“In place of the visio Dei, Christ has a visio mortis as he contemplates the repulsive horror and self-isolation of sin’s selfishness.”—Alyssa Pitstick, summary, Balthasar’s Mysterium Paschale, First Things At the age of nearly 96, I look back on more than 80 years of...
What do Saint Augustine and addiction recovery have in common? It turns out, quite a lot. Augustine, now recognized as one of the most influential people on Western thought, went through a tremendous struggle before he became the “saint” we think of today. This...
“Then one of the scribes…asked Jesus, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,...
One of the more memorable characteristics of the therapists I had when I was a client at The Ranch was his uncanny ability to tell you exactly what you needed to hear. Many of the men who were in the Sexual Recovery Program (SRP) were there because they realized they...
When I first started attending secular 12-step meetings for the loved ones of lust addicts, I noticed that the facilitator of each meeting made sure to read information about the Seventh Tradition, which usually sounded something like this: “Our Seventh Tradition...
One of the most challenging directives in Scripture is when Jesus says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). A simple review of the 10 Commandments convinces me that I break many of them daily. Without the presence of...
In our journey of recovery, Step 1—“We admitted we were powerless over the effects of living with alcoholism and that our lives had become unmanageable”—stands as a beacon of self-awareness and courage for adult children of dysfunctional homes. Drawing wisdom from the...
Step Five: “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” My journey into a lasting and more abundant sober life coincided with my diving deeper into my Catholic faith. I had been in, out of, and around AA for 14 years. But...
Feebly I bowed my head Arriving at the edge of the cliff I breathed in despair Exhaled despondency Floating numbly I slipped Surrendering into the abyss Somehow I heard Your whispering To me "Finally"...as Your heart Gently secured my frozen soul Took away all...