Saints Are Ordinary People Driven By Great Love

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This article is from a chapter in Mother Angelica’s Guide to Practical Holiness, which is available from Sophia Institute Press. 

Saints: Ordinary People Driven By Great Love

Mother Angelica

September 11, 2020

https://catholicexchange.com/saints-ordinary-people-driven-by-great-love

The concept of the perfect, faultless saint is unrealistic. We have only to look at the gospels to see how imperfect the Apostles and first Christians were. There was a point in their lives when they changed. We call that point the time of their “conversion,” their encounter with the Sanctifying Spirit. For the Apostles it was Pentecost, for Paul it was a blinding light on the road to Damascus, for Cornelius it was the mere presence of Peter.

However, most of the saints did not have dramatic experiences. As we have seen in the life of Matt Talbot, was pain, disappointment, and a feeling of emptiness that pushed him into the arms of God. No matter what happened, the saints determined at some point to follow Jesus. A vacuum deep in their souls began to be filled, for they found the pearl of great price. They all changed their lives, some their state in life, but they did not get rid of their weaknesses. They fought harder, conquered more often and grew, like Jesus, “in grace and wisdom before God and men” (Luke 2:52).

 

In the Acts we see Peter’s vacillating spirit making him and everyone else miserable as he took so much time deciding the fate of the Gentiles. Paul’s temper flared quickly as he argued his point before the gathering of Apostles. John, called by Jesus a son of thunder, had little patience with those who would not follow Jesus.

In the lives of all the saints we find the following similarities:

          - love for God and neighbor,

               -determination to imitate Jesus,

               -an immediate rising after a fall,

               -a complete breakaway from grievous sin,

               -growth in virtue and prayer,

          -and the accomplishment of God’s Will.

These factors are available to every human being; they do not exclude imperfections and faults. We must make a distinction between faults and sins. A saintly person keeps the Commandments; however, he may possess various human qualities, dispositions that make the imitation of Jesus a sanctifying process. These weaknesses make him choose constantly between himself and God. It is in this emptying of oneself and the “putting on of Jesus” that he becomes holy.

Holiness is a “growth experience” and growth consists in advancing in knowledge, love, self-control and all those other imitable virtues of Jesus. We must not lose sight of holiness as we grow, for holiness only means that Jesus is more to us than anyone or anything else in the world. But this desire to belong entirely to God does not exclude being loving to our neighbor, compassionate, caring, patient and kind. Our desire to belong to God enhances all these virtues in our souls, increases our love for our neighbor and makes us more unselfish.

A housewife becomes holy by being a loving wife and mother, filled with compassion for her family because she is filled with the compassionate Jesus.

A husband and father becomes holy by being a good pro­vider, hardworking, honest and understanding because his model is the provident Jesus.

Both husband and wife become holy together as their love for Jesus grows. Love makes them see themselves and change those frailties that are not like their Model. In doing this, life together is less complicated and more loving and understanding. They are bound together by love and prayer, mutual striving and forgiving.

Children become holy by being obedient, thoughtful, joyful and loving. These qualities are maintained by grace and prayer.

Being faithful to the duties of one’s state in life and faithful to the grace of the moment are not as easy as they appear. Our temperament, weaknesses, society, work and even the weather clamor for our attention. Living a spiritual life in an unspiritual world and maintaining the principles of Jesus over the principles of this world is hard, but within reach of all. The paradox is that if we choose evil over good it is hell all the way to hell and that is harder.

Christianity is a way of life, a way of thought, a way of action that is contrary to the way of the world. This makes the Christian stand alone and it is this aloneness that discourages him from striving for holiness. However, it is this same aloneness that makes him stand out in a crowd. He becomes a beacon for those who do not enjoy the darkness, a light that enlightens the minds of all around him, a fire that warms cold hearts.

He struggles as all men struggle; he works, eats, sleeps, cries and laughs, but the spirit in which he accomplishes ordinary human needs and demands makes him holy. He does not always make the right decisions but he learns from his mistakes. He does not correspond to every grace, but he accepts his failures with humility and tries harder to be like the Master. He does not condone sin, and though he is ever aware of his own sinner condition, he loves his neighbor enough to correct him with gentleness when his soul is in danger.

He is free to have or have not, for his real treasure is Jesus and the invisible realities. He can possess with detachment or be dispossessed without bitterness.

He knows his Father well enough to entrust his past to His mercy. The Spirit is a friend who guides his steps and straight­ens the crooked paths ahead. His time and talents are spent in the imitation of Jesus in the ever present now.

The saint is the person who loves Jesus on a personal level; loves Him enough to want to be like Him in everyday life; loves Him enough to take on some of His loveable character­istics. Like Jesus, he lovingly accomplishes the Father’s Will, knowing that all things are turned to good because he is loved personally by such a great God.

Let us not be confused by the talents and missions of other Saints. Let us be the kind of saints we were created to be. There are no little or great saints — only men and women who struggled and prayed to be like Jesus — doing the Father’s Will from moment to moment wherever they are and whatever they are doing.

Saints are ordinary people with the compassion of the Father in their souls, the humility of Jesus in their minds and the love of the Spirit in their hearts. When these beautiful qualities grow day by day in everyday situations, holiness is born.

The Father gave His Son so we would become His children and heirs of His Kingdom. Jesus was born, lived and died and rose to show us the way to the Father. The Spirit gave us His gifts so we would be clothed with the jewels of virtue, the gold of love, the emeralds of hope and the brilliant diamonds of faith.

Let us not be content with the scotch tape and the aluminum foil of this world.

Be Holy — wherever you are!

The Glories of Recovery

This author has written articles about Venerable Matt Talbot on his blog, http://www.sobercatholic.com that we have re-posted,  and we appreciate his wife, Rose Santuci-Sofranko, alerting us to the following article by Paul.

 
The Glories of Recovery 
By Paul Sofranko
09/10/2020
https://www.liguorian.org/the-glories-of-recovery/

Alcoholism may be one of humanity’s oldest addictions.
Wine and other intoxicating beverages—along with their potential to cause problems—have been with us since the development of agriculture.

In the Book of Genesis, Noah—a good farmer—planted a vineyard. And, after harvesting grapes, he promptly “drank some of the wine, became drunk, and lay naked inside his tent” (Genesis 9:21). There is no scriptural record of Noah’s wine drinking becoming problematic. Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that alcohol’s use has been accompanied by its abuse from the beginning of human civilization.

The Glorification of Alcohol and the Tragedy of Addiction

Alcohol abuse has been glorified in popular culture for a long time. Heavy drinking has been depicted as a sign of manhood, especially if you can “hold it.” Books, movies, and TV shows have always been flooded with tough-guy characters who drink a lot. And broken-down women who can or can’t hold their liquor. Drunkards are also common comedic characters. Skits by Red Skelton and Foster Brooks come to mind, as do the Arthur films.

Yet for millions, drinking is no laughing matter. For such people, boozing is tragic. Lives are lost, home life is ripped apart, jobs and careers vanish. The variety of horrors resulting from uncontrolled drinking is longer than all the fancy lists you can find of cocktails, wines, and beers.

Alcoholism can strike anyone. It ignores age, race, sex, gender, nationality, religion, or any other label we can place on people. Origins and causes remain speculative. Compelling evidence supports either “nature” or “nurture,” meaning genetic and hereditary sources or familial upbringing could be the origin, or some combination. My Liguorian article isn’t concerned with why addiction happens. But because I am sure you, our reader, either is an addict or knows someone who is, this article hopes to address the question, “Now what?” I think I can help.

The Essential Role of our Faith in Recovery

We are Catholics, and as such we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We know he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thus I can assure you there is a Way, using his Truth, to recover the Life he holds out for us.

According to the old Baltimore Catechism, we are put on this earth to love and serve God in this life so we can be happy with him forever in the next. God is our first beginning and our last end. Life is what happens in between. And because of Original Sin, we suffer from concupiscence, which disturbs that life. Our tendency toward sin has many degrees, from venial sins—which damage our relationship with God and others—to mortal sins—which  cause severe harm, including destroying a life of grace in the soul.

Somewhere in the mix of any life, addiction can fall. For an addict, at some point the normal use of a drink or a drug becomes abusive—crossing a line that’s different for every soul—and becoming a disease. Addiction is when the need for the substance becomes compulsive and causes spiritual, mental, and physical harm to the user.

Catholic spiritual writers for centuries have referred to addiction as an “inordinate attraction.” In a world that’s wounded by sin and fear, in which people are marginalized by impersonal and uncaring governments and businesses, where multitudes of messages bombard people through media venues that cause some to doubt themselves and make them feel less than others, it is no surprise that folks seek an escape. Drinking enables people to build a fantasy: a unique perception about themselves that is vastly superior to a reality in which they lack the control they desire.

Which brings us here:

The Sin and False Reality of Addiction

The title of this article is a purposeful homage to the classic text on the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary. While by no means equating this work with that of the saint, it is intended to convey what our ultimate goal should be: arriving at our true home, heaven, and basking in the glory of God and in being glorified ourselves.

We are made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore our souls reflect his image. Tragically, this image is distorted and clouded daily by sin, sometimes to the point of completely obscuring it. Addictions in and of themselves are sinful in that individual wills are corrupted, with the consequences that things are done that ought not to occur.

Through addiction, people enter a false reality, their self-esteem and ego soar on wings like eagles, hurts are avenged, losses and missed opportunities are reimagined into victories, grievances are settled and—in short—they feel “healed.” Of course, the “healing” is as fake as the reality. The “healing” feeling will persist as long as the addict can function in his or her addiction. But at some point, the feeling will come crashing down, and life will become a wreck that the addict created and which desperately needs salvaging.

Recovery: The Path to a Fulfilling Life

Works of mercy, typically called “recovery,” are in place to assist people in addressing their addiction. Recovery helps people overcome addiction, rebuild lives, repair relationships with people and particularly with God so that when life comes to its end and we meet Jesus—our Just and Merciful Judge—we can hear his anticipated words, “Welcome my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Father.”

Recovery is redemptive. What was lost is recovered. It may be different from what might have been had alcohol or drugs not become destructive. Nevertheless, in recovery, a life that is now responsible and rightly ordered can be achieved.

To those who have a loved one in the vice of addiction, the most important thing you can do is pray fervently for that person until she or he reaches out in need. People generally do not begin recovery until they want it. Those who truly want to do the work necessary to recover will reach a point where they realize that if they continue drinking they will die, whereas if they stop drinking they may only want to die.

If addicts choose the hard work of recovery, they will eventually choose life, and you can hope to be present when they do. That is important: be present to them. At the moment they no longer want to live the way they are living, in their broken and wounded spirit, they will not know what to do beyond not wanting to drink anymore.

If you wish to be informed about addiction, how to respond to it, and what recovery from it looks like, resources are available in your community and online. Your local yellow pages book or online can point them out to you. The information you find will help you minister to your loved one’s needs. Immerse yourself in prayer and beseech the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. Insight into where to go may come from any source. Listen and be open to inspiration. Humility is also essential, as your loved one may resist your help and seek it elsewhere, perhaps even in recovery organizations. It is often believed—and in my opinion it’s often true—that only another addict can help an addict. Addicts in recovery have credibility from living through and recovering on a daily basis from the problem.

If you have an addiction and are seeking help, there are numerous recovery groups available, from Step organizations and those using other recovery methods. Make use of them. They comprise individuals who have been where you are now, they have suffered through it and now have a life that no longer wants the crutches of the drink or the drug. If you fear how difficult it might be to live a life clean and sober, they will teach you.

Recovery programs are like the practice fields athletes use before going out onto the actual field of play. On the recovery field you will learn the life skills you need and how to keep from returning to the addictive drug or drink of choice to cope.

Help from Fellow Catholics and Other Like-minded People

The Calix Society is a prime Catholic organization offering assistance to alcoholics. “The society is an association of Catholic alcoholics who are maintaining their sobriety through affiliation with and participation in the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous,” says a line from calixsociety.org.

While Alcoholics Anonymous is not a Catholic organization, its early history reveals the influence of Catholics. AA’s Twelve Steps were developed with the assistance of a Jesuit priest, Fr. Ed Dowling of St. Louis. The steps are closely related to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in their exposition of faults, the amendment of life, and growing closer to God.

Sr. Ignatia, who worked with AA co-founder “Dr. Bob” in his hospital, awarded Sacred Heart badges to alcoholics who successfully left treatment. This initiated the tradition in AA groups of giving monthly and annual chips or medallions to people after periods of self-proclaimed sobriety.

My blog, “Sober Catholic” (found on sobercatholic.com) contains links to many useful resources for anyone who is looking to apply their Catholic faith in seeking assistance for addictions. It has been online since January 2007, and I have endeavored to maintain links to useful resources on it. I believe Jesus, the Divine Physician, established the Catholic Church and its resources, including  the liturgical and sacramental life, ministries, and lay apostolates. Our Church, in my view, therefore can be an effective partner for the alcoholic and addict in staying clean and sober. I am not a certified recovery specialist, just a sober guy with a blog. But my application of my Catholic faith has been primarily responsible for keeping me sober for many years. I have published two devotional booklets, The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts, and The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics (for information and to order, see sobercatholic.com). The former carries the reader through all twenty mysteries of the rosary with reflections on each one and how they relate to the alcoholic. The latter does the same with the Stations of the Cross. The reader goes on a healing journey as the old person is cast off and the new person emerges.

The Catholic faith, with its rich traditions of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and reconciliation, can assist with sobriety. Perhaps not completely on its own. Sometimes the sick need resources that deal specifically with an illness. In that regard, you or your loved ones should make responsible use of qualified professionals, from clinical recovery specialists to treatment centers or therapists. But there is an inexhaustible fount of graces and healing flowing from our Church. With those, the glories of sobriety—for your loved one or you if you suffer with addiction—are within reach.

 

Learning From Venerable Matt Talbot About Attachment and Detachment of Addictions*

Homily For Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) 

by Fr. Billy Swan

https://www.thehookoffaith.com/

July 30, 2019

"Dear friends. I would like to share a few thoughts this week on addiction. I do so not only because it is topical and relevant to our society today but because it is found in the Gospel story this weekend of the man who wasn’t contented with his rich harvest but wanted an even greater return the following year – a year he would never see because of his premature death. Like many addictions, his was to ‘having more’. What he had was never enough.

Now when we talk about addictions, we might be tempted to think only of the big ones we hear about – addictions to alcohol, to smoking, drugs, gambling or pornography. If we do then we might be tempted to cod ourselves in thinking that addictions effect other people but not me. That I’m ok. The truth is that all of us are prone to any number of addictions at any time. Most of us are probably struggling with some addiction right now. It’s not a question of if we are, but more a question of ‘to what am I addicted?’ This is because the human spirit always seeks to attach itself to something greater than itself. And it is this attachment that will either destroy us or fill us with joy in this life and the next.

One man who came full circle on this journey of attachment and detachment was Matt Talbot. It is said that he was a hopeless alcoholic by the time he was 14. He was so addicted to drink that he would do anything and lose everything just to have another drink. He pawned his clothes and boots to get money for alcohol. On one occasion, he stole a fiddle from a street entertainer in Dublin and sold it to buy drink. His addiction to alcohol turned him into someone he hated to be. When he hit rock bottom, he turned to God in desperate prayer and pledged with his grace to detach himself from drink and to attach himself ever more faithfully to God. In his efforts to turn his life around, Matt Talbot was successful but credited everything to God and his mercy.

We can learn so much from his story. The most important thing to learn is how his addiction, like our addictions and every addiction, is a spiritual problem that needs a spiritual cure. Before his conversion, Matt Talbot tried to satisfy his need for God with alcohol before he realised that there is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem. We are prone to addictions when God is not in first place and what comes first instead in our lives are things that can never replace him. Matt Talbot’s detachment from drink corresponded to his attachment to God. To help him make this painful transition, we know he read the writings of St Frances de Sales who urges us not just to give up our addictions but to give up our love for them. So for Matt Talbot, it wasn’t just a question of giving up the drink. It was just as much about giving up his love for it. Since his death on 7th June 1925, Matt Talbot has been an inspiration and sign of hope to people like us who struggle with addictions. He was declared Venerable by Pope Paul VI in 1975 and how wonderful it would be if one day he is declared a saint. He once wrote: ‘Never be too hard on the person who can’t give up drink. It’s as hard to give up the drink as it is to raise the dead to life again. But both are possible and even easy for Our Lord. We have only to depend on him.’

Today we pray for ourselves, that we may know our addictions and admit them. We pray that we become detached and free from whatever holds us back and kills our joy that comes from God. We pray that every day, we may attach our spirits in humble prayer to the God who made them and the God for whom they were made. We pray for all those whose lives are being destroyed by addiction here and beyond. May this be the time when new hope is born and many souls turn back again to God. Matt Talbot, pray for us."

*Note:  We are responsible for this title.

Admitting Powerlessness

Having slowly studied the Bible and periodically making notes, this quote would have spoken to Matt Talbot. 

Step One: We Admitted We Were Powerless

TWELVE STEP SERIES (2014) BY FR. EMMERICH VOGT, O.P. A PUBLICATION OF THE WESTERN DOMINICAN PROVINCE http://12-step-review.org/newsltr/index.html “I do not understand my own actions, for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. I can will what is right but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand, for I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:15, 18b-25a) Fr. Emmerich then proceeds to discuss Step One of recovery.

Holy Man of Dublin

Holy Man of Dublin

By James J. Murphy

ALEMBIC, pages 27-36

May 1941

https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1175&context=alembic

Some men build on sand and fail miserably; others patiently seek out sturdy rocks on which to establish lasting monu­ments. Matt Talbot, the model Irish layman, was of the latter type. He had tasted of the food of the world, nay had gorged himself with it, only to find it wanting. Then, in despair and utter humility, he turned to God for sustenance.

There was nothing extraordinary in Matt’s birth. He was born in 1856 and enjoyed all the advantages that typical God­ fearing Irish parents bring. He lived  in Dublin and, with the eleven other children in the family, was educated, worked, and died there. Love of the rosary was daily fostered as the family

group gathered for evening prayer. There are no legends or novel tales about his boyhood. When only twelve, he left the Christian Brothers’ school and secured a position as a messenger for a wine company. Here we trace his fall.

Still only a lad, Matt began to drink. With the same thoroughness that later marked his conversion he attempted to satisfy his insatiable and destructive craving. He received ad­vances on his salary to purchase more and more of the new center of his existence. He pawned his clothes. He borrowed money. Finally he came to depend on the charity of friends who were moved by his pitiful state. When unbridled, man’s desires wreak havoc. Matt Talbot proved no exception. Bitter, scorned, and dejected, he was a veritable slave by his twenty-eighth birth­day. An outcast of society, his future was an infinite sea of blackness. But the ways of grace are strange.

Whether an unconquerable conscience moved him, or the beseechings of his pious mother, or simply disgust with himself can only be speculated. At any rate, in this period of his life he began the great transformation. Seemingly on the spur of the moment he declared that he would take the pledge. A spark

of determination was ignited in him and, with the fervent en­couragement of his prayerful mother, he abstained from drink for three months, then for a year, and finally for the rest of his days.

Let us not imagine that this was a simple procedure. Old and enticing habits are not as easily discarded or changed as a suit or a tie. A definite, slow, painful process must be followed. Victory and peace of soul are found many times in retreat, in withdrawing from the forces that would destroy and 

contami­nate. 

The humble man of Dublin sought this avenue of escape.

He resolved to avoid his old sinful haunts. He secured another

position whereby he could more easily carry out his difficult

task. He mapped out certain routes which took him away from

the taverns and saloons. Most important, he turned to prayer,

and thus we see him more and more devoting himself to the

things of God as the old passions viciously made final bids for

his scarred and battle-worn soul. Through it all Matt remained

steadfast.

Daily Mass, countless acts of charity, repeated visits to church, sympathy and good cheer for his fellow workers were all in the order of the day. The time outside of his working hours was spent in deep meditation and spiritual reading. He read chiefly the Bible, Cardinal Newman’s works and the Medi­tations of Saint Francis de Sales. Over and above these edifying acts the returning prodigal sought stricter means of chastisement. Matt felt that just as he had gone to the extreme in his vice he should now use all means that would draw him closer to his Master. The strict fasts and bodily disciplines, emblematic of the lives of saints, were zealously carried out by him. The few hours that he did sleep he slept on a board with chains wrapped around his legs and arms. In almsgiving he was most conscien­tious, sometimes keeping a mere fraction of his pay for himself. And with all of his austere practices he logically retained his true Irish cheerfulness for he was at peace with God and himself.

The years slipped by and Matt grew spiritually stronger and stronger. So it is that we find him ready and willing for death. The culmination of his unflinching struggle occurred on June 7, 1925, outside of Saint Saviour’s Church which is

conducted by the Dominicans. As he was waiting for the church to be opened he was suddenly overtaken by a heart attack and passed away, piously gazing upon a crucifix held by a Dominican father. In his passing he was calm and unafraid, for in his life he felt and knew the mercy of God.

No greater summation or praise of Matt Talbot could be given than that expressed by Mr. F. J. Sheed: “There is no looking at Matt Talbot without feeling that he is a perfect example of the Irish people at prayer: not one sort of Irishman but the Irishman as such— the Irishman stripped down to his

Catholicism.” To the Irish especially he is a lovable character for, as one of their countrymen, he typifies their distinctive faith and perseverance. To the world in general he offers a stirring example of a solid character sanely balancing the material and the spiritual. His great contribution to mankind was a good life simply lived and calmly ended. In the midst of chaos,

over-indulgence, and greed, we could well use more Matt Talbots.

Exploring our Powerlessness

Although we have not had a label titled “powerlessness,” a word  search of this site will link multiple articles that relate to this word.

An extensive newsletter article that is not listed that may be beneficial to consider at this time is "Step One: We Admitted We Were Powerless" by Fr Emmerich Vogt, O.P. at http://12-step-review.org/newsltr/index.html.

How to Slay Your Goliath

by Fr. Michael Najim
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/cw/post.php?id=68

12-Step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous have helped countless people around the world to win the battle over addiction.  The 12 Step program, which is really a lived spirituality, helps people to see their Goliath, to name their Goliath, and, with God’s help, to overcome their Goliath.  I call it a Goliath because most people in the grip of addiction feel that the giant is just too big, that they can’t defeat it.  And the truth is that they can’t defeat it, not with their own will power.  But more on that point in a moment.

You need not have a serious addiction to benefit from the 12-Step program.  We all have Goliaths in our lives: things that keep us down, that we feel are too big to be defeated.  So what does this biblical story (1 Samuel 17) teach us about defeating the Goliath in our lives?

The young and fearless David is determined to fight the experienced Philistine warrior, Goliath.  Saul admonishes David that he’s too young to fight Goliath; but David is confident that the Lord will give him the strength for victory.  David says to Goliath: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts…For the battle is the Lord’s, and he shall deliver you into our hands.”

We know the end of the story.  David strikes Goliath in the head with a stone from his sling.  Goliath drops, and then David cuts off his head.

The first step in the 12-Step program is: “We admitted we were powerless over our addiction and that our lives had become unmanageable.”  The second step: “We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”  Isn’t that what David did?  He never claimed he was going to take out Goliath by his own power.  David made it clear that the Lord was going to be the one to win the victory.  David wasn’t relying on willpower; he was relying on the Lord.

Sometimes we try to fight our Goliath with will power.  That doesn’t work.  It’s humbling, but we must admit we are powerless over it, whatever “it” is.  We must believe what David believed: “The battle is the Lord’s.”  This is why the third step in the 12-Step program is so important: “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

So, what is your Goliath?  Is it a particular sin or habit?  Is it an addiction?  Is it a memory?  Is it a thought pattern?  Is it a situation or problem in your life?

It’s important to name your Goliath.  Honesty is really important.  Find someone you can confide in and name it.  You see, if we live in fear of our Goliath we empower it; but if we name it, if we look it in the face, we begin to experience freedom.

Make a decision to let go and let the Lord fight your battles.  I know, it seems counterintuitive: when we face a giant we feel we need to fight or flee; but in our lives with the Lord we do neither.  We surrender to God and let him fight for us.  He takes care of us (step 3).  And if we let him, he will slay our Goliath.

It’s okay to give up. No. I don’t mean to give in to despair or to give in to your addiction or bad habit.  I’m simply saying it’s okay to give up the battle and to tell the Lord that you can’t fight anymore, that you’re tired, that He has to do it for you. To overcome sin, addictions, bad habits, or any other situation in our lives, we must throw willpower out the window.  The only decision we need to make with our will is to surrender to the Lord and let Him take over.

Don’t be afraid of your Goliath. Look at it.  Name it.  Admit that you can’t defeat it.  And then surrender your life and will to the Lord.  Let him take care of it for you.  He wants to take it from you.  After all, it’s His job.

Today is the Tomorrow You Talked About Yesterday

We know the challenges Matt Talbot experienced in keeping his pledge to abstain from drink. But besides alcohol, Matt also gave up his pipe and tobacco, having taken to a pledge against smoking. He told one of his friends that this was even harder than giving up drinking! (http://www.acnireland.org/dts/dts_matt.pdf)

KEEPING YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

by Abraham O. Ogun

Abrahamic Inspiration and Motivation Company, Lagos, Nigeria

February 13th, 2016  

http://abmotivation.com/blog/keepning-your-new-year-resolution/

Sometime ago, in the north, a young man approached me and said, “I want to quit smoking.” After making the New Year resolution, he told me to be monitoring him, to ensure that he didn’t go back to his old habit. I agreed with him. On a particular day, in the second month of that year, as I was coming from outside, I saw a stick of cigarette in his hand with a puff and I exclaimed, “Guy, you’ve broken your new year resolution.” He smiled and replied, “Abraham, don’t mind me; I will quit next year.”  

A wise man said, “Today is the tomorrow you talked about yesterday.” Likewise, this year is the next year you referred to last year. The truth of the matter is this: If you can’t quit this year, you cannot quit next year. There is no better year to quit your addiction than this year. After-all, nobody is paying you monthly allowance because you are addicted to something bad. You don’t have a fringe benefit attached to it. So, why not just quit this year and be free?

Whatever you are addicted to, if you can determine and take a decision, you will be free from it. Whether you are addicted to social media, alcohol, sex, drugs, lying, gamble, smoking, stealing, gossip, violence, suicidal thoughts, anger, gluttony, masturbation or pornography, you can be free from it if you made up your mind to quit. It is only God that has the antidote that can neutralize and vanquish kleptomania, nymphomania and all the maniacs. Your case is not worse than that of Matt Talbot; He was a sinner that later converted to a saint.

At the age of 14 Matt Talbot went to secure a job in a wine production industry. In the process, he got addicted to drinking wine. Most of the time, he got drunk by spending his money and even borrow or steal from customers to buy drinks. This continued for about 14 years. At the age of 28, he got broke financially and stood at the door to beg his friends for money to buy drinks. Unfortunately, none of his friends or colleagues could offer him a dime and that was when he knew he does not have friends at the first place. That experience changed his life and he repented from his old way of living and became a believer. He was so dedicated to the service of God to the extent that the church canonized him after his death at the age of 69.

He became a sinner at 14, repented at 28, and became a saint at 69. You are the next on line for miracle. Benson Idahosa said, “God is looking for bad people to repair; He is looking for terrible people to make terrific.” Therefore, no matter the situation you are, don’t condemn yourself; you can change if you made up your mind. Saint Paul was a devil incarnate but he eventually changed to God’s ambassador. You can become the next saint if you decided and determined to quit from your addiction.

HOW TO OVERCOME ADDICTION

(1.) Take a decision to quit. Your decision determines your direction.
(2.) Pray for God’s grace. With God, nothings shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).
(3.) Go for counseling. “You cannot hide from your problem and expect it to be solved” – David Abioye
(4.) Separate from the group of friends or association that lures you into the act. “Look carefully at the closest association in your life for that is the direction you are heading”, declared Kelvin Eikenberry.
(5.) Disconnect from the people that engage in the same addiction. Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo declared, “There is anointing in association.” Habit is contagious; it can be transferred.
(6.) Stay away from the environment where the addiction is being practice. Your outer environment goes along way to affect your mindset. Remember: as a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
(7.) Change your focus – from reading pornographic magazine to reading bible, from bad friends to good ones, from beer parlour to church environment, from blue films to Christian movies and from reading romantic novels to inspirational books. When you change your focus without switching to another thing to replace it, you may fall back to the addiction.
(8.) Choose a morally upright person to counsel and monitor your progress. It could be your father, mother, priest, pastor or any spiritual father or mother in the church. If you are a youth, it shouldn’t be your fellow youth or a married man who is a philanderer. Otherwise, they will take advantage of you in the case of sexual addiction. Sexual sin is a hard slave drivers, it keeps you longer than you want to pay and cost you more than you want to pay – Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
(9.) If you are addicted to smoking or alcohol, sincerely tell your customer not to sell for you and let her or him know the reason. A lot of customers cannot do this because they want to make money.
(10). Determine never to go back to Egypt (Your former way of life).
(11.) Stay away from Sodom and Gomorrah (A polluted and corrupted environment). Mike Murdock said, “Where you are determines what grows in you.”
(12.) Realize that no condition is permanent. Today may be the turn of John but tomorrow is for Francis. Therefore, don’t commit suicide because of your bad situation and condition. Your appointed time may be tomorrow. Who knows? Relax!

WISDOM BANK: It doesn’t matter the number of years you have spent in your addiction; if you made up your mind and ask for God’s grace, you will overcome it.
TEXT: 2nd Corinthians 5:17

Overcoming Temptation

“You can overcome temptation—but only if you want to!”

by Fr Robert McTeigue, SJ 

March 22, 2017 

http://aleteia.org/2017/03/22/you-can-overcome-temptation-but-only-if-you-want-to/

“Every addict who wishes to remain sober starts by admitting that he cannot resist by himself what will surely kill him. We must face our temptations similarly.“

"When the devil caresses you, he wants your soul.” That’s what one mother I knew said to her children whenever she caught them pilfering cookies. A bit over the top? Yes, a bit—but not entirely.

During Lent, we’re frequently encouraged to reflect on the role of temptation in our lives. Temptation is a universal experience. Indeed, when we’re tempted, we might be inclined to say, “Well, what do you expect? We’re only human!” But that’s only partly true.

Yes, as humans, we suffer from a fallen human nature, with partially darkened intellect, partially weakened will, and often disordered desires. When the inevitable temptation leads to chosen sin, we put ourselves under the authority of Satan, who as Jesus said, is the “prince of this world.” This is the fate of every fallen human who yields to temptation—without exception. Thankfully, the story doesn’t need to end there.

Yes, temptation befalls us because we are, as we like to say (especially when we’re about to make another excuse for our sins), “only human.” But Jesus the Christ, who is both Son of God and Son of Mary, offers to help us face our temptations with something so much more than what is “only human.” He offers to help us face our temptations as he did—with our human nature, and with his divine nature.

Saint Augustine reminds us that Christ “…suffered temptation in your nature, but by his own power gained victory for you. If in Christ we have been tempted, in him we overcome the devil. Do you think only of Christ’s temptations and fail to think of his victory? See yourself as tempted in him, and see yourself as victorious in him.”

Here’s what makes the Gospel truly good news! In Jesus Christ, we have a truly human man break Satan’s claim upon human nature. With his divine power he defeats sin, and then offers to share his victory with us! In other words, all that we need to overcome temptation, all that we need to transfer our citizenship to the Kingdom of Heaven, all that we need in this life to enter eternal life able to see the face of God and live—all that is freely offered to us. What shall we do with that offer?

Knowing human nature as I do (including my own!), I fear that what we often do with God’s offer of liberation from sin is to postpone our repentance. We do so because we like the way our sin tastes and feels; we do because we underestimate how offensive and deadly our sin is; and we do so because we overestimate our ability to repent in time. In other words, we procrastinate—at the peril of our souls.

We all like to quote (bemusedly of course!) Saint Augustine’s famous quip: “Oh Lord make me chaste! But not just yet!” Even as we laugh at Augustine and ourselves, we forget that he also wrote: “God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.” Edward Irving’s warning is even more dire: “Procrastination is the kidnapper of souls, and the recruiting-officer of Hell.” None of us knows just when death will come for each of us or when Christ will return in glory for all of us. In terms of repentance, we’re always running out of time, and it’s always very nearly too late.

Every addict who wishes to remain sober starts by admitting that he cannot resist by himself what will surely kill him. We must face our temptations similarly. The recovering addict admits his need for a higher power to attain and retain sobriety. Saint Irenaeus recognized such wisdom centuries ago: “In proportion to God’s need of nothing is man’s need for communion with God.” In other words, we cannot be who we are (creatures made in the image and likeness of God) and who we are meant to be (fully alive before the face of God eternally) unless we allow the sovereignty of God its rights over us, against the claims of Satan, who is entitled to unrepentant sinners. Following our fallen will leads to misery and damnation (James 1:12-16). Uniting our will to the divine leads to joy and glory. Those are the only choices we will ever have. Any other “choice” is an illusion, a seduction from the pit of Hell.

In this life, temptation is inevitable—surrender to sin is not. Damnation, like salvation, is a choice. Christ who endured and triumphed over temptation offers us all we need to share in his victory—from the cross, to resurrection to glory. In the time we have left, please, let’s say “Yes!”


Note: Matt Talbot was certainly no stranger to temptation. And if he had read this article, it would not be difficult to image that he  would copy key words/phrases, especially those of St. Augustine, on a scrap of paper for future reference.

Pope Francis: "Overcome Desolation with Prayer, not Pills or Drink"

The Pope’s advice on how to get through hard times and help others do the same

Aleteia
September 27, 2016

http://aleteia.org/2016/09/27/pope-francis-overcome-desolation-with-prayer-not-pills-and-drink/
 

VATICAN CITY — What should you do when you, or a friend or loved one, are experiencing spiritual darkness due to a family tragedy, illness, or something that is weighing you down?

Today, Pope Francis said that prayer is the way to overcome our darkest moments, rather than resorting to pills or drink to escape the reality of our troubles. His comments came during his homily at Holy Mass this morning in the chapel of his residence at Santa Marta.

Commenting on today’s first reading from the Old Testament, in which Job pours out his sorrows to God after losing everything, even his children, Pope Francis focused on the spiritual desolation that we all experience and explained how we can overcome it.

The pope pointed out that, although Job had lost everything, he did not curse God but rather poured out his troubles to him as “a son to his father.”

Sooner or later all of us experience spiritual darkness

“Spiritual desolation is something that happens to all of us: it can be stronger or weaker but that feeling of spiritual darkness, of hopelessness, mistrust, lacking the desire to live, without seeing the end of the tunnel, with so much agitation in one’s heart and in one’s ideas…Spiritual desolation makes us feel as though our souls are crushed, we can’t succeed, and we also don’t want to live: ‘Death is better!’ This was Job’s outburst. It was better to die than live like this. We need to understand that when our soul is in this state of generalized sadness we can barely breathe: this happens to all of us, whether strong or not, to all of us. We need to understand what goes on in our hearts.”

Pope Francis went on to pose the question: “What should we do when we experience these dark moments, be it a family tragedy, an illness, something that weighs us down?” Noting that some people would think of a sleeping pill to help them escape their problem, or drinking one, two, three or four glasses,” he warned that these methods “do not help.” Instead, today’s liturgy shows us how to cope with this spiritual desolation, “when we are lukewarm, depressed and without hope.”

The Pope said the way out from this situation is to pray, to pray loudly, just as Job did, day and night until God responds. “It is a prayer to knock at the door but with strength! ‘Lord, my soul is surfeited with troubles. My life draws near to Hell. I am numbered among those who go down into the pit; I am a man without strength.’ How many times have we felt like this, without strength? And here is the prayer. Our Lord himself taught us how to pray in these dreadful moments. ‘Lord, you have plunged me into the bottom of the pit. Upon me, your wrath lies heavy. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.’ This is the prayer and this is how we should pray in our darkest, most dreadful, bleakest and most crushed moments that are really crushing us. This is genuine prayer. And it’s also giving vent just like Job did with his sons. Like a son.”

Silence, closeness, and prayer: how to help those who are suffering

Silence, closeness, and prayer is the best way to be a friend to those going through times of darkness, Pope Francis said, as he warned that sometimes  words and speeches in these situations can do more harm than good.

“First of all, we must recognize in ourselves these moments of spiritual desolation, when we are in the dark, without hope and asking ourselves why. Secondly, we must pray to the Lord like today’s reading from Psalm 87 teaches us to pray during our dark moments. ‘Let my prayer come before you, Lord.’ Thirdly, when I draw close to a person who is suffering, whether from illness, or whatever other type of suffering and who is experiencing a sense of desolation, we must be silent: but a silence with much love, closeness and caresses.  And we must not make speeches that don’t help in the end and even can do harm.”

The Pope concluded his homily by asking the Lord to grant us these three graces: the grace to recognize spiritual desolation, the grace to pray when we are afflicted by this feeling of spiritual desolation, and the grace to know how to be close to people who are suffering terrible moments of sadness and spiritual desolation.”

Note: Even after his conversion and in recovery from drink at age 28, Venerable Matt Talbot had moments of spiritual darkness, yet he persevered by the grace of God. 

Also note an article titled, "Pope Francis to Addicts: You are Never Alone" at https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/InFocus/Article/TabId/721/ArtMID/13629/ArticleID/17163/Pope-Francis-to-addicts-%E2%80%98You-are-never-alone%E2%80%99.aspx

91th Anniversary of Venerable Matt Talbot's Death

                                                    
                                          7 June 1925



Lord, as you did with Venerable Matt Talbot, help us to overcome all earthly attachments and self-destructive addictions.  Make us a new creation. Amen


"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 
~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

Venerable Matt Talbot: A Sign of Hope For Addicts

Matt Talbot Dublin Diocesan Committee

February 22, 2014
https://www.facebook./permalink.php?id= 217785025048151&story_fbid=268544269972226

 

There is an old Christian tradition that God sends each person into this world with a special message to deliver, with a special song to sing for others, with a special act of love to bestow. No one else can speak that message, or sing that song, or offer that act of love and according to this tradition, the message may be spoken, the song sung, the act of love delivered only to a few, or to all the people in a small town, or to all the people in a large city, or even to all the people in the world. It all depends on God’s unique plan for each of us and this truth is no where more evident for us than in the life of Matt Talbot.

Matt did not speak with great eloquence but his message has touched the hearts of millions, he was no nightingale but his song of hope has soothed many a tortured soul and his acts of love continues to resonate in our world today, unaware of the impact his life would make God’s unique plan for Matt was gradually unveiled and the stage on which it was set was Dublin’s inner city during a time of great social and political unrest.

Jesus said: “I bless you Father Lord of heaven and earth for hiding these things from the learned and clever and revealing them to mere children.” Matt 11:25

Matt Talbot was not learned or clever he was one of Dublin’s poor he lived in a tenement, wore second hand clothes, died in a laneway and was buried in a pauper’s grave. Poorly educated he did not start school until he was 11 years old and with less than a year of formal education, the two words written in the remarks Column of the roll book in O’Connell’s sums up Matt’s time in school, a mitcher. Coming from such a deprived background and with an alcoholic father and a family history of neglect and poverty, Matt found himself sucked into the culture of addiction and to the only choice of drug available to the poor of his day, alcohol. Matt like so many others embraced alcohol as a means of escape from the misery and poverty of daily life. 

Today we live in an age of addictions more sophisticated perhaps than those of Matt’s day, addictions to substances such as alcohol and other drugs soft or hard, prescription or illegal, addictions to gambling, pornography and the internet, addictions to work, professional advancement, sex, money and power. In a sense you might say they are the ancient enemies, even if the e-technologies and the e-drugs provide new faces for them and a new attraction and power that like demons, can take procession of our souls.

Matt Talbot gradually came to this awareness and from the time of his conversion from alcoholism to sobriety, as a young man of twenty eight, he spent the rest of his life living to a heroic extent the Christian virtues thro’ prayer, spiritual reading, work and love of neighbour. Matt sets before us a radical example which demonstrates that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. His life is a witness to the fact that people can by God’s grace and their own self acceptance say no to that which leads to addiction or addictive behaviors and that in the meantime our communities must never lose hope and must continue to care for them.

Maybe it is because of this that so many have come to love and admire Matt Talbot. Matt’s friend Paddy Laird always found it extraordinary that there were only seven people at Matt’s funeral, but upon making public his life story hundreds of thousands have come to see him as a hero and a beacon of hope.

People need heroes, not in the sense of comic book or movie superheroes with superhuman powers, not pop stars or celebrities all art and pizzazz but with little or no moral substance. No what we need are ordinary people who against extraordinary odds do the right thing, like saying no to addiction or compulsion.

Matt Talbot understood this and he would say to others, “If I can do it so can you with the grace of God”. But Matt also understood the human condition he once said to his sister Susan, “never think harshly of a person because of the drink it’s easier to get out of hell than to give up the drink, for me it was only possible with the help of God and our blessed Mother”.

Matt’s example has inspired many institutions, movements and individuals around the world giving hope of recovery to those who are willing to accept their weakness and need. Such people stand as beacons in our world to the truth that we can overcome addiction rise above our weakness and achieve great things even sainthood.

Jesus said, “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest shoulder my yoke and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls” Matt 11:28-30. Matt Talbot’s life as a labourer who was overburdened by addiction and guilt gradually grew in awareness through the gift of grace and the Holy Spirit that a life of meekness and humility of heart will lead to rest for our souls, and towards a better world where all self destructive drive will come to an end, where people will live in harmony of body, mind and spirit, in harmony too with each other, with creation and with God.

By following the example of Matt Talbot you tell the world that there is more to life than “sex, and drugs and rock n roll,” that there is hope for every broken heart and that by God’s love his kingdom comes into our hearts, our homes and our world.

At this time when so many of our communities are affected by the scourge of alcohol and substance misuse, God has chosen Matt to be set before us as a model of temperance and a source of strength and support to all who suffer from addiction or addictive behaviors.

Matt Talbot ascetic and urban spiritual mystic, who overcame addiction by the Grace of God, his higher power, whose faith was nourished by his extraordinary love of the Eucharist and his sublime devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“You must therefore be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” Christ told his followers. When Matt found sobriety through prayer and spiritual guidance, his desire for drink was replaced by a desire for Christian perfection.

This is why God chose Matt as a sign of hope for addicts.

A New Creation

A Reflection:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 

~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

A Short Prayer:

Lord, as you did with Venerable Matt Talbot, help us to overcome all earthly attachments and self-destructive addictions.  Make us a new creation.  Amen.

 

 

 

Source: Guadalupe House, Oahu, Hawaii at
http://guadalupehousehi.blogspot.com/2015/06/saint-of-month-june-2015-venerable.html

 

On Reading the Bible

From the time of Matt Talbot’s conversion and abstaining from alcohol, he read (and marked) his Bible daily and the writings of such authors as St. Augustine. When he didn’t understand a passage, he would seek clarification from his spiritual director.

The Bible contains keys to right living that Matt applied and we can apply immediately: do unto others what you would have them do unto you, turn the other cheek, and honor your father and mother. But it’s more than just a self-help book. The most important aspect of God’s word is its ability to bring us face-to-face with Jesus, who is the living Word of God.

Augustine was raised by a Christian mother and was probably familiar with many of the stories and teachings in the Bible. But it wasn’t until he had a personal experience of God speaking to him through Scripture that his life turned around. 


What happened for Augustine can happen for us. If we spend time with the word of God every day—not just reading it but pondering it, praying through it, and listening to it—we’ll begin to find Jesus. Our hearts will be stirred by what we read, and the words will begin to come alive for us, as if they were written just for us. We’ll hear Jesus speaking them to us, showing us how they apply to our own situations and filling our hearts with freedom and hope.