“Author offers two Catholic takes on recovery” : The Catholic Sun of the Diocese of Phoenix reviews my two books

The The Catholic Sun, newspaper of the Diocese of Phoenix, AZ has written 2 reviews of my books, The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics and The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts.

Robert Curtis is the reviewer. According to the Sun’s bio of him, he is “a life-professed Lay Dominican, is the author of 17 books, holds a master’s in creative writing, teaches composition at the University of Phoenix and creative writing at Rio Salado College.”

One of my favorite passages: “Sofranko, a recovering alcoholic himself, has added one more element to the whole scheme of fighting addiction — hope. While many or even most self-help books suggest that we are the only ones capable of fixing our brokenness simply by reading the book, Sofranko elevates the place of prayer in the healing process and reminds readers of the necessity of relying on God for the grace to overcome our addictions.”

More good stuff can be found at the review, right here: Author offers two Catholic takes on recovery

(Via The Catholic Sun.)

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)

Writing After Darkness Falls

I have noticed that I seem to be more focused on writing after the sun sets. Perhaps it is because I’ve worked second shift in a day job since early 2008, but perhaps not.

Maybe there is just something about when darkness falls that enables me to actually zone in on writing more so than in the daylight. When the sun is shining (or even when it is a rainy, melancholic day like today was) I seem to prefer either reading or going outside to do things.

I suppose I should just roll with it and accept that that is what is.

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)

Amazon Reviews: The Connected Church: A Tech Guide For Church Leaders & Parishioners by Brad West

I just posted a review on Amazon for Brad West’s new book entitled:

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: The Connected Church: A Tech Guide For Church Leaders & Parishioners

(Via Amazon.)

It is, in short, an excellent primer and guide for pastors and parishioners who need such a handy tool to help decide on technology for the parish and how to use online strategies to evangelize and build an online presence.

The Connected Church

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)

On Suffering, Writing and being a Catholic Writer

One time when I was driving around I heard something on the radio about how “nothing bad ever happens to writers” because what other people call “bad” is just “material” for writers.

On other words, if something bad happens to you, use it in some writing project. Take advantage of the bad and transform it into something good.

This reminded me of how we as Catholics are supposed to view suffering: to accept them all as an opportunity to share in the sufferings of Christ on Calvary and become more closer to Him. To paraphrase Jesus in Matthew 16:24; “If you wish to be my disciple take up your Cross and follow me.”

Well, then it seems as if the best way for a Catholic to cope with the meanness of life is to be a writer (or some other artistic person). The bad things that happen to you are to be seen as necessary for your Salvation (See the “If you wish…” quote above) and as material for creative projects. There also lies the possibility of adding the command of “preach the Gospel to all Nations.” Use your suffering to unite with Christ and for material for projects and to show how this is the Gospel in action.

This doesn’t mean preaching literally the Gospel, but to paraphrase something originally attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel, if necessary, use fiction.”

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)

Welcome to this Journey

Welcome to “Paul Sofranko Dot Net”, my “Home on the Web”. It isn’t my first one in the blogosphere outside of my regular sobriety and spirituality blogs, but this will be it, for whatever it’s worth! I have tried this twice before, but abandoned them after a short while. Such are things.

I am a Catholic writer, meaning that I write in a Catholic-frame-of-mind. My stuff may not be overtly Catholic, but there hopefully should be a Catholic feel and sensibility to it.

My name is Paul Sofranko (hence the blog’s name, catchy, eh?), and I am also a sober alcoholic. I have other blogs devoted to sobriety: Sober Catholic and The Four Last Things. This place is to be a site where I can write and post things that are not applicable to those blogs.

“This journey,” as per the title of this initial post, is just my “primary” online venture, a recording and repository of creative efforts, meditations, musings and meanderings. Snippets of writing and poetry may appear here. I have an avocation to write (fiction and freelance) and this may be a sounding board. “Primary,” inasmuch as my fiction, poetry, freelance and overall ramblings will be general in nature, not subject to the focus that my older blogs have.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Until later. 🙂

NOTE: All of the posts in August 2012 on Paul Sofranko Dot Net will be reposts from an earlier attempt at a general writing blog. New material will start appearing in September. These first few days are just “moving in” and “setting up”.

Are you a creative Catholic? ""Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics," is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone who is an alcoholic or addict? "The Sober Catholic Way" helps Catholics by describing the many ways in which their faith can assist in maintaining sobriety, and is a basic handbook on how anyone can live a sober life. . (Thank you!!)