Rule 1 of St. Ignatius’ “rules of discernment” stands alone in many ways, describing the experience of one who is moving in the wrong direction, away from God, and towards vice and sin. In a modern sense, this first rule also describes those of us who are diving into...
Saints—On Earth & in Heaven
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Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry So Much!
May 17, 2024 | General, Getting Sober, Help from the Saints, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven | 0 Comments
Notice in reading the Gospels that whenever Jesus is facing something difficult, He prays. In one of His most human moments, Jesus struggles in agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Before his arrest, He endures a night of extreme stress that we cannot imagine. He even...
The Power of Surrender for Adult Children: Insights from Saint Joseph & Saint Thérèse for Step 1
Jan 4, 2024 | Adult Children of an Alcoholic, First Step, Help from the Saints, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven | 0 Comments
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...
Embracing Boundaries: Lessons from Saint Thérèse of Lisieux for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Homes
Oct 4, 2023 | Adult Children of an Alcoholic, Help from the Saints, Loved One of an Addict, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven | 0 Comments
For Adult Children of Dysfunctional Homes, the journey of healing is often paved with the need to establish and maintain healthy boundaries. These boundaries are not merely about self-preservation; they are about fostering an environment where love, compassion, and...
The Other Side of Hunger: Saint Maximilian Kolbe for Food Addicts
Aug 30, 2023 | Compulsive Eating Behaviors, Help from the Saints, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven | 0 Comments
Before entering recovery for my eating disorder, hunger was the enemy. I chased after diets that promised, “You’ll never feel hungry!” When those diets didn’t work, I did all I could to avoid ever feeling that grumble and its accompanying pangs. The times I would feel...
There’s Something About Mary: How the Blessed Mother Is Leading Me Back to the Church
Jul 12, 2023 | God, Help from the Saints, Personal Testimonies, Personal Testimony, Pornography & Sexual Addiction, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven, Sex/Pornography, The Blessed Mother | 0 Comments
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...
Dante and Recovery Part 3: Vice, Virtue, and Character Defects (Cont.)
Mar 15, 2023 | General, Help from the Saints, Pornography & Sexual Addiction, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven, Sex/Pornography, The Blessed Mother | 0 Comments
In the previous article, we journeyed with Dante from the first terrace of Mt. Purgatory to the fourth, covering the sins or character defects of pride, envy, wrath, and sloth. Dante sees firsthand how the souls are purified from their attachments to particular sins...
Seeing the Church as Our Loving Mother
Jun 29, 2022 | Help from the Saints, Prayer & Scripture Reflections, Sacraments, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven, Scripture Reflection, Spiritual Tools, The Blessed Mother | 0 Comments
A few weeks ago, my wife and I were talking about the messiness of my relationship with my mom, and a video I had recently watched online popped into my head. The video began with sentimental background music and captions explaining the circumstances of a family: the...
How We Can Be “Full of Grace” Like Mary
May 18, 2022 | Help from the Saints, Prayer, Prayer & Scripture Reflections, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven, Spiritual Tools, The Blessed Mother, Third Step | 0 Comments
One of the practices that I like to do when I pray is to repeat the words slowly so I can contemplate each one. As I pray for my children to have a gentle mother, I have been drawn to the phrase “full of grace” in the Hail Mary. To be full of grace means there is no...
Arming Ourselves for Spiritual Warfare: Critical Weapons to Combat Evil and Maintain Recovery
Apr 27, 2022 | Help from the Saints, Prayer, Prayer & Scripture Reflections, Sacraments, Saints—On Earth & in Heaven, Spiritual Tools, The Blessed Mother, The Sacraments | 0 Comments
We are fallen but redeemed by Jesus. He wants to claim what’s His: our souls. However, the spiritual war between Christ and the devil for our souls never stops raging in this life. Therefore, similar to physical warfare, we must arm ourselves with weapons to defeat...