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...
I chose Saint Augustine as my confirmation saint because his story offers hope of sainthood to wild men like me and because of his motto: Caritas, Veritas, Unitas (Charity, Truth, Unity). He understood these must work in harmony to build God’s kingdom. Love without...
I never imagined that God would use my theatre degree to save my life. Since I received my acting and directing training before Method Acting got its current bad reputation, I was trained in what’s called Stanislavski’s Method, which involves a number of exercises an...
This past April, I traveled to Malvern, Pennsylvania, to speak at the Catholic in Recovery Women’s Retreat. I gave my testimony on Friday night, sharing from the depths of my heart—my childhood wounds, my healing through faith and the Twelve Steps, and the...
What the Church means by “chastity of the eyes” relates to the notion of avoiding the “near occasion of sin.” And understanding the Church’s meaning behind chastity of the eyes can help all of us struggling with addictions, compulsions, or unhealthy attachments avoid...
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....
Recovery is not just about staying free from sin and addiction, it’s about rebuilding the whole person—body, mind, and soul. This happened for me by adopting spiritual strategies when I was in early recovery to deepen my faith in Christ and engage in spiritual...
When I do an Examination of Conscience, or my Daily Examen, I’m often confronted with how sinful I am. A Daily Examen is the practice of recounting our shortcomings and sins prayerfully in the presence of the Lord, asking for His forgiveness and the strength to do...
As beloved children of God, many of us in recovery are learning how to rebuild the sacred relationship we were meant to have with ourselves—one grounded in love, gentleness, and safety. For those of us familiar with Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional...
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...