Prayer for Recovery from Addiction

by Anonymous

http://nccatoday.org/be-the-food-to-make-me-strong/



How much time has passed since I really felt free?

My shackles seem locked tight and I can

think of nothing but the endless days and

nights before me.

When will peace return?

Looking in a mirror, I weep to see myself old

and worn.

“Once more, then I’ll stop. Once again and

no more…”

But today

I met you unexpectedly, God. I can’t say why,

But I felt your presence.


Lord, you are the only one who can heal me.

You can break my shackles of addiction;

I’m too weak to break them myself.

Show me your power, mercy, and tenderness.

Forgive my craziness and uncertainty.

Be the Food that will make me strong enough

to say “No” and walk away.

Let me look at you with the clear eyes of

new-found faith, and believe in a new day

dawning. Amen.

Matt on his Knees

This image of Matt Talbot is most appropriate since he spent his non-work related time on his knees praying, be it at home, in church, or waiting for the church doors to open. (His pants had slits at the knees so they touched the kneeling surface.)

                                               

Source: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Talbot/304690079653019

The Hole Within

Source:  http://beautifulangle.homestead.com/poster48.html

Catholic Alcoholic Website

An informative blog that may be of interest is the Catholic Alcoholic at http://catholicalcoholic.com. 
Its creator has a devotion to Venerable Matt Talbot as well as other holy people and saints. Her entries include both historical and contemporary topics. She also provides an extensive list of possibly relevant websites.

Venerable Matt Talbot Memorial in Poland

These photos were taken at the Matt Talbot Memorial in Plock, Poland. The carved words in the background of the top photo quote Matt, "First of all, I have to take into account the interests of the soul.”

Sources: http://www.parafiaswaleksego.plock.opoka.org.pl/ and http://www.duszp.trzezwosci.plock.opoka.org.pl/mat.htm

We appreciate the assistance of Grzegorz Jakielski regarding information about this memorial.

 

Venerable Matt Talbot on Facebook in English and Polish

While the Venerable Matt Talbot Resource Center is not on Facebook, Venerable Matt Talbot is present on this social media platform.

The newest Facebook listing for Venerable Matt Talbot can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Talbot/304690079653019.  Its originator also has a Facebook page about Mateusz Talbot in Polish at https://www.facebook.com/SlugaBozyMateuszTalbot  and a website at www.mateusztalbot.pl.

Least one be surprised about a Polish interest in Matt, Blessed Pope John Paul II as a boy wrote a paper about Matt Talbot and as pope wanted to beatify Matt during his pontificate since he thought that Matt’s example could be very valuable for those addicted to alcohol and drugs.

Select Resources for Spiritual Growth and Recovery

We recently noted at http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/2013/02/new-pocket-prayer-booklet-for-those.html that the new prayer book for those affected by addiction has been published. Please note that this 40 page book can now be viewed or downloaded free at

http://irishbishopsdrugsinitiative.com/?page_id=839. Reference to Venerable Matt Talbot can be read at pages 30-31.

In the book, Divine Therapy and Addiction: Centering Prayer and the Twelve Steps, at http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Therapy-Addiction-Centering-Prayer/dp/1590561155 Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O, a Trappist monk, reflects on the wisdom and legacy of the Alcoholics Anonymous twelve-step approach to recovery and its connections to, and similarities with, the Christian mystical traditions of centering prayer and Lectio Divina.

At “Living Sober Through the Psalms,” found at http://onedayatatimecatholic.wordpress.com/,) the author prays one at at a time through the Psalms and other recovery literature with added brief personal commentary, and concludes each day with wisdom from Church thinkers. This author also has an article,

“Lectio Divina and the 11th Step of Recovery” at http://catholicalcoholic.com/2013/01/31/lectio-divina-and-the-11th-step-for-my-recovery/.

Additional resources will be listed periodically.

A Reflection on Spiritual Recovery

[Mr. Rose previously wrote a column at http://bustedhalo.com and now writes at http://www.patheos.com]

Spiritual Recovery

by Phil Fox Rose

June 8, 2009

http://bustedhalo.com/features/what-works-6-spiritual-recovery#

If you are an alcoholic or addict, being spiritually unfit can be fatal. If not literally fatal then, as in my case, a living death — one definition of Hell is being alive and active in this world, feeling separated from God. And I spent years there. But today I live — and have for some time now — free, awake, fully alive, vital.


My earlier What Works column on alcoholism and addiction focused on self-diagnosis, and I could easily explain my own alcoholism by pointing to genetics and circumstances; but the root cause is spiritual — that God-shaped hole, that feeling of brokenness and alienation I was trying to assuage. I’ve met other alcoholics who had no obvious “causes” but I think we all share a spiritual longing.


Carl Jung wrote, to Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson, that “craving for alcohol” is “the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness,” famously concluding the letter “spiritus contra spiritum” — the Spirit against alcohol.


As I said about not getting enough sleep, when you don’t feel connected to God, it’s easy to slip into irritability. A more accurate word is probably “sullenness.” And, if you’ll forgive a moment of word-nerdiness, “sullen” comes from the same root as “solo” and originally meant “alone.” How fitting, because that’s really what’s going on — you feel alone in the universe.


Recovery is not self-help


Let me be as clear as possible here: Recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction is not about self-help. The solution is not to gain knowledge and strength and willpower so you can beat it. As I’ve said before, it’s not even to admit you have a problem. Recovery is about recognizing that, alone, you are powerless to solve the problem. To receive the grace you need to recover, you must admit you need help from something greater than yourself.

So, to stay sober you stay connected to God and other people. As much as possible, that is. Because we all slip back into disconnectedness and the illusion of control. Addiction is a stark example of self-will, but all people struggle with self-will and attachment, with expectations and resentments. That’s why addiction is often used as a metaphor for the struggle of life.


Many people lead lives of quiet desperation, trying to fill the God-shaped hole and cover the pain with shopping, eating, and a million distractions. But addicts and alcoholics are physically predisposed to escape or numb themselves in ways that go directly into a downward spiral of self-destruction. My last few years before sobriety, life was little more than an isolated routine of coming to, muddling around in the apartment, watching TV, and mixing alcohol, Vicodin and Ambien to make things fuzzy until I passed out. Talk about sleepwalking through life.

 

Let go and let God

Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) He was quoting Hebrew Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:5. In even simpler terms, “Trust God.”


But, of course, we resist depending on God, don’t we? The serpent said to Eve: “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God”. (Genesis 3:5) Pride. We try, again and again, to play God; we try to manage the world, our own destiny, other people. The thing is, once you dedicate yourself to figuring out life without God, you find yourself smack dab in self-centered fear. Suddenly, managing the universe is your problem, and you know you’re not up to the task. My biggest trigger used to be trying to control what everyone thought of me. (I can still go there sometimes.)


Notice whenever life feels unmanageable. You’ll probably find it’s when you think you have to solve something on your own. How often we cause suffering by not accepting the way things are.

 

Spiritual tools

“Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today,” is the opening line of one of the most popular passages in recovery literature. What a challenge! To simply accept that things are the way they are. Could they be changed? Perhaps. Improved? It’s possible. But right in this moment, things are the way they are. To find acceptance of this is tremendous freedom and tremendous relief. This is why I am such a strong advocate of meditation. Meditation created the opening that began my journey toward greater authenticity. It continues to be a guide along the way, daily practice in detachment and acceptance.


The therapeutic and medical communities dissect the psychological and physiological aspects of addiction but often neglect or even deny the spiritual component. Self-help gurus say you can beat this addiction or that by learning their secrets. But the most helpful resource on the spiritual dimension of recovery remains A.A.’s foundational book, Alcoholics Anonymous (usually called the Big Book.) When it was written in the 1930s, A.A. was more single-minded in its view that recovery was a spiritual project. That approach is outlined in the book and still practiced by many in A.A.

Caveat addictus

  I want to make something absolutely clear before I close. A spiritual practice alone, without work specifically for addiction, is problematic. Worse, it’s all too easy for addicts and alcoholics to convince themselves they’re covered through meditation or church attendance. Not likely. After years of sobriety, as lay leader of my congregation, I started drinking wine at potlucks before Bible study! I’d forgotten I was an alcoholic and simply cannot drink safely — no matter how spiritual I may think I am.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Maintenance of your spiritual condition
 

Here are some spiritual tools you can use to stay connected to God day to day. Next to each of the six items, I suggest specific practices. But of course, you should find what works for you. By having these six areas covered, you can devote far less energy to struggling to maintain your spiritual condition. Of course, you will slip up. It’s just like exercise: You know it’s good for you. You know you’ll feel better. But you don’t always do it. I hope you find something useful here.


Daily morning prayers — some fixed prayers to frame the day: the Serenity Prayer; the Lord’s Prayer; “Lord, I pray that I be of maximum usefulness to you and my fellows throughout this day, and that I find it easy to take the next right actions” — and a free-form period: briefly recall yesterdays achievements and events and thank God; briefly consider today’s events and ask for guidance and wisdom to make the best of what lies ahead; pray for spiritual guides, past and present, for those to whom you give guidance or support, and for anyone in your life facing a challenge.

1. Daily meditation — See my earlier column on meditation.
   
2. Daily spiritual reading — Daily readers, Scripture, or other spiritual books. The practice of following prayer and meditation with some careful spiritual reading is powerful. It grounds your day. And sometimes it triggers contemplation that leads to breakthroughs and insights that are life-changing. Be a student in our spiritual journey.
   
3. Throughout the day — Use various tools and techniques to maintain or restore serenity — meditation; the Welcoming Prayer; counting to ten; praying the Rosary — there are dozens of useful tools for this.
   
4. Regular recovery-focused group work — Opinions vary on frequency, but regular and frequent is the rule, not the exception. It is the experience of millions that A.A. is the most effective approach and A.A. meetings are available nearly everywhere. Other options include Celebrate Recovery and the Jewish organization, JACS.
   
5. Before bed — Review the day, letting go of any residue of bad feelings. Two methods for this are the 11th Step of 12 Step programs and the Ignatian Examen of Consciousness — which are strikingly similar.

Note:  If you have given up alcohol for Lent, you might find this author's article of interest: http://bustedhalo.com/features/what-works-44-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent

New Venerable Matt Talbot Icon

This new Matt Talbot icon was posted 03 February 2013 at http://www.togherparish.ie/parish/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=251%3A130203mt&catid=25%3Athe-project&Itemid=2. It was created by Sr. Irene Gibson of Raheeny in Dublin and commissioned by the Cork Regional Pioneers.

The broken bottle is a symbol of his break from the slavery of addiction. Chain round waist, which he wore as a penance after his conversion, is symbol of his enslavement to the Blessed Virgin Mary. (http://peaceofzionicons.blogspot.com/2013/01/venerable-matt-talbot-icon.html)

Faith & Spirituality Resources Related to Addiction

[The very informative “Irish Bishops Drugs Initiative” website at http://irishbishopsdrugsinitiative.com/ has recently been updated and is well worth your time to systemically review its content.

As only one example of additional information, the current “Faith & Spiritually” section at http://irishbishopsdrugsinitiative.com/?page_id=231

has been reproduced below.]

Church: drugs and drug addiction

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.” —Galatians 6:2 Spirituality & Substance Misuse Each of us is a gift of God. When we give a gift to a meaningful person in our lives, we hope they will like and appreciate the gift we give them. God is like this, …
View page »

Matt Talbot

Venerable Matt Talbot He was born on 2nd May 1856 in humble circumstance in Dublin’s inner city, the son of Charles and Elizabeth Talbot. In post-famine years Dublin and the rest of Ireland was in distressed state: an era of grinding poverty and appalling living conditions. Yet it was also a time when the Faith …
View page »

12 Step Spirituality

Intercom Oct-2005 12 STEP SPIRITUALITY A programme of living for everyone As it’s main focus12-step Spirituality is based on the principle of living not in the yesterday, not in the tomorrow, but living in the day – today, one day at a time and allowing God to be God in my life. This spirituality is …
View page »

Spirituality Perspective

Spirituality: Perspectives from Theory and Experience Irrespective of the language used, the process in all cases is one of fundamental discovery by the individual that they have an inner life that can help them become free persons – Christian spirituality seeks to free people and increase their freedom to choose to be people who …
View page »

Homily notes

4. Homily Notes Temperance Sunday 10 Feb 2013 A good resource is Bishop Eamonn Walshe in February Intercom when he writes about balance and the forthcoming publication of prayers for those affected by addiction. Of interest is how Tara relates to her primary school teacher how she is “ashamed to bring my friends home …
View page »

Order our new Prayer book.

Our new prayer book written for those affected by addiction. Forty beautifully illustrated pages with prayers. Please fill in the order form below. All donations kindly received will go towards the financial costs of supporting our nationwide Initiatives. Thank you.
View page »

Temperance Resource Pack

TEMPERANCE SUNDAY REFLECTION – Bishop Eamonn Walsh Andy was six weeks out of treatment when he phoned, Friday afternoon at 4.30p.m., ‘Can we meet Eamonn, I am desperate and on the drink’. I suggested that we talk when he was sober, to which he replied – ‘I can only talk when I am …
View page »

Lenten Period

LENT: Alcohol – Our Culture – Our Challenge With alcohol costing our country billions a year, along with the trail of destruction it leaves in its wake to individuals, families and communities. It is a positive sign to finally see movement towards the Government addressing the issues and standing up the powerful drinks industry. …
View page »

Prayers of the Faithful

Prayers of the Faithful For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and the unemployed; for all those suffering from depression or addiction, and for all those in any kind of danger. For all those struggling with any form of addiction in our parish, especially alcohol, drugs, …
View page »

New Pocket Prayer Book for Those Affected by Addiction

[The following is reproduced from http://www.catholicireland.net/prayers-reflections-affected-addiction-ibdi/]

"Bishop Éamonn Walsh launched a pocket booklet of prayers and reflections for those affected by addiction produced by the Irish Bishops Drugs Initiative (IBDI) at the Dundalk Institute of Technology on 6th February 2013.

This prayer book and reflections is intended as a pastoral and spiritual resource that is available through contacting The IBDI, Columba Centre, Maynooth, Co Kildare, or can be ordered through the website www.irishbishopsdrugsinitiative.com.

The IBDI is a cross community support working in over 250 parishes involving over 1000 volunteers, to assist parishes and communities to address the challenges of alcohol/drugs misuse which affects every quarter of the country.

In his address at the launch, Bishop Walsh welcomed the statement on 4 February by Minister of State for Primary Care at the Department of Health, Alex White, regarding the practice of marketing of alcohol: “The biggest concern is marketing that is visible to children and young people.”

Bishop Walsh stated, “Society needs to find imaginative ways of protecting children from being used as drinks advertisements on sports jerseys. Only a strong public determination will enable legislators to tackle the many vested interests which gain from this and similar practices. We all need to put our shoulder to the wheel and add real weight to the Minister’s pledge to address minimum pricing for alcohol products and to curb gradually their corporate sponsorship in sport.” 

Full Text of address by Bishop Walsh

‘Andy’ was six weeks out of treatment when he telephoned on Friday afternoon at 4.30pm: “Can we meet Eamonn, I am desperate and on the drink.” I suggested that we talk when he was sober, to which he replied: “I can only talk when I am drinking.” He insists that we meet in a city centre pub. As Andy looks at his pint he says: “It is poison, it’s killing me, I asked my friends to shoot me but they refused. Can you help me? I hate myself. I am no good.” A week later he phones again to tell me that his GP has a new drug that has worked with ‘heavy drinkers’ allowing them have two or three a few times a week and not want for more. Andy has a long journey ahead. Every reader knows the story, it’s a familiar one, only the names change.

‘Tara’ tells her primary school teacher: “I am ashamed to bring my friends home as I don’t know what state my mother will be in drink or what mess the house will be in.” What a weight on such young shoulders.

The Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative new pocket book of prayers and reflections is a reflective resource to give hope, support and the will to carry on, to all who are struggling with misuse of drugs/alcohol, their families, those in treatment, recovery and denial.

Temperance, balance in life, change of heart begins within. This booklet is an aid to inner reflection. It invites us to go into our inner room and “ponder God’s Word in our heart.” Gradually through reflecting on God’s love for each one of us, a person can regain their self-respect and begin “to let go, let God.” Day by day “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want” comes alive.

The Psalms speak to every mood and life’s happenings. They are the distilled faith-filled prayers that have stood the test of time. This one speaks to the person that feels that they are in the gutter and have reached “rock bottom”:

‘Save me, God, for the waters have reached my neck,
I have sunk into the mire of the deep, where there is no foothold’(Ps:69).

I asked Paschal to write a reflection to help people affected by alcohol/ drugs. The following was among his prayers and reflections:

My faith waned when life strained
My faith left when I lost hope
My faith in you was all but gone
Until I realized it was you who helped me carry on

This booklet may serve some to open wide the “door of faith” (Acts 14:27). In a world of noise, reflection on God’s Word and meditation, allows us to hear the gentle promptings of God in the depths of our heart. It means more of “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”, rather than listen Lord your servant is speaking.

Through listening prayer, the temperate mind and heart gradually emerges. It was through this reflective prayer that Isaiah took courage and faced his fear and sense of inadequacy.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
Whom shall I send? Who will be my messenger?

I answered, ‘Here I am, send me. (Isaiah 6:8)

In his Apostolic Letter to launch this current Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI, in urging the opening of the “door of faith”, said: “It is possible to cross the threshold when the Word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace.” (Porta Fidei, par 1)

The listening prayer releases the “transforming grace” for those struggling with the misuse of alcohol/drugs and other addictive behaviours, those affected and people who see such needs as not their concern.

But what can any of us do? We can join forces and say enough is enough! The time has come for society to no longer stand idly by allowing conditions and practices continue which will expose our young people to a life of unnecessary misuse of drugs or alcohol.

I welcome the statement on 4 February by Minister of State for Primary Care at the Department of Health, Alex White, regarding the practice of marketing of alcohol: “The biggest concern is marketing that is visible to children and young people.”

Society needs to find imaginative ways of protecting children from being used as drinks advertisements on sports jerseys. Only a strong public determination will enable legislators to tackle the many vested interests which gain from this and similar practices.

We all need to put our shoulder to the wheel and add real weight to the Minister’s pledge to address minimum pricing for alcohol products and to curb gradually their corporate sponsorship in sport.

The Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative is a cross community support working in over 250 parishes involving over 1000 volunteers, to assist parishes and communities to address the challenges of alcohol/drugs misuse which affects every quarter of the country.

This prayer book and reflections is intended as a pastoral and spiritual resource that is available through contacting The IBDI, Columba Centre, Maynooth, Co Kildare, viewed or downloaded at http://irishbishopsdrugsinitiative.com/?page_id=839 , or can be ordered through the website www.irishbishopsdrugsinitiative.coIt mI

Temperance Sunday 2013

[Tomorrow, 10 February 2013, is Temperance Sunday. Temperance Sunday precedes Ash Wednesday on 13 February, the beginning of Lent.]

 

 

"Temperance Sunday - from Logos Missalette

I have yet to meet anyone who regrets that their parents were sober, temperate in their use of alcohol, or Pioneers. I have met hundreds whose lives were almost ruined by the misuse of alcohol by themselves or someone close to them, and suffered the poverty, or violence or abuse that went with it. All of us could probably agree with this.I have yet to meet parents who regret that their teenage children do not drink. I’m sure, you, dear reader, would agree. 

 

Drink Sensibly – Drink Less

In Ireland alcohol is more often abused than sensibly used. The squalor of late-night streets, the drunkenness associated with junior and leaving cert result ‘celebrations; are only some of its side effects. ‘Drink sensibly’ of the ads of alcohol for many would be ‘drink less’, though no ad for alcohol will recommend that! Most important events in Ireland involve an easy availability of alcohol. Many of our young people are drinking too much too young for the good of their physical health, not alone their spiritual well-being, at a time when the peer pressure and advertising impact are high.

Reflect, Thanks and a Call

Temperance Sunday is a day of reflection, of thanks and a call. To reflect as families, communities and as a society on our use of alcohol, to thank God for it as a gift to be moderately used and to be truly grateful for the example of people who use alcohol sensibly; and it is a call to educate by word and example a younger generation in the use of alcohol. Temperance Sunday is a day that we say, as a church, that we are concerned for the problems in our society caused through abuse of alcohol and want to be committed to doing something positive about them. So it is a day when we pray for and try to help people who are in any way effected by alcoholism - their own or that of others.

Lord, make us truly grateful for the gifts of your creation, and may we use them wisely for our own good and the good of others."

Donal Neary SJ

http://www.gardinerstparish.ie/liturgy/reflections-for-sunday-liturgy/reflections-for-year-a?start=20

 

A previously posted homily for Temperance Sunday, “Matt Talbot – Triumph over Alcohol Addiction,” by Fr. Tommy Lane can be found at http://www.frtommylane.com/homilies/other_homilies/matt_talbot.htm

Matt Talbot Novena 2013

The Matt Talbot Novena 2013, organised by the Cork Regional Pioneer Council, will begin Friday 1st February at 7:30 pm at The Way of the Cross Church in Togher for eight consecutive weeks. Details, including the list (and dates) of presenters, can be found at Matt Talbot Novena 2013 - An Tóchar

Novena prayer

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 Saviour, 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.

First-Class Relic of Venerable Matt Talbot

Prayer for the Canonization of Venerable Matt Talbot

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 Saviour, 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.


Photograph source:  http://asmorningrising.blogspot.com/2012/12/venerable-matt-talbot-favourite-prayers.html

Spending Advent with Four Saints

[Popular author of many book about saints, Bert Ghezzi, suggests spending Advent

season the with four holy people, including Venerable Matt Talbot. Such visibility of Matt to a wider audience is a positive sign for the possibility of identifying a miracle attributed to him and his eventual beatification.]

Spending this Advent season with the Saints!

By Bert Ghezzi!

OSV Newsweekly

December 02, 2012


Advent prepares us for Jesus’ coming at Christmas and for his coming into our lives afresh. And no one knows how to get ready to welcome Christ better than the saints. They express their love for him by putting him first in their hearts. They make room for him by clearing out the clutter of sins and faults. The saints pursue holiness by embracing the Lord’s teaching and
lifestyle. They respond to his graces by practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer, Scripture study, fasting and almsgiving. And the saints express their love for God by reaching out to others with the Good News. They especially dedicate themselves to caring for the poor and marginalized.

So let’s make the most of this Advent and spend it with four representative saints, imitating the

ways that they opened their hearts to Jesus.


 

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)

We are attracted to St. Therese because she was an ordinary person. Raised in a faithful Catholic family, she was doted on by her father, teased by her sisters and suffered the pain of loss. Her youth was troubled by her mother’s death and by two sisters entering the convent. But on Christmas 1887, Therese experienced a conversion that released her depression. “Love filled my heart, I forgot myself, and henceforth I was happy,” she said. 

The next year, when Therese was only 15, the bishop allowed her to join the Carmelite convent at Lisieux. She wanted to become a missionary and a martyr, but soon realized that neither option was open to a cloistered nun. So she sought the Holy Spirit for another way to serve the Lord. Reflecting on Scripture, Therese learned to do the loving thing in every situation, which she discovered was the fuel that fired the faith of martyrs and saints. Doing the least of actions for love became the secret of her “little way.”

What does a 19th century nun have to do with us? Juggling the duties of family, work or school, navigating freeways and keeping up with the digital world, we don’t have much time for pursuing holiness, do we? But that’s where Therese sets the example for us. Her simplicity shows us that we, too, can be holy.

Venerable Matt Talbot (1856-1925)

For 16 years, Venerable Matt Talbot was a daily drunk. Then one day, an unanticipated conversion transformed him and he became a model penitent.

As a child of a poor family in Dublin, Matt had to forgo school for a job. After a year of basic education, he started working for a wine seller. And Matt started drinking heavily at the early age of 12.

His father beat him and made him change jobs—but nothing could stop Matt’s habit. He said that when he was intoxicated, he occasionally thought about the Blessed Mother and prayed an

off-handed Hail Mary. Matt speculated later that she had something to do with his conversion.

One day in 1884 everything suddenly changed. Matt had been out of work several days and expected his buddies to take him drinking. When they snubbed him, he made a decision that transformed his life.

When he arrived at home, his mother said, “You’re home early, Matt, and you’re sober!” He replied, “Yes, mother, I am and I’m going to take the pledge.” The next day he went to confession and took the sobriety pledge for three months.

But Matt extended the three months into 41 years. In 1891, Matt found community support by joining the Franciscan Third Order. He lived to rest of his life quietly, working and praying. Pope Paul VI declared him venerable in 1975.

At a time when addictions to alcohol, other drugs and pornography are running rampant, Matt Talbot stands as an exemplar of the ways to freedom and holiness.

Blessed Anne Mary Taigi (1769-1837)

A model woman, Blessed Anne Mary managed a large household in Rome for nearly five decades. She handled finances with little money, patiently cared for a difficult extended family and entertained a constant stream of guests. She did all this full of faith and good cheer.

At age 21, Anne Mary married Domenico Taigi, a servant in a Roman palace. They had seven children, two of whom died at childbirth. Early in her marriage Anne Mary experienced a religious conversion. She simplified her life, initiating practices of prayer and self-denial that she pursued the rest of her life.

Anne Mary took the spiritual lead in her family. The day began with morning prayer and Mass and ended with reading lives of the saints and praying the Rosary.

The Taigis had little of their own, but she always found ways of providing for those who had less. She also took in her hard to-get-along with parents and her widowed daughter, Sophie, with her six children.

Domenico’s violent temper often disrupted the family. But Anne Mary was always able to calm him and restore peaceful relationships.

In his old age, Domenico gave this touching tribute to his wife: “With her wonderful tact she was able to maintain a heavenly peace in our home. And that even though we were a large household full of people with very different temperaments.“I often came home tired, moody and cross, but she always succeeded in soothing and cheering me. And due to her, I corrected  some of my faults. If I were a young man and could search the whole world to find such a wife, it would be vain. I believe that God has received her into heaven because of her great virtue. And I hope that she will pray for me and our family.”

We may imagine that becoming a saint requires heroics like founding a religious order or converting an aboriginal tribe. But Blessed Anne Mary shows us that the daily faithful care of a family requires more than enough heroism to make us holy.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)

Blessed Pope John Paul II celebrated Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati as a man of the Beatitudes.

Athletic and strong, he devoted himself to the weak and malformed. He was wealthy, but he lived in poverty so he could give everything to the poor. He was gregarious, but a lover of solitude.

He was rambunctious, the life of every party, and a practical joker, but at prayer he was solemn, reflective and quiet.

As a teenager, Pier Giorgio made friends of the poor in Turin’s back streets and gave them whatever he had– his money, his shoes, his overcoat. “Jesus comes to me every morning in holy Communion,” he replied to a friend who asked why the hovels did not repulse him. “I repay him in my very small way by visiting the poor. The house may be sordid, but I am going to Christ.”

Pier Giorgio saw the need for social change to relieve the causes of poverty. At the university he decided to major in mechanical engineering to that he would work with miners, who were especially disadvantaged. He was a leader in student political organizations and actively opposed Mussolini and the Fascists.

At the same time, he was the organizer of student parties, games and ski trips to the Alps, where he would lead his friends in prayer. Afterward, they relaxed and enjoyed food, wine, cigars and songs.

Blessed Pier Giorgio has become the hero of contemporary young Catholics. They recognize his high Christian ideals, still held while pursuing the same pleasures that they enjoy. They

gravitate to this handsome and charming saint who delighted in reciting the poetry of Dante, praying the Rosary in a booming voice and spending a night in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Source: Since this article can only be read in this publication by “login,” it is reprinted

from one church bulletin on page 4 at

http://content.seekandfind.com/bulletins/15/0031/20121202B.pdfand http://content.seekandfind.com/bulletins/15/0031/20121209B.pdf

The "Hoped-For" Beatification That Didn't Happen

[One of the holy people that Pope John Paul II wanted to beatify during his pontificate was Matt Talbot; he thought that Matt’s example could be very valuable for those who are addicted to alcohol and drugs (http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/2008/02/popw-john-paul-ii-wanted-to-beatify.html).

Although Pope John Paul II had visited Ireland in 1979 (http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/681-history-of-rte/705-rte-1970s/289832-papal-visit-to-ireland/?page=3), information released just this past week indicates that he was considering returning to Ireland in 1981.]

Pope John Paul II 'was considering returning for a second visit to Ireland'
By Ed Carty
Friday December 28 2012

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/pope-john-paul-ii-was-considering-returning-for-second-visit-to-ireland-3337915.html

Pope John Paul II’s "unpredictable" nature could have seen him make a return papal visit in 1981 for the beatification of Matt Talbot, state papers have revealed.

John Magee, the former bishop of Cloyne and an aide to three popes, confided in an Irish diplomat that there was a possibility the pontiff would make the extraordinary move.

In a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs at Iveagh House, embassy officer Frank Coffey relayed the thinking in the Vatican in March 1981.

"Fr Magee thinks it is not inconceivable that if and when Matt Talbot is beatified, the Holy Father may decide to have the ceremony in Dublin," he wrote.

On a separate letter he said that such a beatification could be linked to the 90th anniversary of the 1891 Rerum Novarum, an open letter from Pope Leo XIII addressing the condition of the working classes.

"Pope John Paul has also thought that the beatification of Matt Talbot would be a particularly apposite way to mark the anniversary," he wrote.

"However, it does not appear that Matt Talbot's cause has advanced sufficiently for this to be done.

"Nonetheless, bearing in mind the present Pontiff's 'unpredictability' we cannot rule out his taking some extraordinary measures to permit beatification this year."

Talbot, known as Venerable Matt Talbot, pledged sobriety aged 28 and a life of prayer, fasting and service, never taking credit and trying to model himself on the sixth-century Irish monks.

He was a member of the Transport and General Workers Union and worked in a lumber yard in Dublin docks.

Talbot is in the second stage of becoming a saint being known as Venerable. His beatification is still pending.

The detail was contained in files on plans for the Pope's visit to Ireland under the code 2012/58/3.

Matt Talbot's Life in Verse

[Many years ago, Christy Bracken (of Co. Tipperary, Ireland) read about the life of Matt Talbot and was greatly impressed by its turnaround. He subsequently wrote this condensed account of Matt's life in verse form. 
It is Christy's (and our) hope that this posting might possibly help someone struggling with alcoholism or advance the cause of Matt’s beatification.]

The Servant Of God.

[Matt Talbot]

Silhouetted beneath the shimmering January moon,

a lone pilgrim, his bare knees,

kissing the penitential cold of granite stone,

awaits entry to the re-enactment of the perpetual drama.

 Not so alas in his youthful days,

for those hands now clasped in prayer,

with reckless ease were wrapped around

the “drink”, and all it’s snares,

from tavern to drunken tavern,

stumble, stagger, fall,

when the demons cravings had stripped him bare,

‘twas then You gave the call.

 With hands buried deep in penniless pockets,

on Newcomen bridge he took his stand,

pleading eyes from sunken sockets,

awaited in vain a welcoming glance.

A mother’s prayers had at least been answered,

from the debts of despair a glimmer of light,

a bitter experience of human friendship

shattered, he sighed, and sought comfort in flight.

 By the fireside she sat, when she heard him exclaim,

“Mother, Mother, I’m home”

startled, she cried,“Matt, what is it, what’s wrong?”

“I’m taking the pledge”, he intoned.

“Go now in God’s name, but only if you intend to keep it”

for she well knew his heavy load,

“I’ll go in God’s name” as he took

his first faltering steps down the straight and narrow road.

 “Bless me father for I have sinned”, a new life of grace lay ahead,

three months, six, finally for life,

many tears of repentance were shed.

Temptation, isolation, discouragement, pain,

the chains of indulgence proved strong,

but his spiritual food, now his daily diet,

proved strongest as the battle raged on.

 Instead of drink, now Matt consumed,

the fruits of kindred souls,

Augustine, Wisdom, the book of Psalms,

Our Lady, many secrets to Matt did unfold.

Fasting, solitude, almsgiving, prayer,

as he rises from his wooden bed

four hours sleep, his vigil he’d keep,

eternity, to lay down his head.

 To the casual eye in the builder’s yard,

nothing unwonted seemed done,

to the wiry little man who carried and fetched,

in wind, rain, and sun.

But deep within the Master’s hand,

to reshape and rebuild had begun,

‘till out of the debts, came the constant refrain,

“Thy will, Thy will be it done”.

 Down Granby Lane, on the seventh of June,

this foot soldier stumbled and fell,

of the milling crowd that gathered around,

his identity no one could tell.

In Jervis Street Hospital, bound in chains of love,

laid bare, this pilgrim who carried the hod,

Providence’s design would reveal in good time,

he was truly a Servant of God.

                                                      Christy Bracken

 

Interview about the Beatification of Matt Talbot

Father Brian Lawless talked with Joe Duffy of “Lifeline” at RTE Radio 1 in Ireland on October 03, 2012 “about the cause of Matt Talbot, the Dubliner who is regarded as a patron of those suffering with addiction. Brian is the vice postulator of the cause of Matt Talbot's beatification and spoke about the man's life and experiences and how he has become an inspiration for those in recovery from addictions.” [Programme description]
 

This 20 minute interview can be downloaded at The case for the beatification of Matt Talbot - Fr Brian Lawless - Liveline - RTÉ Radio 1.

Viewing Matt Talbot Relics

"On Tuesday 6th November 2012 Fr. Brian Lawless, Vice postulator of the cause Canonisation of Matt Talbot, brought with him relics and memorabilia of Matt Talbot to the Novena in Shannon including a first class relic which people were given the opportunity to be blessed with as well as being able to view and examine personal items belonging to Matt.”

Photographs can be viewed at http://www.shannonparish.ie/gallery/?album=1&gallery=181. (Clicking on a photo will enlarge it.)

A Juvenile Biography of Matt Talbot

Brother Ernest Ryan, C.S.C. (1897-1963) was a prolific author of Catholic juvenile biographies of saints and other Catholic figures from the 1940’s into the 1960’s.

His 1952 book, Through the Dark Night: A Story of Matt Talbot,

was republished in October 2012 with illustrator Paul Thomas Sullivan.

http://www.amazon.com/Through-Dark-Night-Story-Talbot/dp/1258500531/ref=sr_1_93?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351979449&sr=1-93&keywords=matt+talbot

A list of previously published books by Br. Ernest can be found at http://www.freewebs.com/dujarie/brotherernestryan.htm

Information about Brother Ernest can be read at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5RigPAMBz6YJ:www.brothersofholycross.com/Archives/Newsettes1948-1964/NWST%2520%2763/NWST%2520Mar%25201963.pdf+Brother+Ernest+Ryan,+CSC&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgl7Mef1Tbj8uGVKi8dd3-EgAWGzOdgYKgUufJ5IGpARoBAqxq0fekEsYbXJZlK-ZHGyW7u5lZTgOBaPc70OtrT_Ry-gzMU6HkahPmst54yEAjoF_wOwGfh93KkUtb_ASQwk7EW&sig=AHIEtbSjj9T8k7taryRqCFQBrYvP8aibjw

Seeking relics of Matt Talbot

In his book, Dublin Folk Tales (2012), storyteller Brendan Nolan includes the story of “Matt Talbot’s bed.” In it “you will read about the neighbour of Matt who sold bits of the dead man’s bed until there was no more to be had and then produced an unending supply of relics for sale.”

While we might chuckle at such an enterprising neighbour, we must be extremely careful about what is purported to be an authentic relic that is offered for sale. For example, two recent relics of Matt Talbot has been offered on online, one purporting to be earth from Matt’s gravehttp://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1925-matt-talbot-earth-grave-133888124) and another which claims to be a particle from his wooden pillow (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reliquary-Relic-Venerable-Matt-Talbot-IRISH-Piety-Charity-Saint-of-Alcoholics-/120997540123?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2c03f11b).

As for relics sold on eBay, the follow links address their perspective

(http://reviews.ebay.com/CATHOLIC-SAINT-RELICS-ON-EBAY-A-REPLY?ugid=10000000002229692) and (http://reviews.ebay.com/Catholic-Relics-A-tidbitofinformation?ugid=10000000005121291).

Our recommendation for those who are interested in seeking a relic of Matt Talbot is to inquire at http://www.matttalbot.ie/contact.htm, frbrian@stagathasparish.ie or

http://www.matttalbotcounselling.ie/contact_new.html

Who are your Holy Traveling Companions?

On this All Saints’ Day (officially the Solemnity of All Saints) we might consider an excerpt that Pope Benedict XVI presented in a general audience 2010:

“There are very dear people in the life of each one of us to whom we feel particularly close, some of whom are already in God's embrace while others still share with us the journey through life: they are our parents, relatives and teachers; they are the people to whom we have done good or from whom we have received good; they are people on whom we know we can count. Yet it is important also to have "travelling companions" on the journey of our Christian life. I am thinking of a Spiritual Director, a Confessor, of people with whom it is possible to share one's own faith experience, but I am also thinking of the Virgin Mary and the Saints. Everyone must have some Saint with whom he or she is on familiar terms, to feel close to with prayer and intercession but also to emulate. I would therefore like to ask you to become better acquainted with the Saints, starting with those you are called after, by reading their life and their writings. You may rest assured that they will become good guides in order to love the Lord even more and will contribute effective help for your human and Christian development...” (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20100825_en.html#)

Fr. Robert Barron’s sermon for this Holy Day of Obligation addresses, in part, “the panoply of saints, both those who are similar to us and those who bring out the parts of us that are 'in shadow.' He speaks of how making those complementary saints our friends can help sanctify this shadow side." Listen to the sermon here. 

(Fr. Barron is the author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (2011) and the outstanding video series (2012).) 

Is Venerable Matt Talbot one of your traveling companions?

 

.

Patrons St. Matthias and Ven. Matt Talbot

Besides the well-known St. Monica, a much lesser-known saint who is periodically listed as a patron saint of alcoholics is St. Matthias. Both St. Matthias and Ven. Matt Talbot  are discussed in This Saint Will Change Your Life by Thomas Craughwell.
(To read their entry insert "Matthias" or "Talbot" into the "Look Inside" box.)

Online Copy of "Life of Matt Talbot"(1928) by Sir Joseph Glynn

In June, 2011, we noted a 1928 book review of Life of Matt Talbot by Sir Joseph Glynn, which was the first biography about Matt Talbot
(http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/2011/06/1928-book-review-of-life-of-matt-talbot_1566.html).

While copies of this long our-of-print 1928 edition occasionally appear for sale, the only free edition available online at that time was the 1942 edition
(http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/2008/04/life-of-matt-talbot-biography-online.html).

With great appreciation to the Glynn family (and their solicitor), a transcript of the original publication is now available free online at

(http://www.solicitor.net/_fileupload/Matt%20Talbot%20book.pdf) or
(http://www.solicitor.net/legal-news/matt-talbot.608.html).

New Videos about the Life of Matt Talbot

We have previously noted some videos about Matt Talbot (http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/search/label/Video).

Five very informative additional videos are now available at http://www.matttalbot.ie/videos.htm. They include

Early Life 1. Matt's Early Life

Dark Years 2. The Dark Years

Matt's Conversion 3. Matt's Conversion

Video 04  4. Matt the Worker

Video 05  5. Death & Legacy

Each can be downloaded by clicking its link.

Matt Talbot Novena 2012 Schedule

All are invited to the 2012 Matt Talbot Novena beginning October 2 (and subsequent Tuesdays during October and November) at SS John & Paul Church, Shannon, Co. Clare.

Details are available at http://www.shannonparish.ie/2012/09/matt-talbot-novena-2012/

Belonging to a Twelve-Step Fellowship

Matt Talbot did not have the recovery option of Alcoholics Anonymous, which would not be developed for another half-century. However, former Vice-Postulator of the Cause for Canonization of Matt Talbot, Fr. Morgan Costello, has noted in his publication,"Matt Talbot: Hope for Addicts" (1987; 2001), that elements of A.A.’s twelve-steps can be identified in Matt’s alcoholism recovery. 

In his Winter, 2012, quarterly newsletter, The Twelve-Step Review, Fr. Emmerich Vogt, O.P. discusses the value of belonging to an anonymous fellowship today, not only for the addict but also for spouses, parents, children, or friends of addicts. His article, “Do I need a 12-Step Group?,” can be found at

http://www.12-step-review.org/newsltr/Winter2012Nwsltr.pdf on page 1 and 4.

Place your Petition at the Shrine of Matt Talbot

For all who would like to place a petition at the Shrine of Matt Talbot in Dublin (and are unable to do so in person), you are invited to do so online at http://www.matttalbot.ie/petitions.htm.