Lets Ask Bill W.

(co-founder of A.A.)

Can the Twelve Steps be compared to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius?

Answer:

In 1941, I visited St. Louis and Father Ed Dowling met me at the field. This was a blistering day and he had come to bring me to the (Jesuit) Sodality Headquarters. I was struck by the delightful informality. Of course I had never been to such a place before. I had been raised in a small Vermont village, Yankee style. Happily there was no bigotry in my grandfather who raised me but neither was there much religious contact or understanding. So here I was in some kind of a monastery. Even then, believe it or not, I still toyed with the notion that Catholicism was somehow a superstition of the Irish!

Then Father Ed and his Jesuit partners commenced to ask me questions. They wanted to know about the recently published A.A. book and especially about AA's Twelve Steps. To my surprise they had supposed that I must have had a Catholic education. They seemed doubly surprised when I informed them that at the age of eleven I had quit the Congregational Sunday School because my teacher had asked me to sign a temperance pledge. This had been the extent of my religious education.

More questions were asked about AA's Twelve Steps. I explained how a few years earlier some of us had been associated with the Oxford Groups; that we had picked up from these good people the ideas of self-survey, confession, restitution, helpfulness to others and prayer, ideas that we might have got in many other quarters as well. After our withdrawal from the Oxford Groups, these principles and attitudes had been formed into a word-of-mouth program, to which we had added a step of our own to the effect "that we were powerless over alcohol." Our Twelve Steps were the result of my effort to define more sharply and elaborate upon these word-of-mouth principles so that the alcoholic readers would have a more specific program: that there could be no escape from what we deemed to be the essential principles and attitudes. This had been my sole idea in their composition. This enlarged version of our program had been set down rather quickly - perhaps in twenty or thirty minutes - on a night when I had been very badly out of sorts. Why the Steps were written down in the order in which they appear today and just why they were worded as they are, I have no idea.

Following this explanation of mine, my new Jesuit friends pointed to a chart that hung on the wall. They explained that this was a comparison between the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, that, in principle, this correspondence was amazingly exact. I believe they also made the somewhat startling statement that spiritual principles set forth in our Twelve Steps appear in the same order that they do in the Ignatius Exercises.

In my abysmal ignorance, I actually inquired, "Please tell me - who is this fellow Ignatius?"

While of course the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous contain nothing new, there seems no doubt that this singular and exact identification with the Ignatius Exercises has done much to make the close and fruitful relation that we now enjoy with the Church. (The 'Blue Book', Vol.12, 1960)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

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An E-Mail from Ireland

An email from Ireland to all of their brethren in the States...a point to ponder despite your political affiliation:

'We, in Ireland , can't figure out why you people are even bothering to hold an election in the United States .

On one side, you had a pants wearing female lawyer, married to another lawyer who can't seem to keep his pants on, who just lost a long and heated primary against a lawyer, who goes to the wrong church, who is married to yet another lawyer, who doesn't even like the country her husband wants to run !

Now...On the other side, you have a nice old war hero whose name starts with the appropriate 'Mc' terminology, married to a good looking younger woman who owns a beer distributorship !!

What in God's name are ya lads thinkin over in the colonies !

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Ever have one of those days? I had one last Sunday, but after making some decisions, and actually acting on them, I was able to let loose of the guys arm!

Not to worry - I always have help........

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And Uncle Jim is sending me a new friend. How wonderful!

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Catholic Carnival Time

Don't forget Catholic Carnival. I have a permanent link/widget on my sidebar that automatically changes each week. What will they think of next?

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Feast

of

St. Martha

Don’t be too easily convinced that God really wants you to do all sorts of work you needn’t do. Each must do his duty “in that state of life to which God has called him.” Remember that a belief in the virtues of doing for doing’s sake is characteristically feminine, characteristically American, and characteristically modern: so that three veils may divide you from the correct view! There can be intemperance in work just as in drink. What feels like zeal may be only fidgets or even the flattering of one’s self importance...By doing what “one’s station and its duties” does not demand, one can make oneself less fit for the duties it does demand and so commit some injustice. Just you give Mary a little chance as well as Martha.

C. S. Lewis

Letters to an American Lady

Today is my

A.A. Birthday

Sobriety date: July 25, 1990

Through the grace of God I'm celebrating 18 years of not drinking.

I'm still working on being sober.

Is A.A. a Cult?

My friend Adoro on my post concerning dry drunks posted this comment. It raised some very valid concerns about the actual program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Paul over at Sober Catholic has also raised the same issues.

First lets hear what Adoro has to say:

Thanks for the definition in terms. Whenever I've seen the phrase "dry drunk" I actually thought it applied to people I've met that I don't recall actually fit the criteria. The people in question were recovering alcoholics, but they were unbearable about it. They were so on the wagon that any reference to any desire by anyone for a drink containing alcohol must mean that the person making the comment MUST be an alcoholic.

The "dry drunk" (in my understanding) was basically an obsessive-compulsive switching from one addiction to another...the first being alcoholism, the other extreme...anti-alcohol to a fault. There was no source other than the 12 steps; it ate up all his time and conversation, there was nothing else in this world, and basically, the attitude was that EVERYONE is an alcoholic.

My Dad was an alcoholic, and the one time I remember having to go to Al-anon or whatever we had to go to, it was so cultic and so like THAT that it's turned me off forever to that particular group. I've also seen it since then so these aren't just observations from childhood. So...maybe it's a different phenomenon? Or part of the same thing? Someone gets sober and suddenly switches gears and it becomes a pyramid organization?

When I worked in probation (as a volunteer) I worked with a lot of DUI convicts. They were required to go to AA or some other, and AA was the top recommendation. Some of them came to me to say they didn't like the AA program and asked if, instead they could go to the group through their church or some alternative, and they cited the "cult-like" atmosphere. I realize not all groups are "cult-like" but the attitude seems so widespread. We did let the probationers seek other programs, certainly (and I suspect that some of them WERE AA but just being held through their church maybe by a different name...) lol

One of the things I stressed about the Twelve Steps of Alcoholic’s Anonymous was the universality of the program. It can be applied to any area of our lives in which we are experiencing problems. I also have stressed that it is an aid to our spiritual life and not a substitute for the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is really no different than using Ignatian or Dominican spirituality as a means to improve our conscience contact with God.

What I have avoided talking about is the absolute need to go to A.A., O.A., or N.A. meetings. Having grown up in an A.A. household, I have been well acquainted with the program since about the age of nine. Over the years I have seen the program, when left unchecked, morph into something the founders never intended.

We have to read authentic A.A. literature just as we read the Bible, keeping in mind the intent of the authors and the audience to whom they were writing. The founders of A.A. were offshoots of the Oxford Group, a religious group that had the seeds of the Twelve Steps. The basis of the A.A. program was spiritual. There were many ministers and priests involved in the early years, and these people and the early members understood the program was founded on spiritual principles.

Let’s fast-forward from 1936 to 2008. We now live in a society that has embraced what I will give a blanket title of New Age. Under this umbrella is the cult of the individual, Phenomenology, Gnosticism, Pantheism, and any other ism’s you can dream up. People caught up in these movements will interpret what they read and hear through their own filter.

Because of this, you will see people make A.A. their world, rather than experiencing the program as a way to live in the world. More and more I see people who do not operate well outside the program. The meetings have become their social outlet and most, if not all, of their friends are in the program. Some become obsessed and see a drunk around every corner. If they become a sponsor to a new member, their tendency is to smother and dominate the newbie – hence the cult like feeling that Adoro mentioned.

The majority of the people who have most skewed the program don’t go to church. They have made A.A. their church. This was never the intent of the founders.

Just as we have “cafeteria” Catholics, we also have “cafeteria” A.A. members. Rather than learn what the founders intended, they “hear” the steps any old way they want. This in no way negates the wisdom contained in the steps anymore than a poorly formed Catholic negates the doctrines of Holy Mother Church.

…proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers
and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 2- 5

For those interested: An A.A. History Timeline

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Dear Blog,

Good morning. I'll be back later. Promise..........................


St Francis guards the garden

The Clematis are starting to bloom....


In a few more days they will completely cover the ceiling of our dining area on the back deck.

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Dear Blog,

I know you're lonely without my constant presence. The demands of the gardens are keeping us apart. In an effort to make myself more productive, better organized, and to help with my bad habit of procrastination, I'm re-reading The Now Habit. I promise to be with you in a more significant way tomorrow.

The Daylilies

are

Blooming

Part of the Cutting Garden

The Real Difference Between Men and Women

Doing Stuff vs Projects

Women just "do stuff." Men have projects. This is Harold's sidewalk project leading into Mary's Garden. Harold's project led me to "do stuff." I murdered all the grass on the outside of Mary's garden on the west side. The area will be mounded and covered in bark. It is in this way that I keep Harold busy with projects and off the streets.

Harold's pending project due to Her Highness the Dreamer Up of Projects. The "kill area" wends its merry way in a serpentine line around all the trees. It will be mounded slightly and covered in bark. Lavender will be the only plantings. Harold is sooooooooooo happy!

Here's Harold right now working on another "project." He has a real thing about dead iris blooms and must run around and clip off all gazillion on them. Cute legs, huh?

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I have made it a habit to print out and keep items on the internet I find particularly illuminating. When I last visited Father John Speekman, he had a wonderful post on today's Gospel reading of the Sower and the Seed. Stopping back today after Mass this morning to make my copy, this is what I encountered. Due to my horrendously long work days in the blazing sun I am still operating on "I Can't Brain Today". But I found these questions so easy to answer that even being in the state of "Having the Dumb" didn't pose a problem.

This is what Father John has requested:

A Eweewe is closely related to a Meme which gives you a chance to tell others about you. A Eweewe (pronounced you you and, according to an ancient tradition, sometimes written as Yuyu or even Uu) gives others a chance to tell you about you. Now that's simple enough, isn't it? And so worth doing!

I tag Mark from Dominican Idaho

Therese from Aussie Coffee Shop

Adrienne from Adrienne's Catholic Corner

Answer the following questions:

In a few words, explain why you find me so attractive as a human being.
Name two things you admire about me.
Name two more.

Place a tick if you agree:

• I am dynamic
• witty
• fun to be with
• cool

Say something nice about me.

If you wish to tag someone with this Eweewe, please remember it is 'non-transferable'. In other words, it always has to be about me, not about you or anyone else. OK? Good. Now go for it. Enjoy! And remember always to send me a copy.

My response to Father John:

I don't remember by which path I stumbled onto your blog. Just one day - there it was. I remember how strongly I felt when I looked at your picture. You look so happy and kind, and I knew I would like to know you better. Then I read every one of your posts and knew I was right about my first impression.

I admire most your kindness and humor. It also seems that you are gentle but no "pushover."

You are definitely dynamic, witty, and very cool. I'll have to take Therese of Aussie Coffee Shops word for the "fun to be with part", as I haven't exactly been with you except in spirit - and that's pretty darn fun!

The nicest thing I could possibly say about any priest is that I wish he were my pastor. The blogosphere gives us a way to connect with people like you who lift us up and gently guide us when we are feeling lost. A visit to your blog always does that for me.

I tag the usual suspects (and people I am sure will say reasonably nice things about me - Tony (Soprano) doesn't have a fool for a friend):

Tom in Vegas of the ridiculously long and un-spellable blog name

Terry of Abbey Roads (now that should be interesting!)

Mary Rose of True Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter

I wish I could just tag everyone 'cause hardly anyone says nice things about me..........sigh, boo hoo. I'm such a baby!!!

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* * * *

The 12 Steps for Catholics

Dry Drunk

Terry asked what a dry drunk was and before I had a chance to post on the subject, he sent me a nice link. I already had that site bookmarked, which proves that great minds think alike, or some such thing. Here is what this Christian Recovery Site has to say about being a dry drunk:

Definition: A colloquial term generally used to describe someone who has stopped drinking, but who still demonstrates the same alcoholic behaviors and attitudes.

Also Known As: Dry, Not Sober

Examples: His behavior hasn't changed at all, he acts like a dry drunk.What is the dry drunk syndrome? "Dry drunk" traits consist of:

1. Exaggerated self-importance and pomposity
2. Grandiose behavior
3. A rigid, judgmental outlook
4. Impatience
5. Childish behavior
6. Irresponsible behavior
7. Irrational rationalization
8. Projection
9. Overreaction

I also know, as Simple Sinner (of the beautiful dogs) has pointed out, that it is very popular to refer to our President as a dry drunk. (Ooooops - that was Terry who mentioned that.) I can't say this any stronger than this; It is not our place to decide who may or may not be an alcoholic, a "dry drunk", or even a bad Catholic. We can have very strong suspicions, but we best keep those to ourselves. Besides, it takes one to know one and a so-called "normie" is not the best judge of who is or isn't anything when it comes to addictions.

As an alcoholic, I see my own behavior when I look at that list - both when I was drinking and after I quit. You see, I stopped drinking so I could get "sober" by working on those defects of character listed above.

Take a moment and mentally run through a good examination of conscience. You will find the same things, most, if not all, rooted in the sin of pride. Do I have a "special" set of defects because I am a drunk? Absolutely not. But I had to stop drinking to address my sinful behavior. While drunk, you tend to think you're rather special. That's part of the problem.

The person who gets labeled a dry drunk is one who is not making any attempt to "work the Steps" of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a lapsed Catholic, or even a Protestant, who does not return to his church and allow the Word of God to transform him. A.A. was founded on spiritual principles, and the Twelve Steps are a great help in leading us back to our religious roots. The founders of A.A. knew this and stressed the importance of God in our lives.

Here are some destructive patterns and actions that can result from dry drunk thinking:

1. We become restless and irritable and discontent.
2. We become bored, dissatisfied, and easily distracted from productive tasks.
3. Our emotions and feelings get listless and dull, nothing excites us anymore.
4. We start to engage in the euphoric recall that is yearning for the good old days of active using and for getting the pain and shame of use.
5. We start to engage in magical thinking and we get unrealistic and fanciful expectations and dreams.
6. The last thing we want is to be engaged in introspection to improve ourselves.
7. We start to become unfulfilled and have the feeling that nothing will ever satisfy our yearning or fill the hole in the soul.

Looking back at the list of attitudes and thought distortions listed above, it is easy to see how the dry drunk syndrome is simply nothing more then reverting back to the way it was when we were active in our use. If you are starting to notice some of the attitudes discussed here creeping back into your life, it is time to start paying attention to the possibility of relapse, and start turning your life in sobriety and recovery around. The dry drunk syndrome is a bright red flashing warning sign for relapse. Excerpt from Addiction Recovery Basics

Those destructive patterns are likely to emerge in anyone who has neglected their spiritual life. We'll talk more about that as we move on to Steps 12 and 13

* * * *

Off to Mow

See you in three acres.......

* * *

Catholic Carnival

Catholic Carnival

This is my first time hosting Catholic Carnival. Please email me if any of the links are not working. Have fun and visit all these wonderful blogs and let them know you appreciate their participation.

Not in My Neighborhood from Apostolate of the LaityBlog tells us why the love of Jesus is everlasting. One never loses that. Yet if one chooses to send Him away, He will give one the space desired. Sent to us by David Jackson


Soul Pockets (don't you just love that name!!), presents Invite God to The Party posted at Soul Pockets. This lovely lady is a stay at home mom of 4 children and I really enjoyed her blog. Well done, Soul!

Kevin Miller from HMS blog (Heart, Mind, and Strength) sent us Freedom , a reflection on the Mass readings for Sunday 7/6, as they relate to America’s observance of Independence Day weekend. Kevin is Assistant Professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and shares this wonderful blog with a group of seriously lettered folks.

Philly Catholic Spirituality drawing from the ongoing series on Catholic spirituality in the Catholic Standard & Times, the Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia brings us Imprudent Lights. telling us why electric candles are spiritually unsatisfying substitutes for the real things. Thanks Michelle.

Book Reviews and More sent us Beyond the Valley of Thorns by Patrick Carman A book in the middle of a series that should be great fun to read for the whole family.

Knee High at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering. Independence Day always makes me look around at the corn fields and think about how high the corn is. Thanks Sarah (Corn seems to be on lots of folks mind this time of year.

Jason presents 1535: Thomas More, the king's good servant but God's first posted at Executed Today.

AdmirableIndia.com presents Bangalore to Mysore on Bike: Day 2: Part 2: St. Philomena?s Church, Shri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens or Mysore Zoo posted at AdmirableIndia.com.

Fred sent us GS: East Coast Summer Vacation 2008 posted at Is It Possible?. A guest post by Sophie who was on vacation in the Adirondacks: The theme of the 2008 Gioventù Studentesca (high school students) East Coast Summer Vacation was: You Shall Know the Truth and the Truth Shall Set You Free. Christopher Bacich led the vacation, and he started out with a question: "Are you free?"

RoseSS presents My Newest Online Store. THOUSANDS of products! posted at Rose's Artistic Impressions. "This article is about my new Catholic Storefront with CafePress...I am also working on a Storefront to raise money to help the poor and homeless. It is in the early stages right now, but I will submit more about that late. God bless. "

RoseSS also sent us Ways to Shelter The Homeless posted at God's Merciful Love. I am working through all the 14 "Works of Mercy" (7 Corporal & 7 Spiritual) and coming up with concrete ways that we can live these out in our day to day lives...I am looking for readers to share their ideas also.


Lyn Francisco presents Organ-ic Chemist: It's Reality TV ... for priests ... posted at Organ-ic Chemist. This post is about the "Prêtres Academy," which is in the style of a reality TV show. It follows the daily lives of three priests in the Diocese of Besançon in France. If done right, I believe this would be a great tool to help encourage vocations to the priesthood. The videos and such are in French, so it might be difficult for non-Francophones to understand.

ChristianPF presents The parable of the talents posted at Christian Money and Finances. This famous parable that Jesus used has a lot to teach us about our money if we let it.

Ignorant Redneck presents Ignorant Redneck Rants: An Open Letter to the American Bishops posted at Ignorant Redneck Rants. To quote IRR, "harsh, but it sums up what bothers me most about being Catholic."

Aggie Catholics (aka - Mary's Aggies)brings us Sally Quinn on Tim Russert, an examination of non-Catholic religion reporter Sally Quinn taking communion at the funeral of Tim Russert and her poor attempt at defending her actions. This is St. Mary's Catholic Center's (at Texas A&M) pastoral team's blog. Marcel LeJeune, a lay Catholic speaker and evangelist, writes for this sharp blog. Check out their Top Ten Questions.

Family Matters

Elena presents How new insurance policies will clash with Catholic teaching for Catholic couples. posted at My Domestic Church. Why the treatment of women in childbirth should be the next social justice issue for American Catholics. I was pretty shocked when I read this and I think you will be too. This sort of thing affects all of society.

Ebeth over at A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars challenges us to take the quiz Is your home a Catholic Home? Just take the quiz and see how you stack up! (I stacked up pretty darn good!) I particularly like Ebeth cause she sends hugs and I love getting hugs. Thanks Ebeth - hugs to you, too!

Jane Marcoux presents Adoption and Baptism posted at Building the Ark. This is an explanation of the way the sacrament of Baptism is celebrated when in a situation, like international adoption for example, where there is no official record or certainty of Baptism.

Heidi Saxton presents Same-Sex Parenting: A Preferred Alternative? posted at Mommy Monsters Inc.. When you think that hundreds of thousands of American children are languishing in group homes or substandard foster care "ghettos," is it really such a bad thing to allow gay and lesbian couples take them? This article explains why the answer must be an emphatic ... YES.

John presents Father-Son Bonding Time posted at Harrowed Parent. The importance of spending time with your family. A must read for all you Dads out there!

Submit an Article to Catholic Carnival

Blog carnivals are always looking for great blog articles, and there is a carnival for almost every topic. Are you a blogger? Joining the community of contributors is a great way to get more readers to your blog.

Submit your Catholic post here. It's easy and it's fun!

Jay over at Living Catholicism does a great job keeping Catholic Carnival up and running. This link takes you to the "all about Catholic Carnival" page. Read about it and consider hosting one yourself. I found it to be fun and not near as time consuming as I feared it might be.

* * * *

The Old Me

Day seven





and





no one





has





died





yet.........





including me

* * * *

Update for all the commenters: Try: Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Stop Smoking

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Catholic Carnival

Tuesday, July 8th

Hosted by

Adrienne's Catholic Corner

Still time to submit an entry.

* * * *

Happy Independence Day

* * * * *

Too Hot to Think

Before anyone calls me a wuss, let me remind you that we DO NOT have air conditioning.

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Catholic Carnival will be hosted here on July 8th. I'm already getting submissions. Read about Catholic Carnival and submit an article.

..........................and a bird pooped on my chaise. Errrrrrrk!

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