The following was posted on FACEBOOK
(06/07/16) from Saint Thomas More Catholic Church, Lynchburg,
Virginia.
Venerable Matt Talbot of Dublin (1856-1925) was, sadly, the
stereotype of the Irish Drunk. An unskilled labourer from a poor family, he
would beg and borrow his way to the next drink. But perhaps not so sad in the end.
Some years before Bill W
was inspired to formulate the 12 steps of AA with Dr Bob, a man in Ireland,
notoriously addicted to alcohol, began to live them. In a most grace-filled way,
Matt Talbot the drunk became Matt Talbot the servant of drunks. He acknowledge
his disease, recognized in God his only hope for recovery, set about making
amends to those he had offended and hurt, and worked tirelessly to bring his
drinking buddies to sobriety.
A faithful Catholic, he died on his way to church. He is a
shining example of the meaning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (to Whom the month
of June is dedicated) burning in love for all...even, well maybe especially,
drunks, addicts, all those not living one day at a time in His
care....
Years later Bill W would write, "we admitted that we were
powerless over alcohol, and that our lives had become unmanageable, we came
to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity, we
made a conscious decision to turn ourselves over to the care of God, as we
understood Him...." Matt Talbot knew he couldn't do it, God could, and he let
Him.
Now on the path to canonization,
he is God's shout out today to all those still in some substance's grip...be
held by God instead!
Happy feast day Matthew! Sainthood Soon! All your fellow
drunks, in and out of recovery...ask your
prayers!