"So Great a Cloud: A Record of Christian Witness"

This paperback book by Fr. Stephen Redmond, SJ about saintly people, including Matt Talbot, might be of interest. It is available from Veritas Publications or through Amazon.

The following is the publisher's description:

What is a saint? Many may think of the ‘heroes of the early Church’ like St Peter and Thérèse of Lisieux, but the list extends onwards through time to contemporary saints like Matt Talbot and Edel Quinn. So Great a Cloud tells the story of these saints, old and new, be they clergy, laity, scholars, highprofile or less known, all with one thing in common – their ability to challenge and encourage us. The book can also be seen as a history of the Church in terms of outstanding Christians, illuminated by Stephen Redmond’s original poetic verses.The success stories of this ‘communion of saints’ remind us that the pilgrim Church, despite its human failings, is essentially a way to God, a God that, historically and redemptively, remains ‘one of us’.

Stephen Redmond SJ is a Jesuit priest, author and composer. Previously a history teacher, he has a great interest in the lives of saints.

Source: http://www.veritas.ie/Books/Biography/Saints/So_Great_a_Cloud/9781847301253/details3.aspx

A Documentary on the Life of the Venerable Matt Talbot

In a series of documentaries titled, "Bringing the Saints Into Focus," produced by the Focus World Wide Network (focustv.org), one sixty minute documentary features the life of Matt Talbot.

In its promotional clip lasting 1:36 minutes, which can be viewed at https://shop.focustvonline.com/p-309-bringing-the-saints-into-focusthe-venerable-matt-talbot.aspx, we see a photograph of Matt, chains that he wore and hear their purpose, his room, a street memorial where he died, and his casket being transported to its initial burial site. Apart from the narrator Fr. Brendan Quinlan, P.P. , who has served on the Dublin Diocesan Matt Talbot Committee, appears and comments on aspects of Matt's life.

After viewing the clip in its presented size, the viewer may want to replay the clip enlarged on your computer screen. It may also be worthwhile in replaying the clip to periodically stop it by clicking the screen to study and meditate on a particular photograph.

While we have not yet seen the complete DVD, we did note one error in the clip; the narrator states that Matt died in 1925 at the age of 71 rather than at the correct age of 69.

The 12 Steps and Catholic Spirituality

For those who are interested in a thirty-two page publication relating the twelve steps (originating from Alcoholics Anonymous) to Catholic spirituality, you might be interested in this pamphlet, by Rev. Leo A. Dolan, which was published in 1991 and has the Imprimatur of John R. Roach, D.D., Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

(A brief leaflet on Matt Talbot was previously written by Fr Leo in the 1970s which bears the Imprimatur date of 1975.)

While Fr. Dolan, who has a background in chemical health education, widely praises the value of the twelve steps for a wide range of negative dependencies in human beings, he strongly argues that the twelve steps are incomplete without integrating them with the truths of the Catholic faith, thus achieving a full spirituality. He proceeds to address each of the twelve steps in light of Christ, the Church, and the Sacraments.

He concludes his reflections in The Twelve Steps and Catholic Spirituality by "describing a holy man who employed beautifully the dynamic of change found in the Twelve Steps," namely, Matt Talbot.

This very inexpensive pamphlet can be purchased from the Calix Society at http://www.calixsociety.org/store

Note: For the sake of clarity, there is another Fr. Dolan; this one is Fr. Albert H. Dolan, O.Carm., prolific author of four books on Matt Talbot and many saints. He is probably best searched on Amazon as "Albert H. Dolan."

Who is Matt Talbot?

Catherine Alexandria

April 14, 2009

http://therecoveringdissidentcatholic.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-is-matt-talbot.html

Photo: Venerable Matt Talbot 1856 - 1925

A few weeks ago, I was at the Catholic Parents Online retreat at the Church of St. John in St. Paul, MN.

The evening before the retreat I learned another cousin of mine was in rehab for alcohol addiction. At the same time, I had a different cousin in rehab for meth addiction. Furthermore, an uncle of mine continues to struggle with his numerous addictions.

I was wondering around the Church between sessions and I finally remembered to go visit the mysterious (to me) Shrine in the Vestibule. It is a Shrine to Matt Talbot; whom some of you who are in recovery may already know about. I'd seen the Shrine at St. John before but had no idea who it was for. My Angel smiled on me this day because there were pamphlets, written by Father Leo Dolan (former Pastor of St. John) by the Shrine. I picked one up and read about Venerable Talbot.

The presence of the Shrine and my knowledge of it could not have come at a better time. I lit a candle and prayed to Venerable Talbot to give some of his strength to my struggling family members.

As I was getting up, a lady came by and said with excitement "Is that Matt Talbot?" I nodded and she almost threw herself down in front of the Shrine. Hey, when you need it, you need it!

Father Dolan's pamphlet talks about the need for a HUMAN model of recovery. Someone who "employed the timeless dynamic of radical conversion the 12 Steps [of Alcoholics Anonymous] acknowledge-and also has integrated these with a full Catholic spirituality"

Matt Talbot was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1856. His family was poor and he was surrounded by the excessive use of alcohol. He had very little formal schooling and often skipped school when he was enrolled.

By age 12 he quit school altogether and began to work. He also began to drink. His first job was as a delivery boy for a liquor company. Before long, he was a full-fledged alcoholic.

For the next 16 years, he worked and he drank. He often sold what he had, including at times, his clothes to buy alcohol. He stole and pawned the stolen items for money to buy alcohol.

At age 28, he walked out of a pub upset that his friends would not buy him a drink. He also seemed to tire of wasting his life. That day, he went to Church and made a good Confession and promised the Lord he would abstain from alcohol for the next 6 months. With this, began a life of sobriety, sanctity, prayer and penance.

He lived out the change of the 12 Steps before they were even devised by AA. He lived them and then some as he was careful to submit the regular direction of a Spiritual Advisor, attended Daily Mass, made frequent use of the Sacrament of Confession. He even taught himself to read so he could read the Bible. He spent much time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. He spent the rest of his life "making amends" for his earlier dissolute life.

If there is a Catholic 12 Steps Program, Matt Talbot lived it.

He died, at the age of 68, while on his way to Mass on Trinity Sunday 1925.

There is a prayer for Canonization in the booklet written by the late Archbishop John Roach (may he rest in peace), no stranger to addiction and recovery himself:

Lord, in your servant Matt Talbot you have given us a wonderful example of triumph over addiction, of devotion to duty, and of lifelong reverence for the Most Holy Sacrament. May his life of prayer and penance give us courage to take up our crosses and follow in the footsteps of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Father, if it be your will that your beloved servant should be glorified by your Church, make known by your heavenly favours the power he enjoys in your sight. We ask this through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen

Deep curtsy to Father Leo Dolan for his pamphlet.

Note: Archbishop John Roach was the Imprimatur of the Matt Talbot pamphlet by Fr. Leo Dolan, not the author of the "Prayer for the Canonization of Matt Talbot."

Whether or not it is the same Matt Talbot pamphlet by Fr. Leo that is mentioned by Cathy in the above post, there is a four page card/pamphlet reprinted with the permission of Rev. Leo Dolan that is available through the Calix Society. This card is titled, "Matt Talbot" and has a picture of a statue of Matt Talbot on the cover, two pages of text, and the" Prayer for the Canonization of Matt Talbot" on the back cover. Fr. Leo Dolan also authored a 32 page pamphlet titled, "12 Steps and Catholic Spirituality" that includes a three page sketch of the life of Matt Talbot that is available from the Calix Society at http://www.calixsociety.org/literature.html

Venerable Matt Talbot Icon (2009) by Terry Nelson

by Terry Nelson

Terry has given us permission to post this panel he painted depicting Matt Talbot. Greater detail can be viewed by double clicking the left of your mouse. More information and reactions to his icon can be found at http://abbey-roads.blogspot.com/2009/04/matt-talbot.html

Christian Ascetic: Matt Talbot

Alex Malina

February 9, 2009

http://mycobwebs.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/christian-ascetics-matt-talbot/

Very rarely do we hear about modern ascetics. In fact asceticism has almost entirely disappeared as an accepted and natural practice within the Western church, and to some degree in the large population of the Eastern church as well. Most of the holy men and women that we know of ascetic experience come from the early centuries of the Church, some before the Council of Chalcedon, and others later and in the Middle Ages. Rarely are we brought face to face with a character whose devotion and selfless practice existed in more modern times. And I believe there is a special significance to the fact that there were ascetics who practiced their penance in modern times, because we can understand them better, we can understand their motivations, they do not appear like super-hero’s from the Religious Life, but in fact as human beings tormented by the world and life as many beings on Earth.

Perhaps one of the most popular Christian ascetics of modern times was Matt Talbot, who was born on May 2, 1856 in Dublin, Ireland. It is said that for the first 28 years of his life Talbot lived as a simple worker, but addicted to alcohol. He started drinking at the age of 12, when he got his first job at a brewery. Later, he worked on the docks, where he got in the habit of drinking whiskey and visiting pubs and cabarets. Almost every night Talbot returned late at night to his parents house drunk.

After a while he lost his job, and had no money. Craving alcohol he decided to stand outside a pub where most of his friends frequented. He figured that when his friends see him standing outside they would invite him in and buy him a pint. But each friend passed by without inviting him. Talbot took this to heart, offended by the cruelty of his friends, for whom he had bought many drinks himself, he went home sober for the first time in many years.

That night, while having dinner with his mother he decided to take “The Pledge.” The Pledge was a popular thing to do in Ireland at the time. When you took the pledge you took it seriously, and you stopped drinking. However like most men and women of the time, the pledge was good for only a few days for many.

Talbot took the first pledge for 3 months, which were torturous on him. He offset the mad cravings, he would attend 5am morning Mass everyday, and spent most of the day in prayer and working as a handyman. His greatest cravings for alcohol were in the evenings, after work, when most men went to the pubs. Instead Talbot took long walks through the city.

After 3 months Talbot took another pledge, this time for six months. After six months he took the final, life-long pledge to never drink again. Over the many years that he was a drunk he accumulated great depths, and throughout the remaining years of his life Talbot made sure that all of his debts were paid out completely.

He adopted the life of poverty, emulating Jesus Christ. He lived on the bare essentials he needed to survive, giving the rest to the poor.

At some time in his life he decided to pursue the act of mortification, living in “holy slavery” to the Holy Virgin. He began binding chains around his waist, chest, arms, and legs, heavy chains with religious symbols attached to them, which he wore everyday of his life under his clothing. Talbot was inspired by the writings of St. Louis de Montfort who preached “total consecration of Jesus Christ through Mary.” Montfort is considered one of the modern fathers of Christian mortification, or what is known as “Mortification through Mary.”

But this was only one aspect of his asceticism. From what we know of Talbot he practiced many forms of asceticism, reminiscent of the hermit ascetics of early Ireland.

One of the practices that he employed in his early days was sleeping for small periods of time. Deprivation of sleep is one of the most common forms of penance and ascetic practice in all cultures. To make things more difficult for himself Talbot slept on a wooden pillow for about 3 hours a day. We know that his diet was just as meager, he lived mostly on tea, cocoa and bread. Though it has been recorded that when he was invited to others homes he ate just like everyone else.

Throughout the day Talbot managed to pray every minute he got. Any time there was free time he could be seen praying, often co-workers would find him behind a large pile of lumber on his lunch break in deep prayer. His mother often noticed him waking up at 2am after a small 3 hour nap, his hands raised in the form of a cross, praying, and when he would fall back into sleep, he would be clutching the statue of the Virgin.

This type of existence might have caused him to die so young. On June 7, 1925, on his way to morning Mass Talbot collapsed and died from heart failure. There was no way of identifying him, however when his clothes were taken off the nurses where shocked to find the severe methods which Talbot employed upon his body.

It was not until the 1930s that serious interest in Talbot’s ascetics arose. In 1931 an article on Talbot “The Saintly Lumberman” was published by Time Magazine. And in 1975 the Catholic Church gave Talbot the style “Venerable.”

Note: While the author comments that "this type of existence might have caused him to die so young," one might argue that Matt lived a relatively long life considering the number of years Matt abused alcohol from a very young age, the hard labor he did throughout his life, his daily meager diet and regular fasts, and the life expectancy at that time in Dublin. (JB)

The Pioneer Challenge for Lent 2009

Feature 2 March 2009 | The Pioneer Challenge for Lent

Bishop Éamonn Walsh introduces a special Lenten edition of The Pioneer magazine and reminds us that "there is always someone for whom this is the year that will make the difference in their relationship with alcohol". Bishop Éamonn Walsh Vice Chair, Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative (IBDI) This special edition of the Pioneer magazine to mark Temperance Sunday encourages us all to address our relationship with alcohol. Ireland will forever be indebted to Fr. Theobald Mathew, founder of the Temperance Movement. We are also indebted to Fr. James Cullen, founder of the Pioneer Association 111 years ago. Fr Cullen, in expressing appreciation of Fr. Mathew, described him as the ‘giant at his shoulder’. Matt Talbot is an inspiration, a sign of hope to those who can only safely relate to alcohol through abstinence. The abstinence of the Pioneer Association is positive in the way it converts the sacrifice involved into reparation for the suffering caused through the misuse of alcohol. I welcome the Pioneer Association’s extended outreach to those who wish to enjoy the use of alcohol. A temporary pledge for Lent or a significant reduction in the consumption of alcohol is proposed. Temperance Sunday provides an opportunity to discuss honestly with family and friends the way we use alcohol. Minimising, denial and mistakes can be addressed in a friendly environment. Goals can be set and agreement made, to help one another in setting targets of abstinence or reduction with built-in friendly support structures to encourage and evaluate. There is always someone for whom this is the year that will make the difference in their relationship with alcohol. The Pioneer Association may occasion that difference. The Pioneer magazine special edition for Lent 2009 includes: Welcome - Fr Joe Dargan SJ, Chairman of the PTAA - Mary Wallace TD, Minister for Health Promotion and Food Safety - Bishop Éamonn Walsh, Vice-Chair, IBDI Calling ‘time’ on alcohol related harm - Fiona Ryan, CEO, Alcohol Action Ireland Grappling with the demons of addiction: Invitation to give up or moderate alcohol consumption for Lent - Bernard McGuckian SJ Interview - Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh Download full publication in pdf format Thinking of abstaining from or reducing your intake of alcohol for Lent? Practical suggestions from the IBDI Refrain from alcohol for the weeks of Lent Consider drinking non-alcoholic drinks when out with friends at the weekend Reduce the intake of alcohol from what is your normal use Encourage your friends to reduce alcohol intake Donate some of the money saved from alcohol to a charity of your choice Encourage discussion with your friends about the dangers of excessive drinking Initiate a discussion in the home about the family’s attitude to and use of alcohol Nationally, we might encourage people to reduce their alcohol use, say by one-third or a half, during the weeks of Lent. The Irish Bishops' Drugs Initiative is supporting the Pioneer Challenge, which invites everyone to abstain from alcohol or reduce their intake of alcohol this Lent. At any time of year, parishes seeking further information on alcohol or drugs can contact the Irish Bishops' Drugs Initiative.

Father Martin, R.I.P.

Although their earthly lives overlapped by only eight months and had very distinct personalities and life styles, Matt Talbot and Fr. Martin were connected by their deep faith in God's mercy for alcoholics and their families.

Fr. Joseph C. Martin, S.S.

October 12, 1924 - March 9, 2009

"I'll die with a piece of chalk in my hands, talking with a bunch of drunks and addicts."

"My name is Joe Martin, and I'm an alcoholic". Father Martin first uttered this statement in 1958, when he was in treatment for alcoholism at the Guest House, what would prove to be a refuge for him from his drinking and a turning point in his life. His personal journey in recovery prompted a celebrated career in which his only aim was to ease the suffering of individuals and families, around the world, affected by addiction.

He was born on October 12, 1924 in Baltimore, Maryland. He quickly developed a fondness for religion and faith. People fondly recall his special story-telling ability and wonderful sense of humor. In 1942, Father Martin graduated from Loyola College and entered St. Mary's seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1948 and underwent rigorous training to become a Sulpician, a highly regarded teaching society within the Catholic Church. After losing this coveted distinction as a result of his drinking, only in sobriety did he regain this title.

Father Martin taught minor seminarians and fulfilled several teaching roles within the church. It was very evident that he possessed a special ability to educate but his drinking became very troublesome and he was eventually directed to seek help at Guest House (in Michigan).. Father Martin frequently cited the tremendous impact his mentor Austin Ripley had on his journey in recovery. Many of Father Martin's teachings originated in concepts he learned while at the Guest House. His enthusiasm for sobriety coupled with his passion for teaching evolved into an unending quest to ease the suffering of individuals and families affected by addiction. In his career, spanning more than 35 years, Father Martin was catapulted into international acclaim as a prized speaker and educator on addiction and recovery thru the Twelve Steps. He founded Kelly Productions in 1972 and used it as a platform to capture the minds and hearts of millions of people.

Father Martin's message is no less relevant today than in 1972. He will continue to inspire love, service, helpfulness to others, and recovery through the use of his films, audio lectures, and books. In his last year, he shared his vision that he can be remembered so that the still suffering individual affected by addiction might benefit from his God-inspired message of hope.

Source: http://www.fathermartin.com/

Fr. Martin can be viewed speaking at http://www.youtube.com/user/fatherjoemartin.

The Rev. Joseph C. Martin, Leading Authority on
Alcoholism and Addiction Treatment, Dies at 84

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rev. Joseph C. Martin, S.S.,
noted authority and lecturer on alcoholism who co-founded Father Martin's
Ashley, an addiction treatment center in Havre de Grace, MD, died today at his
home in Havre de Grace. He was 84.

Best known for his lectures on alcoholism as a disease, delivered to alcoholics
and their families with his charismatic style and sense of humor, Fr. Martin is
credited with saving the lives of thousands of alcoholics and addicts. While he
retired from active management in 2003, he continued to lecture at Father
Martin's Ashley, addressing patients as recently as November 2008.

"Today, the entire treatment community mourns the loss of an icon," said the
Rev. Mark Hushen, president and chief executive officer of Father Martin's
Ashley. "The death of Father Martin marks the end of an era.

"His world renowned 'Chalk Talk on Alcohol' changed the lives of thousands of
recovering alcoholics," Hushen said. "His humor and spirituality infused his
teachings with hope. He believed in the innate dignity of the human person and
founded Father Martin's Ashley as an oasis where alcoholics and addicts could
heal."

Fr. Martin's "Chalk Talk on Alcohol" lecture, which began: "I'm Joe Martin, and
I'm an alcoholic," and more than 40 motivational films, are legendary. His
films, which have been translated into multiple languages, continue to be used
at treatment centers around the world, in hospitals, substance abuse programs,
industry, and most branches of the U.S. government. He is the author of several
publications, including Chalk Talks on Alcohol, published by Harper & Row in
1982, which is still in print.

Fr. Martin and Father Martin's Ashley co-founder Mae Abraham raised funds to buy
and renovate Oakington, the estate owned by the widow of U.S. Senator Millard
Tydings located on the Chesapeake Bay near Havre de Grace. The center, which
opened in 1983, has since provided treatment to more than 40,000 people
suffering from the disease of addiction and has provided program services to
their families. Two years after Father Martin's Ashley opened its doors, Forbes
magazine ranked it as one of the top ten addiction treatment facilities in the
country. Today, patients come from the East Coast and across the U.S. to the
85-bed facility, which has a reputation for treating alcohol and drug addiction
and relapse with respect for the dignity of each individual who enters its
doors.

In 1972, the U.S. Navy filmed Martin's "The Blackboard Talk," which they then
dubbed "The Chalk Talk." It became known throughout the U.S. military and
established Fr. Martin as a recognized leader in the addiction treatment field.

In 1991, Fr. Martin was invited by Pope John Paul II to participate in the
Vatican's International Conference on Drugs and Alcohol. He made four trips to
Russia under the auspices of the International Institute on Alcohol Education
and Training, and also traveled to Switzerland and Poland to speak to Alcoholics
Anonymous groups as well as to addiction counselors in training.

Fr. Martin's honors and awards include the Andrew White Medal from Loyola
College, Baltimore, for his contributions to the general welfare of the
citizenry of Maryland; Rutgers University's Summer School of Alcohol Studies'
Distinguished Service Award (1988); and Norman Vincent Peale Award (1992).

Born the fourth of seven children in Baltimore on October 12, 1924, Fr. Martin
graduated from Loyola High School in 1942, where he was valedictorian. He then
attended Loyola College (1942-44). He studied for the priesthood at St. Mary's
Seminary and St. Mary's Roland Park in Baltimore (1944-48), and was ordained a
priest of the Society of Saint Sulpice, whose mission is to train and educate
seminarians, in 1948.

Fr. Martin held teaching positions at St. Joseph's College in Mountain View, CA
(1948-56) and St. Charles College, Catonsville, MD (1956-59).

In 1958, Fr. Martin began his recovery from alcoholism. Following treatment, he
worked as a lecturer and educator in the Division of Alcohol Control for the
state of Maryland prior to founding Father Martin's Ashley.

"As Father Martin passes through death to life, his legacy lives on at Ashley as
we continue his mission of hope and healing," said Fr. Hushen. "Truly, the world
is a better place for his having been here."

Sample remembrances of Father Martin:

"I'm not alcoholic because God loves me less... I'm alcoholic so God can use me more."

- Art G.

“It is easy to place the name of Father Joseph Martin in the same sentence with Bill W and Doctor Bob. Over the past 3 to 4 decades, no one has meant more to so many struggling from alcoholism and addiction than Father Martin. His presence, videos and books sustain the history of our field and serve to never allow us to deviate from the principle that have lead so many along the spiritual path to recovery. There is no person in the history of the recovery movement that I love and admire more than Father.”

-Dr. Cardwell C. Nuckols

CC Nuckols is described as “one of the most influential clinical trainers in North America.” He is widely published, having authored more than 50 journal articles, 30 books and workbooks, 38 DVDs, CDs and videos, and 17 audiotape series.

Michael K. Deaver, former White House chief of staff during the Reagan administration, had been a patient and later served on Ashley's board for a decade.

"When I came to Ashley, I had been with presidents, kings, popes and prime ministers, but Father Martin was the most powerful person I had ever met," Mr. Deaver said. "You see, Father has the power to change people, to make them better, to make them whole again."

Lenten Patterns

Although the practices of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer for Lent were well known and utilized by Matt Talbot in his day, we now have an abundance of comprehensive guidelines in print and online for Lenten practices today. Since Matt's spiritual director was a Jesuit, the following was selected as an example of one example of Lenten guidelines for today from Creighton University Online Ministries. (JB)

Beginning My Lenten Patterns

"Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results." This saying, commonly used in 12 Step programs, reveals a real wisdom. It can be a good beginning reflection as we examine the choices we will make in the days ahead. It is very simple. Our Lord is calling us to a "change of heart." And, we know from experience, that nothing will change, unless we change our patterns. To expect different results is insanity. So, what needs changing? We start to come to know that by asking for help. "Lord, help me to know what needs changing." It is often said, "Be careful about what you ask for." This is one of those requests that God must surely want to answer. Then, we have to listen. With a little bit of reflection, most of us will just begin to "name" things that make up our ordinary habits and ways of being who we are, that we aren't very proud of. Things we do and things we never get around to doing. We can "feel" the call to change our attitudes, our self-absorption, or our way of interacting with others. Perhaps a spouse, a loved one, a friend, a family member, a co-worker has told me something about myself that gets in the way of communication, that makes relating to them difficult. Maybe I don't take God very seriously. I go to Church on Sunday, and contribute my share, but I don't really take time to deal with my relationship with God. Perhaps I've let my mind and fantasy get cluttered with escapist litter. I might begin to name a number of self-indulgent habits. I may realize I rarely, if ever, hear the cry of the poor, and can't remember when I've answered that cry. It could be that dishonesty on all kinds of levels has become a way of life. One of the roadblocks in my relationship with God and others may be deep wounds or resentments from the past, things I continue to hold against others or myself. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins. merciful! Wash me clean from all my sin and guilt. - Psalm 51 (See The Penitential Psalms) Beginning New Patters during Lent Something all of us can do is commit ourselves to being more reflective during Lent. It just means that I'm going to make a point of being more observant, more aware of what I'm experiencing - paying more attention to what is "automatic" behavior. And, I then start paying attention to my desires. We have all kinds of desires. During Lent, I can reflect upon the desires I currently have and which of them need to be purified, which may need to be abandoned, and which are wonderful desires that are there, but I haven't acted upon them. Naming our deepest desires will guide the choices we make to establish new patterns for Lent. Praying Lent is the time to start new patterns of prayer. Perhaps I haven't been praying at all. This is a great time to choose to begin. It is important to begin realistically. I can start by simply pausing when I get up and taking a slow, deep breath, and recalling what I have to do this day, and asking for grace to do it as a child of God. I may want to go to bed a half an hour earlier, and get up a half an hour earlier and give myself some time alone to read the readings for the day, the Daily Reflection, or the PRAYING LENT page for the day. I may choose to go to Mass each day during Lent. I may choose to get to church on Sunday, just 15 minutes earlier, so I can reflect a bit. Lent may be a time I would want to choose to start to journal the day to day reflections that are coming, the desires I'm naming and asking for, the graces I am being given. Eating Lent is a great time to change our eating patterns. This is not about "losing weight" or "getting in shape," though for most of us, paying attention to what we eat, will make a difference in our overall health. This is about being more alert. Anyone who has tried to diet knows that something changes in us when we try to avoid eating. The monks in the desert, centuries ago, discovered that fasting - simply not eating - caused a tremendous boost to their consciousness. Not only did their bodies go on "alert," but their whole person seemed to be in a more heightened state of attention. The whole purpose of fasting was to aid prayer - to make it easier to listen to God more openly, especially in times of need. Among Catholics, only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are named as days of fast we all do together. (And that fast is simply to eat only one full meal in the day, with the other two meals combined, not equal to the one.) On the Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent, we may want to try to fast more intentionally. Of course, always conscious of our health and individual nutrition needs, we may want to try to eat very little, except some juices, or perhaps a small amount of beans and rice. We will experience how powerfully open and alert we feel and how much easier it is to pray and to name deeper desires. Not only will I feel less sluggish and tired, I will feel simply freer and more energized. The other powerful advantage of fasting is that it can be a very simple gesture that places me in greater solidarity with the poor of the earth, who often have very little more than a little rice and beans each day. Powerful things happen in me, when I think about those people in the world who have so much less than I do. And, it's a great cure for self-pity. Practicing Generosity Almsgiving has always been an important part of Lent. Lent begins with the powerful Isaiah 58, on the Friday and Saturday after Ash Wednesday. It is important to give ourselves the experience of fasting from being un-generous. Generosity is not simply giving my excess clothes to a place where poor people might purchase them. It's not even writing a "generous" check at the time a collection is taken up for a cause that benefits the poor. These are wonderful practices. Generosity is an attitude. It is a sense that no matter how much I have, all that I have is gift, and given to me to be shared. It means that sharing with others in need is one of my personal priorities. That is quite different from assessing all of my needs first, and then giving away what is left over. A spirit of self-less giving means that one of my needs is to share what I have with others. Lent is a wonderful time to practice self-less giving, because it takes practice. This kind of self-sacrificing generosity is a religious experience. It places us in solidarity with the poor who share with each other, without having any excess. It also joins us with Jesus, who gave himself completely, for us. Establishing new patterns of giving will give real life and joy to Lent. Practicing Penance When I sprain my ankle, part of the healing process will involve physical therapy. It's tender, and perhaps it is swollen. It may be important to put ice on it first, to reduce the inflammation. I may want to wrap it an elevate it and stay off of it. Then I will need to start moving it and then walking on it, and eventually, as the injury is healed, I'll want to start exercising it, so that it will be stronger than it was before, so that I won't as easily injure it again. Penance is a remedy, a medicine, a spiritual therapy for the healing I desire. The Lord always forgives us. We are forgiven without condition. But complete healing takes time. With serious sin or with bad habits we've invested years in forming, we need to develop a therapeutic care plan to let the healing happen. To say "I'm sorry" or to simply make a "resolution" to change a long established pattern, will have the same bad result as wishing a sprained ankle would heal, while still walking on it. Lent is a wonderful time to name what sinful, unhealthy, self-centered patterns need changing and to act against them by coming up with a strategy. For example, if the Lord is shining a light into the darkness of a bad pattern in my life, I can choose to "stop doing it." But, I have to work on a "change of heart" and to look concretely at what circumstances, attitudes, and other behaviors contribute to the pattern. If I'm self-indulgent with food, sex, attention-seeking behaviors and don't ask "what's missing for me, that I need to fill it with this?" then simply choosing to stop the pattern won't last long. Lasting healing needs the practice of penance. Putting it All Together - Alone and With Others In the end, the prayer of St. Augustine places us in the right spirit for Lent: O Lord, our Lord, you have created us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Lent is indeed how God draws us home, as individuals. But, it is also a very communal journey. We never journey alone, no matter how "lonely" we may feel. We are always journeying together. If we can experience our journey in communion with others, it makes it so much clearer that we are on a journey together. When I can share my experience with even one other close friend, or with my regular worshiping community, I can enjoy and share the support and environment that allows grace to flourish. Let us pray for each other on this journey, especially those who need and desire a change of heart on this pilgrimage to Easter joy. Source: http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/patterns.html

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes for Alcoholics

Paul, at the "Sober Catholic" blog, has provided another novena for alcoholics. Day 1 begins at http://sobercatholic.blogspot.com/2009/02/novena-to-our-lady-of-lourdes-for_03.html

Additional novenas for alcoholics, including one to Matt Talbot, can be found at our Novena link.

A Transcription Honoring Matt Talbot

One interesting reference to Matt Talbot appears in the New Advent online version of Volume 11 (1911) of the complete Catholic Encyclopedia (1917).

Visiting this link, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11348a.htm, you will find an entry for Philip O'Sullivan Bears. Looking within the section labeled "About this page," you will see the subheading, "Transcription." It reads: "this article was transcribed for New Advent by Herman F. Holbrook. For the glory of God and in honor of the Venerable Matt Talbot."

In looking at other transcriptions by Mr. Holbrook, many but not all honor saints.

More information about this encyclopedia can be found at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/

Come and See

Br. Tom Forde OFMCap

Sunday, January 18, 2009

http://breathingwithbothlungs.blogspot.com/2009/01/come-and-see.html

It is years since I read it but an article in the English language version of 30 Days made a big impact on my reading of John. I don't know how authoritative it was but the author claimed that in John his use of the Greek words for 'see', 'look' etc., all carried the implication of contemplation and of a deeper encounter with Jesus than the words might imply in English. "Come and see" he says to Andrew and John and they go not just to where He's living but to that relationship with Him that enables them to come to faith in Him. Within twelve hours or so it seems Andrew is excitedly declaring to Simon that he has found the Messiah. His enthusiasm and certainty brings Simon to Jesus. The encounter does not leave him untouched. He arrives as Simon the fisherman and leaves as Cephas, Peter, 'Rock' future leader of the Apostles, Bishop of Rome and the first Pope. Jesus' invitation to 'come and see' is still addressed to us. We too are invited to go to Him and spend time with Him - in the Eucharist, in the Scriptures, in prayer, in our brothers and sisters. We too are invited that encountering Him will not leave us unchanged, we each have tasks and paths that are ours alone.

In this year of prayer for vocations it would do no harm to pray that not only would men and women hear the Lord's call but that they would answer it! It's a two part movement. God loves us first, sent His Son into the world to reveal that love and make it effective but we must respond, open up, believe and walk with Him. God will not force a response so we must pray that all hearts will recognize and respond to the Lord. Age, gender, intellectual ability are no barriers. Anna and Simeon were old, Maria Goretti was less than twelve, Joseph of Cupertino was intellectually challenged (so much so he was called 'the gawper') while Thomas Aquinas was one of the most intelligent men in history, Teresa of Avila was converted in middle age and Matt Talbot was an alcoholic. The only block there is to following the Lord is oneself. If one has the courage and the generosity nothing is impossible.

Imitating Matt Talbot as to the one Master

In response to a question, Fr. Bernard McGuckian S.J. quotes Matt Talbot as an illustration regarding the distinction between appropriate respect and servility. (JB)

What is asked of me?

Fr. Bernard McGuckian, S.J.
The Messenger, January, 2009


Patrick D. writes: 'But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' (Mt. 5:44). I find this demand of Our Blessed Lord very, very hard to follow. I am tired of people walking over me. The more civil and subservient I am to them, the more this happens. So do I really have to pander to people to be a proper Christian? Fr Bernard McGuckian SJ replies.

The Scripture passage you quote is from the famous Sermon on the Mount. Jesus starts off with a reminder and a demand for attention which he repeats no less than six times. 'You have heard how it was said... but I say this to you.'

There is an implication here of a divine right to speak in this way which was not lost on some of those listening. It would eventually lead to his crucifixion for making himself equal to God. He was claiming the right to tell them that what was good enough for their fathers was no longer good enough for them. He was also raising the tape for all of us. This is clear from what he says about killing, adultery, divorce, truthfulness, vengeance and the one in question here, love for enemies and persecutors.

Jesus is concerned about what goes on in the hidden places of the heart because this is where the great drama of every human life is played out. He sees very little worthy of praise in refraining from murder since he asserts that there will be hell to pay for even thinking or speaking badly of others. He astonished his listeners then, and still does, by suggesting that it is possible to commit adultery with a woman who is not even aware that someone is looking lustfully at her.

To God, what goes on in the secret of our hearts is as clear as day. He may or may not be impressed with what he sees. Again, there is nothing particularly godlike in showing love to people who are nice to us. If God limited himself to loving those who love him, where would we be? On the contrary, He does not withhold sunshine or rain from any of us, regardless of our conduct. Jesus presents this expression of divine mercy and compassion as a model for our imitation.

The big change that has taken place between the Old and New Testaments is that Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God, is now among us in person. After his Passion, Death - and Resurrection, the 'amazing' grace that makes possible a higher moral standard is available to all humanity. However, we can choose to ignore Jesus and
his offer of help, thus depriving ourselves of the resources needed to live a fully Christian life. 'Cut off from me,' he said 'you can do nothing' (Jn.15:5).

Forgiving enemies is certainly one of the important things beyond the powers of unaided human nature. However, if we stay close to Jesus, accepting both his example and his grace, we will be empowered to share in his magnanimity on Calvary: 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do' (Lk.23-34).

You write about being 'civil and subservient'. I would be reluctant to bracket those two words together. The former is a virtue, the latter a vice. We should always be civil and courteous to other people but never subservient. Subservience, with its connotation of obsequiousness and servility is unworthy of a Christian. Often it is only a ploy, as in the case of Uriah Heep, in David Copperfield, immortalized in literature by Charles Dickens and sometimes described as 'humility with a hook'.

Venerable Matt Talbot, the saintly Dublin working man, showed how clearly he understood the distinction between appropriate respect and servility in a famous remark he made about the owner of the timber yard where lie worked: 'T. C. Martin is my boss. He is not my master.' Matt had only one Master. We should all imitate him in this.

'So, do I really have to pander to people in order to be a proper Christian?' My answer to this would be a categorical 'no'. To pander is to cater to the lower tastes and desires of others or exploit their weakness. One dictionary says that to pander is 'to satisfy another's whims, tastes or desires, especially where these are considered to be in some way inferior'.

This is worlds apart from what St. Paul had in mind when he said that he made 'himself all things to all people'. Entering sympathetically into the lives of others in a helpful way did not require him to approve of all that they did nor to lower his own personal standards. He wanted to do them good as he saw it. The same applies to each one of us.

Proper Christians don't pander to anybody. They try to love others as Christ loves them. They mustn't be like 'Poor Judd', the old curmudgeon in the musical Oklahoma. In one of the songs Curly tells us - tongue in cheek - that Judd really loved everybody and everything, only 'he never let on'. True love always finds a way of 'letting on'.

Source: http://www.catholicireland.net/pages/index.php?art=2301

Note: Fr. McGuckian is the Central Spiritual Director of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, of which Matt Talbot was an early member.

A "Crisis" Novena

One of Matt Talbot's regular spiritual practices was saying novenas.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, including addiction, this link may be of interest: Crisis Novena

Even if you are not currently experiencing a crisis or have never said a novena, you may still find value in reading the content for each of the 9 days of this novena.

Prayer to Matt Talbot on behalf of marginalized people

Whereas prayers to Matt Talbot are almost entirely focused on him as the patron for alcoholics and other addicts, this prayer was posted on a parish website that also views Matt among social justice saints and saintly people (JB)

Matthew Talbot, you were born into poverty, among a marginalized people, and you went right to the edge as an alcoholic.

By the same grace that rescued you from alienation and despair, we ask your intercession today on behalf of all who are marginalized in this world.

See how the strong prey upon the weak and the violence and despair and alienation and oppression which afflicts so many.

We pray that your example of solidarity with the poor will be an inspiration for many to follow your holy example. Amen

Source: http://standrewsv.org/socialconcerns/prayers.htm

"An Ordinary Person as Hero"

Homily for the Annual Mass of Thanksgiving for the Staff and Volunteers of the Matt Talbot Homeless Services

and for the launch of One Man’s Serenity: The Venerable Matthew Talbot,
St Mary’s Cathedral Crypt

By Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP
Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney
17/11/2007

Ours is an age of addictions: to substances such as alcohol and other drugs or junk food, to gambling, pornography and the internet, to night-clubs, entertainments and experiences, to work and professional advancement, to sex, money, power. In some ways, you might say, these are the ancient enemies, even if the e-technologies and the e-drugs provide new faces for them and a new drawing and holding power. When the first Christians sought to express what was distinctive about their faith and life, they focused especially on their new-found freedom from sex, money and power - the possessions that like demons take can possession of our souls. Some early Christians took the dramatic step of consecrating themselves to the so-called ‘evangelical counsels' of poverty, chastity and obedience. But even those Christians who were not called to such drastic renunciation were nonetheless expected to live free of such controlling forces. Nothing must get in the way of our true humanity and our freedom to give ourselves to the kingdom of God. Not even good things like family, friendship, conviviality, intimacy, food and drink, security, comfort…

The world has always needed examples of such ascetical renunciation, of people who can say No, not just to bad things (which we all should do), but even to some good things, because they know they are not good for them or that they must offer prophetic witness to the world around them. We probably need examples of radical poverty, chastity and obedience more than ever in our consumerist, sex-crazed, individualist age, and sadly there are too few priests and consecrated religious giving such witness today. Which casts the duty back on the laity.

Matthew Talbot, whom we celebrate tonight, demonstrates that ordinary people can do such extraordinary things. He illustrates that people can renounce even very desirable things such as alcohol, even if they suffer an almost-overwhelming physiological, or psychological, or social, or moral, or spiritual magnetism to such things. People can, by God’s grace and their own self-acceptance, say No. And in the meantime our community must never lose hope for them, must always care for them.

People need such heroes. Not heroes in the sense of comic book or movie superheroes with superhuman powers. Not sports stars or pop stars, all art and pizzazz but often little moral substance. No, ordinary people who against extraordinary odds do the right thing. Like saying no to an addiction or compulsion. Like helping those who are trying and maybe failing. Or like housing those fleeing demons of other kinds, such as domestic violence.

As a boy I knew that my grandfather had, while a senior public servant here in Sydney, often spent his lunchtimes or other spare time working as a volunteer at the old Matt Talbot hostel hostel. My parents, too, have devoted much of their supposed retirement to the works of the St Vincent de Paul Society. Both generations, like Matt Talbot's immediately before them, have by their example spoken to me about human possibilities under grace, of the great things that are possible even for ordinary people. Matt Talbot's life and inspiration, and the movements, institutions and individuals that honour him, point us forward to recovery and hope for those who will accept their weakness and need. Such people stand like beacons in our world, as the consecrated virgins of the first millennium or the habited religious of the second. Beacons of the abiding truth that we can give some things up in order to achieve some greater things.

Such people are beacons, also, of the fundamental religious truth that there is more to the human person and the world, more to life and all reality, than meets the eye. Our readings for this Sunday tell us that all that we see around us in this beautiful but broken world will one day come to an end. In the apocalyptic language of natural disaster and unnatural violence, the consummation of the world, the Dies Iræ, is predicted (Luke 21:5-19). In the meantime we are called to fortitude, forbearance, patience, especially in the face of external persecutions and internal weaknesses. That hard kind of endurance is a defining characteristic of the whole Christian life. And it is testified to in the lives of those like Matthew Talbot who deny themselves alcohol or some other comfort or intimacy or self-will for the sake of their own good or that of others. They point to another – a better – world, where all self-destructive or other-destructive drives 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.

Our Gospel lesson tonight is clear enough: we all need to cultivate the habit and persevere in the act of unfailing watchfulness: standing ready, rejecting evil, vigilant through constant prayer and the practice of patience. Despite the dire predictions, this is not ultimately for the Christian a matter of living in fear and trembling – though a certain holy awe is always in order. Above all it is a matter of living with a quiet confidence: for Jesus teaches that we should look forward to his coming to us, or our coming to him.

Nor is this waiting a merely passive guard-duty: our watching and waiting, our praying and persevering, actually hastens the coming of God’s kingdom, in us and around us. That is why Paul counsels us to get to and do our bit, to get on with it (2 Thess 3:7-12). He is not just criticizing laziness and busy-bodiness, but also that kind of complacency or hopelessness that awaits Christ’s return in stupefying idleness or paralysing anxiety. No, he says, we apostles worked night and day for building up the kingdom of God and so should you.

The St Vincent de Paul Society – and the great work of all of you attached to the Matt Talbot Hostel in Woolloomooloo and your 37 homeless services and women’s refuges in NSW-ACT operating under the banner of Matt Talbot Homeless Services – could never be accused of just sitting back and waiting for things to happen. We thank God and you for your generous service. In following the inspiration of St Vincent de Paul, Blessed Frederick Ozanam and Venerable 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 and yours God’s kingdom comes – into our hearts, our homes, our world.

That is a sight ultimately more persuasive than earthquakes, plagues and any other ‘heavenly’ signs. We Christians live the future even in the here and now. We accept our responsibility with regard to our times and invest each moment with its full weight of eternity. We know the importance of our rôle in rousing our slumbering world which is in danger of losing its soul through addiction to consumerism, violence, ideology, self-indulgence. So it is we who are called to be the signs of the end-times, to work hard to change what we can and to entrust what we can’t to God: serenely to let God’s kingdom come, now on earth as it is in heaven.

Source: http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/People/Bishops/Fisher/20071117_800.shtml

Communion Reflection on Change

Saint Anthony Catholic Church Bulletin

05 March 2006

Kraainem, Belgium

If we wish to change the outer aspects of our lives, we must first change the inner attitudes of our minds. The miracle of inner change is possible. History and literature are full of examples: Paul on the road to Damascus, Charles Dickens' miser Scrooge, Matt Talbot the alcoholic. Something happened inside each of these, and they become new people.

Change requires the substituting of new habits for old ones. It calls for self-discipline. You have to command yourself and make yourself do what needs to be done.

The change of heart to which Lent calls us can be accomplished most of all through the power of prayer.

Lord, each spring you renew the face of the earth. May you also renew each of us, so that we may be able to celebrate Easter in newness of mind and heart.

Source: http://www.saint-anthony.be/ws_2006_03_05.pdf



Note: Even the mention of Matt Talbot in this brief reflection can enhance peoples' awareness of his existence and potential influence.

The Sorrowful Mysteries of Addiction

One of Matt Talbot's many spiritual practices was his devotion to the rosary. Not only did he pray the rosary in church and in his room but even if there was a lull at work, Matt was seen by co-workers to retire to a quiet corner among the stacks of wood to recite his rosary on his knees. Along with chains, a heavy rosary was found around his neck at the time of his death.

For those interested in praying a rosary today, James Hahn has provided us with "The Sorrowful Mysteries of Addiction." It can be found at http://www.realliferosary.com/addiction.html.

Keeping New Year's Resolutions with the Help of Jesus

As we begin a new calendar year and perhaps have made resolutions, we include this article about making and keeping such resolutions from an Ignatian perspective. We do so since Matt Talbot was influenced in his conversion and recovery by such priests, as his friend, Fr. James Walsh, S.J., and because this article notes quitting addictive behavior and stresses the importance of reforming or changing our desires through the process of getting to know Jesus and falling in love with him, which Matt did. The source of this article is found at http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent/New-Year-Resolutions.html



Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions:
A New Beginning, with a New Relationship with Jesus

Why should I make any New Year's Resolutions? I never keep them. Almost all of us have had the experience of wanting to begin a new year resolving to improve, to do some things better than we have before. It is natural to have hope, to want to believe we aren't stuck in the ways we currently behave, and yet, all of us have the experience that we haven't done too well with our past resolutions. In fact, at this time of the year, the newspaper cartoons almost always point out the humorous side of our trying to make resolutions that don't seem to have a chance of succeeding. Why do our resolutions so often fail? So often our good intentions fail and fail quickly. There are many reasons, of course, and some of them relate to how realistic our resolving is, but sometimes, we resolve to end addictive behavior without really giving it a chance. Most of the time, most of our resolutions are our best attempts at just having stronger will power. Though there are outstanding examples of heroic virtue, and some people really do quit addictive behavior "cold turkey," there are far too many examples of failure. One instinct deep in Ignatian Spirituality is the sense that, while it is good to develop stronger will power and self-control, real change in our lives actually happens most reliably when it comes from our deepest desires. Ignatius knew, from his own experience, just as we often discover in therapy, in spiritual direction, upon reflection on our own experience, that usually do what we want to do. We rarely do what we don't want to do. The secret to change is to reform our desires - discovering what our deepest desires are and trying to change or re-form them. This was no self-help process for Ignatius and many of the Saints. It was the process of getting to know Jesus and falling in love with him. Once we fall in love with someone, all our desiring changes. Don't I already know Jesus? Don't I already have a relationship with him? Often this sounds too simple to us. Don't I already know Jesus? Haven't I already fallen in love with him? Of course, hearing the invitation at the beginning of this new year to examine our relationships with Jesus, and let them be renewed this upcoming year, begins with the freedom to acknowledge that there is room for growth here. And, it starts with something of an attraction, a small desire, even a bit of curiosity that wonders, "What more can I discover? How might my heart be more captured by Jesus?" Love always directs our hearts. But, there are other spirits, too. At times we discover the sad reality that falling out of love changes our hearts dramatically, too. Once we lose that affection, that attraction, that draw, then trouble begins. Whereas before we experienced a wonderful energy that wants to spend as much time as we can with someone we love, and wants to do anything we can for the one we love, now we experience a coolness, an emptiness, a distance, and unfortunately, at times, the other starts to annoy us. Sometimes we say, "it just happened," but upon reflection, we realize sadly that there was sin involved. We made some bad choices, some selfish choices. We stopped contributing to the relationship. What isn't growing is usually dying. And, of course, sin is contagious and we live in a culture that doesn't support self-less loving. There are the messages: What about me? What about my needs? We tend to keep score. There are bad spirits among us that seem determined to make loving difficult, that seem to prevent wounds from healing, that seem to promote division, highlight differences and ultimately lead to war. This whole pattern, which we have understood as "Original Sin" has described for us what we is overcome by Jesus' coming, and by his life, death, resurrection and gift of the Spirit. Jesus destroyed sin and death's power over us. Re-connecting with him this new year is re-connecting with his power to free our hearts to love again. How do we get to know and fall in love with Jesus? Getting to get to know Jesus in a new way, at a deeper level is just like getting to know anyone. We begin by spending more time with a person. We pay attention to them. We get to know their story more completely. Eventually, we become more and more curious and more and more fascinated by how the person acts, what motivates that person, how he or she thinks. Of course, the key here is not only to learn more about Jesus, but to come to really know him, to experience a relationship. It is easy to imagine that Jesus knows me. It is more difficult to imagine that I am in a relationship with Jesus, and we know each other and there is something special about this relationship. For example, some of us will get to know Jesus and become really fascinated by his mother and father and that will shape our sense of who he is and our relationship with him. Some of us will come to love the way he chooses and interacts with his disciples. Many of us will learn a great deal about Jesus from how he tells stories and reveals things about God and about the Kingdom of God. Still others of us will become engaged by how Jesus interacts with and heals sinners and sick people. Perhaps we will identify with this or that story which will characterize our particular relationship with him. What about my resolutions? While we are getting to get to know the Lord the things we may have been tempted to resolve begin to change. We may still need to lose weight and exercise more, but what will inevitably rise to the surface are patterns that are like his. Attraction so naturally leads to imitation. The more we fall in love with this wonderful Lord and his powerful way of loving and surrendering his life to the plan of the Father, that he be Servant for us, the more we will open our hearts to ask the Father to use us, to be servants, too. Then our desiring starts to be transformed. We will gradually and more deeply begin to ask for the graces we need - which is a more humble place to begin that making bold promises. We'll ask our Lord to purify our desiring. We ask to for the grace to be drawn into the pattern of Jesus' loving and forgiving. We ask for the desire to surrender more, to let go of our own needs more completely so that we can give ourselves to the needs of others first. We will begin to see the people closest to us with Jesus' eyes, with Jesus' heart. Our love for them won't depend upon how much they please us or even how much they reciprocate our love. That isn't the way Jesus loves us. Jesus loves us because we are sinners. Jesus loves us because we need forgiving and healing. Jesus loves us because we need loving. Gradually, our resolutions get freer and more about self-donation. We say, "Lord, these are my desires and I am asking you for the grace to live them." Gradually, the other spirits lose their power, their attraction. As Jesus confronts and contradicts the values of our culture in us and around us, the sillier all that kind of desiring becomes. We don't change our way of consuming and change our way of seeing our role in the world or hear the cry of the poor day after day by strengthening our will power. Our life style and our choices really become transformed when we become people who know, beyond anything else, that we are loved unconditionally by our God. When we become lovers of Jesus, we will naturally love the way he loves. When we become followers of Jesus this will be a blessed new year, indeed. And those who are sinners among us, the poor around the world, and those who suffer the tragic effects of sin, division and war, will experience the difference.