For most of my adult life I had a craving for alcohol. By the year 2005 I was on the brink of alcohol addiction. (Perhaps I had even crossed that point, for I was constantly thinking of my next drink.) Needless to say, this had a serious effect on my daily life.

During Pope John Paul II’s televised funeral mass, Cardinal Ratzinger (soon to become Pope Benedict XVI) spoke of the late Pope placing the prayers of his flock before the throne of God. At that moment I asked John Paul II for the grace not only of breaking the drinking habit but also of never again experiencing the craving for alcohol. That same day I realized that I had been granted this grace. The craving left me completely. What is more, I felt a strong desire to pray the rosary every day. This desire, which seems to have replaced my old craving for alcohol, has never left me. I felt as if John Paul II had placed a rosary in my hand and enjoined me to make use of it in return for grace I had been granted. To do this, I had to relearn praying the rosary, which I had neglected over the years. I approached a number of priests and asked them to teach me to pray. I searched the Internet for further guidance in this matter.

It is now almost three years since that breakthrough in my life. I know that I could never have come to this on my own. I keep alcohol in my house and offer it to my guests. I can handle the bottles, even smell the contents for quality, but I do not have the urge to consume it myself. The urge is just not there, and I marvel at this. May God continue to guide you in your good work.

 

Stan