As part of the “personalization” of this blog, I figured I’d “reboot” and reintroduce myself.
Hi, I’m Paul, and I’m an alcoholic. (Well, no kidding.)
I am also a faithful Catholic Christian and blogger and in 2007 I combined them all. I write this and another blog: The Four Last Things. Both of them are on maintaining your sobriety by the use of the Catholic Christian faith. This one is more broad in the Faith and its importance in your sobriety, and now will also be exploring my own personal use of the Faith when I get all “discretely personal and confessional”. I tried that before and discontinued it because I found that writing about myself to be dull. I still think I’m uninteresting, but what may be dull to me may not be so to others. Maybe that is a false humility?
The Four Last Things focuses on death and dying, topics infrequently mentioned in Twelve Steps meetings.
I basically started them because when I had sobered up in 2001 and 2002 I spent some time looking online for interactive Catholic resources on sobriety and found none. So I started a blog that had what I was looking for.
I decided to reboot this blog at the suggestion of a friend (and the support of the notion by others) because it has been said that expanding and expounding upon one’s own “experience, strength and hope” may draw readers closer to the blog and be more useful and helpful. This blog may begin to resemble other personal blogs on alcoholism and addiction in that its focus will include my own path.
Early on I did introduce myself a bit, here are links to those blogposts:
Tribute Books has asked me to review another book they are publishing, this time it is “Framing Faith” written by Sarah Piccini with photography by Ivana Pavelka and “ARTS Engage!”
To quote from the synopsis:
“Framing Faith tells the story of the faith of immigrants and their descendants, spotlighting ten Catholic churches in the Diocese of Scranton that were closed due to restructuring. The churches … have rich ethnic heritages. They are Polish, Slovak, Italian, German, and Lithuanian parishes with long traditions and deep roots. Each church was founded by immigrant groups who came to the coal fields of the Lackawanna Valley with little more than their faith in God. Their churches served as the center of the community and touchstones of the Old Country. “Framing Faith” traces their histories from small beginnings through baptisms, weddings and funerals to their final celebrations. Throughout the text are images from each church, visual reminders of what was for many an important part of their lives.
I was originally going to post this review on Mother’s Day, as that was my personal tie-in to reviewing the book. I usually only review books that may have something to do with the scope of this blog. However, I was unable to meet the deadline due to some things going on in my “real life” away from blogging and other online activity. Why Mother’s Day? Because my Mom and Dad grew up in the Scranton, Pennsylvania area and although none of the churches I recall them ever mentioning are among those closing, this still hits home a bit.
The Catholic Church in the United States is restructuring. Churches are closing due to declining membership as people move away from the cities and out to other areas. The churches never recognized the need to evangelize the urban populations surrounding them, and as a result, Catholic parishes close and are boarded up, or are turned into non-Catholic churches. Anyway, the nature of the Church changes.
This is important in some manner to this blog as an authentic Catholic identity is critical one’s spiritual development. Membership in a parish is basic to the practice of the Faith, it provides a home and a framework for a person’s relationship to the greater Church as a whole.
The Introduction to “Framing Faith” provides an excellent glimpse into this idea, as it details the history of the Diocese of Scranton and the creation, growth, and development of the immigrant ethnic Catholic parishes. We see how important to the lives of Catholics these parishes were, how they were a means of social support in the decades before government charity. In addition, they were a means of maintaining a cultural identity in the times before “diversity” became an abused ideology.
Which makes it sad that certain parishes are closing. And why “Framing Faith” is an important book documenting by words and pictures the history and architectural styles of these parishes. Architecture is a means of creative expression, and how members of a Catholic parish or Christian denomination build their house of worship gives a very good indication of their concept of God and their own relationship to Him.
Generations of hard, faithful work by people long ago is now passing away. Who knows what will become of these closed churches. This is a shame, and makes us wonder at the survival of our our patrimony. Will our parishes be around 100 years from now. Will they be mourned? Will current parish members learn from the closure of churches and seek to instill an evangelical vitality so that in the event of demographic and geographic change, the parishes will survive and not be forgotten?
We must not fail in learning from the failures of the past. Get a copy of “Framing Faith”, marvel at the beauty of these churches and wonder just how could they be closing?
The 9th anniversary of my sobriety date seems like a good opportunity to announce some changes to this blog.
Over on Plurk I asked someone for advice on changes to this blog. Along with some design suggestions, some of which I had already considered and am planning on doing, she suggested that I get more personal. As in I talk more about my personal daily struggles and such things. I had discounted that as I had tried that before and found myself to be rather boring. But she said that a lot of people also do (find writing about themselves boring, that is), but making it personal helps readers connect more with the blog and the person behind it. And I have to admit that people who do that sort of thing seem to have a more active comments section. :-O
So, there will be an expansion in the scope of this blog, more personal, a lot more postings then (which may be a good thing.)
I shall be careful in what I babble about. I still think I’m rather dull and uninteresting, but if how I personally use my Catholic faith is a help, hey, that’s cool. 😉
Today, May 22, 2011 marks my 9th sober anniversary. I did a little reflecting on the 9 years and thought “what a long, strange trip it’s been.” (Apologies to Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.)
I think I’ve made the best of it. I sobered up in time to care for my Mom before she died. (Although my family disputes the importance of my being there for her. One reason I speak as little to them as I can.) I had enough strength to cope with her death and the painful struggles (quite a bit were family-inflicted) afterwards. I eventually found love and married a nice lady (ARTIST4GOD: Rose Santuci-Sofranko) and established myself in a nice job caring for people with disabilities.
I also started this site which has been well received, for a niche blog in the Catholic blogosphere.
Yes, nine years of sobriety. One of the 12 Step daily meditations says that we alcoholics have 2 lifetimes, the one before sobriety and the one we are given after sobering up. So, today I am 9 years old.
As many readers know, there is a Catholic social network entitled “Recovery for Christ” found here: http://www.recoveryforchrist.com. It is a successor to a previous network: “Catholic Recovery” (or Catholics in Recovery”, the original name.)
The network had Facebook components, which are undergoing changes. Here is a copy of an email I sent to all Facebook Group members, a copy of which is also on the Group’s sister Page:
“Apparently Facebook is going to archive all Groups created under the old Group format.
There has been a request that I update this Group to accommodate this new format. I am not going to do that for a few reasons, namely:
This Group, as well as the Page of the same name was basically just an “advertisement” for the organization’s non-Facebook website. I had hoped that Facebookers who are in need of the resources will find the Group and Page, and eventually migrate to the main website. This hasn’t happened all that much, but that isn’t important right now.
Since Facebook is changing Groups, I am availing myself of the opportunity to revamp the whole project. I took the liberty of creating a new Group and new Page, both reflecting the main website’s new name, which went from being called “Catholic Recovery” to “Recovery for Christ” in July 2010. It also moved to a new web address at the time (more on that, later.)
Hence, this Group and the accompanying Page are now also called “Recovery for Christ.”
The new “Recovery for Christ” Group is secret, meaning that no one can see who is a member and what goes on in it. (I am not even sure if it can be found in a Facebook search.) Therefore members can freely post without worrying what their other Facebook Friends will think. I created it that way for the traditional anonymity concerns and perhaps so more people will use it.
The “Recovery for Christ” Page is open, meaning anyone can see who’s there and what is being posted. The Page is basically just a calling card for, and informational posts about, the main website. The Page is also (this is the important thing) a portal to the new secret Group. Facebookers can find the Page, see that a secret Group exists, and petition to join the Group.
Ultimately, the best way to participate anonymously is to go to the main website: http://www.recoveryforchrist.com. Please bear in mind however that the “Recovery for Christ” site will be undergoing some changes within a month, so perhaps people might want to wait. The Recovery for Christ Facebook Page and Group will have news of any and all changes.
So, that’s it. To find the Page, type in the Search box “Recovery for Christ”, or email me at sobercatholic@facebook.com or sobercatholic@gmail.com. I can also add you to the Group. Group members can also invite people to the new Group.
Pope John Paul 2 will be beatified in ceremonies at the Vatican this Sunday, May 1, 2011. Here is a listing of fairly comprehensive English language programming covering the event, and these are links to online schedules as well as live, online streaming of the ceremonies if you wish to view it on you computer:
First off is EWTN, a major American global Catholic TV and radio network:
EWTN coverage: “Beatification of Pope John Paul II Coverage with EWTN Catholic Television Network”
“Xt3” is a Catholic social network founded after the Sydney World Youth Day. Although they are focused on WYDs, they are a comprehensive social network:
Xt3: “Beatification: Live webcast”, and the stream is found here: John Paul II: “webcast”
The above links are not presented in any particular order of importance. If you find any link to be wrong or broken, etc, please email me or comment. All comments are moderated but I hope to get to them as quickly as I can.
Pope John Paul 2 was very important to me. He was the Pope during my departure from the Church, thus proving how stupid and prideful I can be, and he was reigning when I returned. His papacy was instrumental in my reversion and re-formation of my faith.
In this Reading from today’s Mass of the Passion of our Lord for Palm Sunday, Isaiah says:
Isaiah 50:4-5: “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear;
Do you hear the Lord each morning? Do you pray every day to start it? Part of prayer is listening, for prayer is a conversation. Starting your day off with prayer is the best way to begin, it orients you in the proper direction.
We do not know what the illness was, but it doesn’t matter. We can take this story and relate it to our alcoholism.
Jesus warns the man not to sin. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the man sinned and his punishment was an illness, but perhaps his illness was a natural consequence of some sinful act. Just a thought…
Now, this is where a Gospel lesson may be directly applied to some natural consequence of drinking again after a period of sobriety.
You have stopped drinking, you are aware of the physical, mental and spiritual dangers of alcohol abuse. Also, if you are aware of the moral dimensions of alcohol abuse as a result of some of the Steps and through Confession, then you are aware that it is a sin. Knowledge increases your culpability. Your will may have been corrupted, but if you have had sustained sobriety you should have regained some control over it. You should have enough safeguards in place to counter the “cunning, baffling and powerful” nature of alcoholism.
Jesus essentially warns the man that something worse may happen to him if he sins again. We know this from our own experience with alcoholism. If we relapse, it may make our recovery far more difficult. Granted, many people who “go back out” and “do research” find that drinking is as bad as it ever was, and their resolve is stronger.
But there are many examples of people who for whatever reason, continually relapse. Their hope of recovery is damaged.
The “something worse” for them is their continued life of addiction and all that implies, plus the shame of repeated failure.
The central premise of this idea is contained in the article’s third paragraph, which basically treats addictions like they are bad habits, and you have to recognize the immediate bad effects they are having on your life.
First, you have to realize that whatever the addiction is, it is causing you problems. Then you have to consider all the bad effects that the addiction is having on your life, right now. This is key, according to the article. It is easier to consider the immediate now rather than the long term later. This is understood by all addicts and alcoholics, “we want what we want, and we want it now.”
Once you realize the bad effects that the addiction is having on your life, focus and amplify those bad feelings, and eventually your behavior will change. Sort of like do-it-yourself aversion therapy.
Nice, in theory.
In short, to a serious addict this may sound like: “My drinking is bad. Really bad. It is messing up my life, my home life is being ruined by it, I’m about to lose my job, and losing all this will destroy me. OK, so if I focus on these bad feelings of losing all this stuff, I will start to prefer the things I am about to lose, and be less interested in drinking.” I am thinking that a person who is seriously in the grips of an addiction will find it difficult to follow along that line of rational thought.
Addicts generally feel that their addiction is helping them to cope with their problems, and only after much suffering and loss might they come around to the idea that their addiction is the source. By this time their mind and will is so affected by the addiction that it might prove difficult to realize the truth of their problem’s cause. The immediate gratification effect of drinking or using again may prove easier than mentally contemplating how this “habit” is destroying their life. Doing that may just generate more internal conflict: “I want a drink” combined with “No, this is bad, it is costing me such and such” may just yield a desire to drink again to ease the pain. The idea also assumes that the addict must seriously believe that the addiction is worse than their daily living activities. There may be a preference for the addiction versus the healthy life, if they feel that their healthy life has little value.
Support groups organized to reinforce this thinking that the immediate effect is bad could assist as I doubt that any serious addict could accomplish this on their own.
There is merit in the idea. It is an excellent way to avert sinful behavior. We all vow to have a “firm purpose of amendment” when we go to Confession. This idea sounds reminiscent of aids to maintaining virtue as proposed by various saints. Be vigilant on the destructive nature of sin, as it applies to your life now.
