Ever since I can remember, there was always something about Mary that drew me in. I would never share this with any non-Catholic but the truth is I’ve only recently felt drawn to God the Father and Jesus. The Holy Spirit, despite being somewhat nebulous and...
On my night table sits a small figurine of Saint Joseph sleeping. Over time, the figurine has become a symbol of safety for me. Each night before I go to sleep, I glance at it, pray, and let my heart rest. This is not how I used to feel about father figures. My...
For a long period of time in my own recovery, I found myself trapped in a “plateau” of sorts. I would fall, go to Confession, and be good for about a week. Hardly would a temptation enter my mind, then suddenly it was like a switch was flipped, and I would fall again....
The Fourth Stage of Love—Love of Self for God’s Sake The pinnacle of growth in virtuous love is rarified air, a degree of love that is truly mystical and extraordinary. It is a degree of love signifying complete union with God, and is entirely the prerogative of God...
The Second Stage of Love—Love of God for the Self’s Sake The love of God for the sake of self represents the first real movement of conversion within the sinner’s heart. The self-obsessed, narcissistic gaze in a fundamental way begins to turn outward from the egoic...
Attachment, as we have seen in previous articles (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four), is central to addiction, recovery, and spiritual growth. St. Ignatius of Loyola describes his Spiritual Exercises as “every way of preparing and disposing the soul to rid...
The following is an excerpt from The Recovery Rosary, a book offering 20 personalized meditations (one for each mystery of the Rosary) covering a variety of addictions, such as alcoholism, drug addiction, lust-related addictions, compulsive/disordered eating...
Read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. In the second part of our reflections on Saint Augustine and 12-step recovery, we examined how and why Augustine submitted himself entirely to the care of God as Augustine had come to know Him in his dramatic and grace-filled...
The following is an excerpt from The Recovery Rosary, a book offering 20 personalized meditations (one for each mystery of the Rosary) covering a variety of addictions, such as alcoholism, drug addiction, lust-related addictions, compulsive/disordered eating...
The following is an excerpt from The Recovery Rosary, a book offering 20 personalized meditations (one for each mystery of the Rosary) covering a variety of addictions, such as alcoholism, drug addiction, lust-related addictions, compulsive/disordered eating...