2026 ONLINE Lent Retreat by The Pray More Retreat people

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A friend of mine through a Militia of the Immaculata Virtual Village forwarded me a link to the 2026 Lent Retreat – The Pray More Retreat.  It’s offered by the same people behind the Pray More Novenas site. It’s ONLINE!!!

I signed up! Registrants are asked to pay a fee of their choice to help pay the speakers and other costs; but it’s totally optional. I registered for free and am opting to promote it in the hopes that one of you might sign up and donate!

The Retreat is self-paced.
This means that you can participate wherever you are and whenever you have the time.
It’s like a do-it-yourself retreat, but you’re not doing alone…

Sign up! You know I harp every year during Lent about ‘doing something’ to grow closer to Jesus; and how Lent is the perfect time! 

I went looking over the site: they have other retreats from previous years, and you can still sign up for them. UPDATE: Although I sugned up for these older retreats, I have not (YET) received an email with the links to access videos and downloadable materials. So perhaps they’re no longer accessible? (Curious as to why they’d leave all that information up; that’s a lot on data and they could just have a list of past retreats with brief summaries of topics to entice you for future ones…)

There’s the 2025 Healing Retreat (deals with anxiety, suffering, brokenness, and trust issues.)

They even have the 2024 Healing Retreat available! (more on healing, love, beatitudes, prayer.)

The last one I’ll bring up is the 2024 Eucharistic Retreat.

I will try to inquire about access to past retreats and edit or update thisn post as needed.

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!!)

BOOK REVIEW: “Encouraging Words to Live By: 365 Days of Hope for the Anxious and Overwhelmed” by Anne Costa

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“Encouraging Words to Live By: 365 Days of Hope for the Anxious and Overwhelmed” by Anne Costa was published through The Word Among Us Press in 2019, and I wish I had it back then as it would have helped me better deal with anxiety and recurring feelings of being overwhelmed.

The book is aptly named.

What is it about? 

From the site blurb:

Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or sad? Here is a collection of daily reflections that will lift your spirits and give you a sense of direction with reminders of God’s great love and acceptance. Drawing from Scripture, the wisdom of the saints, and pastoral expertise, Anne Costa has written a spiritual resource that will enable you to look upon each day with hope.

This book will help you (or a loved one) when overwhelmed by life or struggling with anxiety or depression to renew your connection with God and others.

Encouraging Words to Live By.

I began reading it this year (2026.) With the world and nation going increasingly insane and daily living threatened by the actions of stupid political leaders in ways previously unheard of (due to things being amplified by social media and 24/7 news channels) this book will provide a sane and soothing respite for the few minutes every day that you take to read and ponder the wisdom of Anne as well as from those sources she’s culled it from. You might even be inspired to grab your Bible afterwards and look up the Scripture passage.

My favorite day so far (and NOT the only one in my two weeks of reading) is the entry for January 5th. 

Excerpt: 

…How we talk to ourselves—the messages we send—can either feed or starve our souls. We shouldn’t let our inner chatter drown out the voice of God, who is love….

…Let the condemning thoughts die down like a distant echo and allow the whisper of the One who loves you fill your listening heart….

I think I need to place that page on my printer, make a copy, and tack it onto the wall next to me. I have mentioned at least once before about “inner voices” running me down. They typically sound like the voices of family members who had driven me to consider self-harm, but often it’s a generic voice not associated with any particular person. But it’s always a running critical commentary, but sometimes petty and ridiculous; like the source of the voice can’t come up with anything big so it resorts to something stupid. 

Each page has a quote from Scripture, followed by Anne’s “Encouraging Words,” basically a short inspirational passage she wrote, based on the Scripture passage and often tied to the liturgical feast of that day. The day’s reading concludes with a nice, short prayer. 

After I finish writing and publishing this review, I’m going to go back through the entries for January 1 through 16 and highlight certain passages, maybe scribble a note or underline with a pen.  I rarely do that, but when I do, it “annoints” the book with a sort of personal blessing. “This book is essential to my well-being” and “It’s important in helping me cope.” I’ll be keeping the highlighter and pen next to it. Within a few years the book will show evidence of heavy-duty highlighting, underlining, and annotating. There’s no entry for February 29: on that day I’ll just flip through and reread other days.

Where to get it:

The book’s page on Anne’s website: Encouraging Words to Live By on REVIVE Hope and Healing Ministries 

Through Amazon

Barnes and Noble (and check out the Nook sample!)

Or visit your nearby local bookshop (especially if you have a Catholic bookshop around!) and politely request that they carry it. Buy two, one for yourself and for someone you know.

Anne’s website is REVIVE Hope and Healing Ministries. They have a Prayer Community on Facebook. Check out her podcasts (DISCLAIMER: she interviewed me last year.  That DID NOT influence my review. If I didn’t like the book, I wouldn’t have reviewed it.) A full list of where you can listen is on Podbean. 

I hope you enjoy reading it! If you do, spread the word! People need this book!

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 Hail Mary as a Christocentric meditation

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I was engaged in a debate on the r/catholicism subreddit regarding the propriety of the Hail Mary prayer, the Rosary, and devotion to Mary at all; since the poster felt it took away from reverence or attention properly due the Father and Jesus; and that we should just focus on saying the our Father, ‘as Jesus taught us.’ The poster felt that the Hail Mary wasn’t enough about Jesus and the Father.

 

While praying my daily Rosary I thought of another counterpoint to make to the poster, and felt that it would make a good post for Sober Catholic. It’s kind of like a meditation on the Hail Mary, with a Christocentric/Patercentric appeal. To make it obvious, I use all caps whenever God makes an appearance in the Hail Mary.

 

Hail Mary, Full of Grace (Mary is ‘full of grace’ only because she had to be so that the HOLY SPIRIT can overshadow her so as to conceive JESUS.)

the Lord is with you. (Who else is this referring to, but JESUS?)

Blessed are you among women; (She is only ‘blessed’ because she will be the Mother of GOD, a/k/a JESUS.)

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (There is that JESUS person, again!)

 

Holy Mary, Mother of God; (JESUS, anyone!)

pray for us sinners, (Why are we sinners? Because we turned away from JESUS, who, if you read especially the Gospel of John, came to do the will of the FATHER. ‘Sin’ is when our actions are contrary to GOD’S will, pr when we abuse the natural gifts given to us by GOD.)

now, and at the Hour of our Death,

AMEN

 

Mary is referenced 6 times, while the Trinity is referenced or implied 8 times, as I count them. Now, multiply that by the number of beads on the Rosary. 

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You can see that the focus of the Hail Mary is less on Mary, but more of the Father and Jesus; it forms a perfect complement to the Our Father, thus making the Rosary an ideal form of devotion to the Father.

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!!)

Happy 19th Bloggaversary to Sober Catholic!

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It was 19 years ago today, January 5, 2007 that I wrote my first post, Hi, I’m Paul, and I’m an alcoholic!.

I should be doing this for a few more years before winding things down. I plan on releasing a few more books. I am seriously considering starting a YouTube channel/podcast. The channel already exists, I have just never uploaded anything to it as it’s only been a channel I subscribe to other useful channels. Stay tuned here for further details, or, go the Sober Catholic Youtube and subscribe (and hit the bell icon for notifications for if and when I actually do start uploading videos.) I am doing the “legwork” necessary; I’ve written a few scripts already, and I’m studying how to use the software I have for making videos, recording voice and so on. All I have to do is follow up with “content.”

You can make me happy by buying my books! See below:

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!!)

LAST MINUTE NOVENA ANNOUNCEMENT! Novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots, Dec 23-31

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I was scrolling past some YouTube “suggested channels” when I stumbled across the Divine Mercy For America Channel. I love the Divine Mercy devotion; it literally saved my life. Anyway, the channel announced that they will have their annual Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena. It seems to be an annual thing for them. (I must have missed this in the past.)

I might have written about the Undoer of Knots devotion in the past but I’m in a hurry to get this out so I’ll look for previous posts later. 

The Divine Mercy for America folks say that this annual year-end tradition (Dec 23-31!!) is great for clearing out the gunk from the past year (my words, not theirs, but the idea is the same. You can listen to them here: Join the Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots, Words on Screen, Dec 23 to Dec 31, Divine Mercy for America. (It’s the same link as the one posted in the “channel announced…”)

Here’s a screenshot of the video’s thumbnail:

 

Here are links to all nine days (the links should work, if not, just go to the link in the Join the. sentence above):

Day 1 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Struggling Marriages

Day 2 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for those Struggling with Addictions

Day 3 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Pastors

Day 4 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Bishops.

Day 5 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for the Poor.

Day 6 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Those Who Do Not Believe in God

Day 7 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Christians Outside the Catholic Church

Day8 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Holy Father the Pope

Day9 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Personal Intentions

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!!)

Handmade Blessed Sacrament Chaplet from a recycled rosary

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In this, the year of when I recycle rosaries, I chanced upon another opportunity. 

Some time ago I found in the junk box at my parish a really old rosary. Ornate. On the centerpiece medal was an image of the Sacred Heart and on the reverse side the words, ‘This is my body, this is my blood.” Whoah! So naturally, I grabbed it. It wasn’t until I got home that I discovered one of the decades was missing four beads. 

So I laid it aside until I got inspiration. After my three previous attempts at recycling broken rosaries into chaplets (see the link in the first sentence for my past recycling projects) I figured that since the centerpiece was very Eucharisticy, there should be a Eucharist chaplet or some other Christological chaplet I might convert it into. Nope, not until last night did I find an appropriate one (I hadn’t been looking too hard, before.) 

Here  are three images of it (they’re typically blurry, sorry):

The typical Blessed Sacrament Chaplet DOES NOT have the Crucifix, but I chose to add it. I don’t think Jesus would mind. 

Here’s the Sacred Heart image:

And, lastly, the wording:

If you want to know how to say the chaplet, please go to this Catholic Doors page.

I DO NOT MAKE THESE CHAPLETS FOR SALE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR ONE. I just get a thrill recycling broken rosaries and I like sharing the results.

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!!)

On Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces

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More thoughts on Mater Populi Fidelis. No one asked, but this is my blog so pfthpfth.

Jesus is the sole Redeemer and Mediator of all Humankind.

Mary, under her titles of co-Redeemer (Redemptrix) and co-Mediator (Mediatrix) is still a member of humanity; she is not a god, or demi-god. There’s God the Father, then, Jesus as the sole Mediator and Redeemer; and then, at the pinnacle of the human pile, Mary. She is not in any external position between humanity and Jesus.

By virtue of her Immaculate Conception is the most perfect and exalted member of humanity and because of that, she leads us to Jesus. What else can she do? That is how her Redemptrix and Mediatrix attributes (for lack of a better term) are worked out. She leads us to Jesus and intercedes for us with Him.

Although I still like that document, I wish the author’s perspective was more like that. It wouldn’t fundamentally change the document, but it might have stepped on fewer conservative/traditionalist toes and also might have set up the conditions that would enable a future Pope to formally declare Mary as Co-Redeemer and Co-Mediatrix as the final Marian dogma. Coming from the perspective I described above, it would have encouraged further thinking and discussion, leading towards greater acceptance of the dogma. 

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!!)

iThirst Initiative and the Unshackled TV series

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I want to bring to your attention Anne Costa’s recent interview with Keaton Douglas, founder of the iThirst Initiative. (I wrote a short post on them once before.) 

You can find  Anne’s interview right here on YouTube, or on these other fine podcast services.

“iThirst” stands for “The Healing Initiative – Recovery, Spirituality, Twelve step.” They fulfill a dire need for an organized Church response to the problem of alcohol, drug, and behavioral addictions. From their site, “iThirst: Empowering the Church to be a Resource for those Suffering from Addictions and Their Families.”They also partner with Catholic in Recovery.

The interview is very well done (which I can personally attest to as Anne interviwed me earlier this year.) Although Keaton Douglas is not an alcoholic or addict, she has recovered from personal trauma which had embedded in her a deep resentment for which she returned to the Church to resolve. Her interview reminded me of the insidious nature of resentments and how they impede true spiritual growth and healing. (I still harbor resentments from 20 years ago; things are what they are and they dwell in the dark recesses of my mind, emerging as an accompaniment to stress and anxiety. Perhaps all of us have those “voices in our heads” that rent space there; my voices are those resentments. I keep them at bay, most of the time. I’m OK with their renting space as they provide fuel for my drive to write fiction.)

One thing I discovered from Anne’s interview with Keaton that I’m really excited about is that Shalom World TV will be hosting “Unshackled.” From iThirst’s promo page:

“Addiction is tearing families and lives apart. It’s time to act.”

What if the greatest danger to your family isn’t what you think? Beyond cyber attacks, viruses, or global crises, there’s a silent epidemic touching countless lives: addiction. Shalom World, in partnership with the iTHIRST Initiative, presents Unshackled, a groundbreaking series tackling addiction head-on with faith, hope, and healing.

You can hear “about the upcoming TV Series “UNSHACKLED” right here, and another promo here. It is scheduled to debut in the Spring of 2026. I will post updates as I learn more about the show or when it debuts.

Shalom World TV, despite the Jewish name, is a Catholic television service. You can find them on YouTube, and if you have a streaming device or a Roku or Amazon Fire TV, just look up “Shalom World TV” and you can add them to your streaming channels. To be sure you’d have the right channel, their logo is on the right side of the Unshackled banner just above this.

You can learn more about iThirst on their About Us page.  PLEASE take the time and explore their site, it’s a treasure of information. They even have recovery groups in Catholic parishes, however, try as I might, I cannot find a directory of these on their site. 

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!!)

Sts Lucy and Odilia: patronesses of eye health

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Today is December 13th, and it is a day shared by two saints who are patronesses of the same health condition: eye health. These are St. Lucy and Odilia. I am posting this as an ‘ex voto,’ which is a ‘votive offering’ to saints for favors received. I had cataract surgery nearly 3 years ago and need prescription reading glasses and frequent application of lubricating eyedrops; once I began a devotion to both saintly ladies my eye health has improved tremendously. I only need the reading glasses under certain conditions (more so prior to my devotion) and while I’ll eventually need cataract surgery in my other eye, that one’s health hasn’t deteriorated much and it may be many years before surgery is needed. 

First up is St. Lucy.

St. Lucy was born circa 283 in Syracuse, on the island of Sicily, but she was of mixed Roman (via her father) and Greek (mother) ancestry. She was born into a wealthy, pious family. She vowed her life to Christ at an early age. When her father died while Lucy was still very young, her mother arranged a marriage for her. For three years she managed to keep the marriage at bay. Lucy prayed at the tomb of St. Agatha for her marriage to never happen, and from this her mother‘s long illness was cured. Her mother consented to terminate the marriage plans. However, the drama wasn’t over as the rejected groom objected.

He denounced Lucy as a Christian to the governor of Sicily. Bear in mind this was still when being a Christian was illegal. The governor sentenced her to a life of prostitution, and when the guards went to get her, they could not move her. She was hitched her to a team of oxen and they were unable to move her. She was ordered to be executed. Lucy was tortured during which her eyes were gouged out. She was then to be executed by being burned to death, but the bundles of wood refused to be lit. She ended up being stabbed to death with a dagger. She died circa 304, making her around 20 years old (birth and death years being uncertain.)

Legend says her eyesight was restored before her death. This and the meaning of her name led to her connection with eyes, the blind, eye trouble, etc. Lucy is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass along with numerous other martyrs of the early centuries.

Bio of St. Lucy adapted from CatholicSaints.info.

Next up is St. Odilia. You can read about her here: St. Odilia, patroness of the blind and those with eye problems. That post has a biography of her as well as some gratitude from me, so please read 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!!)

St. Juan Diego, pray for us addicts and alcoholics

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Today is the feast day of St. Juan Diego, the visionary of Guadalupe who saw Our Lady appear to him in this day in Mexico, 1531. I bring him up because I am a huge devotee of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and by connection, St. Juan Diego. I also discovered today that he miraculously interceded for a Mexican drug addict in completely curing him of his wounds from an apparent suicide attempt…. AND that this miraculous cure occurred at the very moment Pope St. John Paul II was beatifying Bl. Juan Diego on May 6, 1990!

St. Juan Diego, painting by Miguel Cabrera (1695-1768). (Public domain)

From Aleteia: How a drug addict’s life was miraculously saved by St. Juan Diego:

Juan José Barragán Silva…“under the drug´s influence … stabbed himself with a knife in his mother´s presence, and went to a balcony to throw himself over. His mother tried to hold him by the legs, but he managed to free himself and plunged head first to the ground.”

The scene was horrible and he was immediately rushed to the hospital in Mexico City. What happened next surprised everyone involved.

Three days later Barragán was completely cured and the doctors all agreed that it was “scientifically inexplicable.” He should have died from the fall, or at the very least become handicapped for the rest of his life.

Barragán’s mother revealed soon after the words she prayed when her son was falling off the balcony. She said while invoking the intercession of Juan Diego, “Give me a proof … save this son of mine! And you, my Mother, listen to Juan Diego.”

ZENIT – English has the original story here: Drug Addict Proves Mexican Indian Juan Diego´s Sanctity

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!!)