Wednesday, August 28, 2013

"Our hearts are restless..."

[One of the many spiritual books that Matt Talbot read in sobriety was Confessions by St. Augustine, and Matt could certainly relate to the quoted first sentence below. 
Based on this book we learn about his mother, St Monica, who is frequently listed as a patron for alcoholics.]

GuestHouse Blog
 August 28, 2013

“You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”  This famous line from the pen of Augustine resonates in the heart of everyone, maybe most especially in the heart of those of us in recovery.

Augustine led a dissolute life before his conversion to Christianity.  His life story in his “Confessions” bespeaks many of our own errant ways before getting into sobriety.  It was only through the insistent prayer of Augustine’s mother, Monica, that he received the grace to turn his life around.  How many of us had the same kind of mother who fretted over us, who expressed alarm at our waywardness and yet kept hope through prayer that we would “turn around.”  I credit my own mother, Lord rest her soul, who interceded mightily for me after her death.

Yet now we realize that God and His Spirit was with us all the time, even in our darkest days and nights.  We can now say, as Augustine did, “late have I loved You, O Beauty both so ancient and so new!  And behold You were with me all the time.”

Today we make our own the Psalm of David, Ps 139:

You have searched me and you know me, Lord
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
From Your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
If I sink to the nether world, You are present there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall guide me,
And Your right hand hold me fast.
If I say, surely the darkness shall hide me,
And night shall be my light –
For You darkness itself is not dark,
And night shines as the day.
You have searched me and You know me, Lord.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

An Older Image of Venerable Matt Talbot


This image of Matt Talbot appeared in the print edition of Our Sunday Visitor, June 3, 2001, page 10, as a sidebar to the article, "A patron for the battle against the bottle."



Sunday, August 11, 2013

Historical Development of Matt Talbot's Cause



The interesting website at http://newsaints.faithweb.com/about_us.htm is the result of years of research and collaboration between the members of the Hagiography Circle with the Congregation of the Causes of Saints and the petitioners of beatification and canonization causes from the time of the French Revolution (1789) to today, including up-to-date news at http://newsaints.faithweb.com/index.htm.


Below is the listing for Venerable Matthew Talbot (http://newsaints.faithweb.com/year/1925.htm). The definition of each entry is available at http://newsaints.faithweb.com/databases.htm:


07 June in Dublin (Ireland)    

MATTHEW (MATT) TALBOT                                                                                       
 layperson of the archdiocese of Dublin;                               
  member, Secular Franciscans                                                 
born: 02 May 1856 in Dublin (Ireland) The                     
                
diocese of competent bishop: Dublin                                   
CCS protocol number: 101                                                    
type of cause: heroic virtues                                                    
       
opening of informative process: 06 November 1931           
closing of informative process: 1934
decree on writings: 27 November 1937
 introduction of cause: 28 February 1947
 decree “non-cultu”: 04 April 1948
 opening of apostolic process: 1948
 closing of apostolic process: 1953
 decree on validity of informative and apostolic processes: 19 February
   1963
 commission of CCS officials and consultants: 25 March 1975
 session of cardinal and bishop members of the CCS: 13 May 1975
 promulgation of decree on heroic virtues: 03 October 1975
       
 postulator: Mons. Liam Bergin
 petitioner: Archdiocese of Dublin, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 IRELAND
 website: www.matttalbot.ie

                     
                
  

Saturday, August 10, 2013

A Reconstructed Composite Image of Matt Talbot

The top image of Matt Talbot is the frontispiece in the 1977 edition of Matt Talbot and His Times by Mary Purcell.  As she notes in pages 1-3, it is a reconstructed composite of different angle shots of the original (and only) photograph of Matt.