Today is Temperance Sunday – an annual Sunday that puts before us the tragedy of addiction and the misery it causes. As the Twelve-Step programme clarifies, one of the keys to sobriety and freedom from addiction is the spiritual and religious battle that places God and his love at the centre of our lives. Addictions happen when we try to substitute God for something less than God. The following prayer mentions F. Theobold Mathew (1790-1856) – a Capuchin friar from Tipperary whose 19th century crusade against alcohol abuse was successful.
‘Compassionate Lord and Saviour, you inspired Theobold Mathew to show your compassionate face to those addicted and burdened by the abuse of alcohol and to promote temperance. May we today, continue to serve our brothers and sisters with love and joy, to foster balance and moderation in our lifestyles with the help of God. Amen’.
Below, we have a podcast and a video about Temperance from the theoretical and the practical. The first is from the brilliant mind of St Thomas Aquinas and what he has to say about temperance and the second is a podcast interview with footballers Oisin McConville and Conn Kilpatrick as they share they story about gambling addiction.
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