Hitting rock bottom and meeting the risen Christ in the Eucharist

The venerable, Matt Talbot (1856-1925) came to be known as a holy man after his death in 1925.  (My late mother told me that she remembered, as a child, when her father read out a piece from the daily newspaper that a man had been found dead in a laneway in Dublin with chains on his body).

Matt transitioned from severe alcoholism at a very young age to living a holy life entirely devoted to prayer, daily Mass, long hours before the Blessed Sacrament, frequent confession and work. He admitted that from the time of his early teens to his late twenties, each day revolved around thoughts of how to obtain alcohol.

One account of his turning point at the rock bottom of his life at the age of 28 is as follows (The Eucharistic Devotion of Venerable Matt Talbot):

As Matt lay there, he had hit rock bottom. As he turned to God, he begged for the grace to overcome his addiction. As the faithful began to arrive for the early morning Mass, they were disgusted to see a drunk lying on the church doorsteps. What they did not realize was the miracle of grace taking place.

An interesting feature of his life was his ascetical practices inspired by the lives of the early Irish monks and saints which included prayer, fasting and manual work.  Talbot was also influenced by his spiritual reading with the help and guidance of a priest spiritual director.  Matt worked his way through scripture, the lives of the saints and the writings of Saint Augustine and Francis de Sales.  Although he had minimal schooling he taught himself and persevered. 

Today, many people suffer from  a wide variety of addictions related to substances, very harmful and addictive behavioural patterns as well as associated mental health challenges. I suggest that the life and witness of Matt Talbot can provide help and inspiration. As Matt was reputed to have said:

Never be too hard on the man who can’t give up drink. It’s as hard to give up the drink as it is to raise the dead to life again. But both are possible and even easy for Our Lord. We have only to depend on him. 

Matt trusted in the power and grace of his crucified and risen Lord working and communicating his grace through the Mass and the sacraments. But, he had to say 'yes' when he was on the ground.

Postscript

I came across the following in the book, Matt Talbot and his times, by Mary Purcell (pp 185-6):

In June 1975 on the fiftieth anniversary of Matt’s death, Father Morgan Costelloe, Vice-Postulator of Matt Talbot’s Cause, addressed the annual Conference of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU):

Trade Unions are justly proud of members who distinguish themselves in politics, in business, or in industry, but your Union is unique. You have a former member who is a candidate for the Church’s accolade of sainthood. If Rome decides to declare a new workman-saint in the near future, it will be a great honour for Ireland, but it will be a particularly great honour for the I.T.G.W.U. You supported Matt Talbot when he was desperately poor in 1913 and again in 1923-24. He deserves your support yet again and, since you supported many good causes in the past, I appeal to you to officially support his Cause on this, the Golden Jubilee of his death.

Father Costelloe’s appeal was not made in vain. At the conclusion of the Conference the delegates sent the following telegram to the Holy See:

On the occasion of the annual Conference of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union, and on behalf of 400 delegates representing 150,000 members, we respectfully request the Holy See to expedite the beatification of our former member, the Servant of God, Matt Talbot.

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[May the petitions of the ITGWU - or SIPTU as it is today - be heard in the courts of heaven if not in Rome! This would be first step towards the canonisation of an Irish trade unionist.] 

Matt Talbot Bridge memorial in Dublin with the IFSC in the background.