prayers will be answered a thousand years from now). Time is mysterious on the other side. Just pray, hope and don’t worry. You have plenty of help in your wrestling match.

The Destroyer has no chance.

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!!)

Perseverance

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A true, abiding Christian faith should hold up under whatever circumstances that the individual finds his- or herself in.

A faith that gives peace when things are going well is fine, but a truer measure of the depth of the faith is what happens when you find yourself in trouble or in a serious disturbance.

Does the faith flee from you? In other words, when things are tough do you cast it aside? Is it because the faith becomes inconvenient or just that it is not well-developed and cannot handle to stress and pressure?

If it is the former, a matter of inconvenience, then it was a weak or false faith. Anyone can believe and be devoted when times are good.

If it is the latter, unable to handle the trouble, then perhaps the situation was permitted to occur by God as a test of that faith. Meaning, that God permitted the situation to happen so that you can strengthen your faith for later struggles.

Consider trials and tribulations as “training” for battles later on. Each struggle toughens you for the road ahead.

Do not worry if you collapse and sin. Just pick yourself up, pray, go to Confession and resolve to do better next time.

This is how saints are made.

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!!)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."

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The Gospel Reading from Today’s “Mass for Civil Needs: For Peace and Justice” (it being Independence Day in the United States):

John 14: 23-29,

Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name–he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.

Again, as with the other two readings for today, it’s about peace. It’s the peace that Jesus gives to us for following him, not the kind of peace that the world metes out to it’s followers, but a different kind. Christian concepts of a thing are markedly different from the world’s concepts of the same thing.

There is also a confidence bestowed: the confidence that the Holy Spirit will be with us to teach us and to remind us of what Jesus said while on Earth. This is done through the “Teaching Authority” of the Catholic Church. (You can look up the word “Magisterium” in any of the “For All Things Catholic..” reference links.) The Church, in the authority of the Pope, is preserved from teaching moral and doctrinal error by the protection of the Holy Spirit. The proof of this is in that for 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has never taught anything in contradiction to Sacred Scripture, and has never changed Her teachings to be fundamentally different from the Scriptural basis. Doctrines and Dogmas have evolved through a greater understanding of scripture and human behavior (The Holy Spirit’s guidance!) No mere human institution, whether secular or religious, can make this claim. Numerous people have purportedly “disproven” such claims, however such exposes have been from a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the teaching. Or abject misinformation.

Anyway, I digress. Love Jesus. Follow Him. You will be “In Christ” as He will dwell within you. And where He is, so will the Father be (and the Spirit, too!).

A peace that cannot be given by the world.

Human failures and weakness and pressures from the world may make that peace elusive at times, but it is always there for the asking.

Pray for peace.

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!!)

Peace to the People

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From the Responsorial Psalm from Today’s Mass for Independence Day (United States). It was taken from The Mass for Civil Needs: For Peace and Justice:

Psalm 85: 9-14;

I will listen for the word of God; surely the LORD will proclaim peace

To his people, to the faithful, to those who trust in him.

Near indeed is salvation for the loyal; prosperity will fill our land.

Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss.

Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.

The LORD will surely grant abundance; our land will yield its increase.

Prosperity will march before the Lord, and good fortune will follow behind.

Although this is directed at a “people”, we can also insert ourselves in their place.

The Psalmist states the he will listen for the word of God, and he has the faith and trust that God will speak. And the utterance will be a peace descending.

Consider how you feel after you’ve prayed, especially after you’ve read the Bible in a prayerful, reflective manner. Feel more peaceful?

Much of the rest are all the good things can can be had, in some manner by those who are faithful and trusting in the Lord. The good things may not in the manner quantifiable those who follow the world’s manner of determining what is good, in other words, “abundance”, “prosperity” and “good fortune” may mean something different to a Christian than to a materialistic worldling. But you will be happy, and at peace.

Got peace?

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 Peace that Surpasses all Understanding

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Today is Independence Day in the United States, and for the Morning Mass my priest used the optional “For Civil Needs: For Peace and Justice” readings from the New Roman Missal.

The First Reading was from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians 4:6-9;

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.

This is the key in understanding God’s will, and in praying and petitioning God.

In everything you do, in your needs and wants, make your requests to God, if you have faith, you should have no anxiety in the matter. Consider it handled by God. He will resolve it. The lousy thing from our perspective is that He will handle it in His time, and the answer may not be what we want. But it will be what we need. And we will be happy with it if we recognize the answer. (Sometimes we may miss the answer to our prayers and miss the opportunity presented if it wasn’t exactly what we asked for. We need to be in tune with the still, small voice within us cluing us in.)

In seeking God’s will, the answer should be in a form of peace that settles over you. Opposing God’s will usually brings conflict (I mean inner conflict, but check out the World today). When you act in accord with God’s will, the path may be difficult but you will gain strength from the peace.

Peace be to 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!!)

Jeremiah

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For my 100th post (!!!), I’d like to celebrate by sharing with you a music video that inspires.

It’s based on Jeremiah Chapter 20. I’ll include the link in the sidebar under “Music Video”.

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!!)

Month of the Precious Blood

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July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. It is a symbol of our Redemption by Jesus’ sacrifice and death. It is among the oldest Christian devotions.

One moving scene in Mel Gibson’s epic film, “The Passion of the Christ” depicted Mary and Mary Magdalene taking rags and cleaning up Jesus’ blood after His scourging at the pillar.

There is a special prayer one can say in this devotion.

“Eternal Father, I offer you the Precious Blood or your Divine Son Jesus, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass said throughout the world today, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners every where, in the Universal Church, in my own home and within my family.”

The Precious Blood is the symbol of God’s mercy, as it was spilled to pay for our sins. It is part of the Eucharist (whether you partake of the wine at Mass or not, its redemptive and spiritual significance is in the Bread as well).

Imagine yourself swimming in the blood-red sea of God’s mercy.

More on the Precious Blood here.

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 New Creation

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I’m not sure if this is from a recent Mass Reading that I forgot to write about on the relevant day (it’s been sitting in draft mode for a while) or just something I picked up in a blog or Bible perusal, but ponder this from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 5:16-18

…from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

We are “in Christ” when we live out our Christian vocation. Being Christian isn’t something you do for an hour on Sundays or when its convenient or inoffensive. It isn’t something you turn on or off. No one is perfect in the ideal, but you try anyway.

When you are “in Christ”, you’ve cast off your old self, the self that belonged to the World and its shifting and changing “anything goes” corruptible moral and social values. By being Christian and living according to Jesus’s teachings, you are a new creation, a new person, one who has been reconciled to God through Jesus by His sacrifice on the Cross.

We have been reconciled for our sins, no matter how scarlet, no matter how often committed. No matter what the transgression was, reconcile yourself to God, and be “in Christ.” Confess your sins to a priest and be made new.

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!!)