"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!!)

Unified Life

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A priest remarked to me recently that one way that one can cope with the difficulties of life and all those times when the world overtly intrudes on one’s prayer and meditation life is to have a “unified life”. Don’t necessarily compartmentalize your prayer life in just morning and evening prayer (or whatever your routine is).

Offer everything up as a prayer. Whatever it is you are doing, say something like “I offer this activity to you, Lord, out of love for you and to honor you.” Try and make that a routine. It would sanctify everything, and perhaps keep you from mortal and most venial sins.

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!!)

Serenity Prayer

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At most (if not all) AA meetings the Serenity Prayer is recited. Below is a copy of the full version, usually just the first four lines are read at meetings, as the rest is overtly Christian:

The Serenity Prayer

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.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

–Reinhold Niebuhr

The first four lines is the petition, the rest I think is the result of the petition and the willingness to abide by it. I perused this prayer today, and I focused on the “Enjoying one moment at a time” line. I am going through a depression at the moment, it is tied in with a physical ailment that refuses to go away, and this triggered various “woe is me” resentments and pity parties. There are few people to talk to as those I would unload on are going through worse Junes than the one I am in. So that compounds things. It’s all bottled up. Prayer isn’t much of a release. Saints have reported similar periods. Great!

But today I chanced upon a copy of the Serenity Prayer (Long Version). I’ve read the entire thing before, so it wasn’t new. But that “Enjoying one moment at a time” line stuck out. Especially as it’s immediately followed by the “Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace” recommendation. Huh?

We are expected to enjoy each moment at a time. If we live by this prayer’ petition, which can be a summation of just and fair dependence and submission to God’s will and His Providence, then the latter parts will be achievable. We will have serenity. There are things that we cannot change. This is humility and common sense. There are things we can change. So we do that, with God’s help if need be. And we request the wisdom to discern the difference, because as the arrogant or stupid humans that we are, we sometimes feel we can do the impossible and not do the necessary.

We enjoy each moment. Even if hardships lie on our path. Jesus suffered, and so who are we to shun it? We take it in stride, knowing it will pass. Accept it as a lesson or toughening for later. “This, too, shall pass” is an AA slogan. A good one. We accept the world as it is, knowing that eventually all will come out according to Divine Plan. Either in our own lives or the world about us. We do not stand idly by, spectating, but we change what we and not worry about the rest.

Has this made me snap out of my depression? Not really, but I managed to write this blogpost instead of mope.

I really wanted to take a drink today. I figured beer would be safe. I didn’t, but was tempted. The problems would still be around, made worse by knowing I drank after 5 years of sobriety, had I imbibed. But nothing substantive would be changed.

Maybe I had the wisdom to know the difference. Huh.

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!!)

Treasure of your heart

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In the Gospel reading for today’s Mass Jesus talks about priorities:

Matthew 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

Think about the line that I emboldened. You can discover what is truly the priority of your life by the attention and conviction you give it. I fall short of this quite often which is why I’m writing about it (and coincidentally the Gospel reading just happens to be what had been on my mind recently. That happens a lot. My mind mulls over something and lo and behold an upcoming Mass Reading is about it. Perhaps the unconscious is at work. Or the Holy Spirit is leading. Or both.).

What is the priority of your life? Is it discerning God’s will for your life and trying for the strength to live it out? Does it go beyond maintaining your sobriety and perhaps using that as a vehicle for living out God’s will?

You can discern where your treasure is right from the start. This is the part that I’ve been thinking about recently. “Right from the start” means right from when you awaken. There are reasons why in many monastic communities they awaken early and immediately are exhorted to rise from the bed and proceed to Morning Prayer or whatever the daily routine is. To start the day off right and to establish where your priority is your must conquer yourself, your selfish desires to remain in bed and catch a few extra minutes (hours?) of sleep and self-indulgence. Getting up and immediately going about the day gives you an immediate victory: you’ve conquered the desires of the flesh to remain at rest and be comfortable. This is something to build on. How many times have you smacked the snooze button a few times, felt OK about it but later on decided that the day wasn’t going too well because in sleeping in you had to curtail or rush through whatever your morning routine is? This establishes the tone and tempo of the day.

How long does it take you to get to you morning prayer and spiritual routine? Is it among the first and earliest? Or is it after you’ve gotten through most everything else and “Now I can get to and devote some time?” If it’s not amongst the first things you do, you morning offerings and prayers to God, then it’s not where your heart truly lies.

It’s not amongst your treasures.

This is more than just what you do when you awaken in the morning. It’s the mountain that you climb every day. What is at the summit of your endeavors? Fulfilling God’s will and growing closer to Him and maybe leading others by your actions to Him? Or merely fulfilling what the world expects of 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!!)

Our Father

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In light of my past few blog posts, as well as a few upcoming ones, a nice coincidence that today’s Gospel reading (Thursday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time) has Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray. And He teaches them the Best Prayer Ever:

Matthew 6:7-15

In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.
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.”

Study the prayer, and try to say it as if you’ve never said it before. Sometimes when we’ve said a prayer or a popular saying too many times, it loses its meaning as it has become too familiar. Say it slowly and prayerfully, meditating or praying on each word or phrase.

Another thing you can do is to go over to the sidebar, and look up this prayer in the New Jerusalem Bible and the Douay-Rheims Bible. The translation I quoted is from the New American Bible (the “official” Bible for American Catholics.) Studying a passage in different translations may help to get a better understanding of it, by way of the slightly different perspective of the translations.

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!!)