ComeAside.com

"Prayer makes it possible for us to walk with Jesus. Here in His presence we will find joy, peace and love that we desperately seek."

James Lawrence of ComeAside.com holds degrees in philosophy and theology. He has been a college professor and an RCIA program instructor. His inspiring website, ComeAside.com, is helping many find peace and joy through developing a Catholic prayer life.

Please explain the meaning of the name you chose for your site.

The name ComeAside is an invitation for each person to have Quiet Time with Jesus.

How do daily Catholic prayers bring joy, peace and love?

Prayer makes it possible for us to walk with Jesus. Here in His presence we will find joy, peace and love that we desperately seek.

How do you frame your day around prayer?

Let me begin by saying, that I often find it difficult to pray, but once I start it is much easier. For this reason it helps to make a Prayer Plan.

A suggested Prayer Plan looks like this...

In the morning rise 20 minutes early and say Morning Prayers; include Devotion to Sacred Heart, Holy Spirit, Consecration to Mary and short passage from Bible.

Anytime during day say the Rosary.

In the evening pray Night Prayers and read from a spiritual book such as Imitation of Christ. Try to have short conversations with Jesus (be aware of His presence) - this conversation could be about anything but should include asking for advice, giving praise, thanks and words of love.

Has praying the Rosary brought peace and serenity to your life?

If I miss saying the Rosary someone seems to be missing...and I know Who it is: Jesus.

Did your own life experiences lead you to starting ComeAside.com

I started Comeaside.com because my world was coming apart and I felt far from God.

For some unexplained reason I visited St. Patrick's Church in Toronto. I attended devotions there as a university student and was happy. I believe Mary, the Mother of Jesus, moved me to pray to her Son. This led me to write, Lumen Christi, an e-book which can be freely downloaded from our site.

Then in 2005 we built Comeaside.com. I had a small computer company and the site. It is like keeping a journal. It is my way of connecting to God. (A more complete explanation is found on the Welcome page.)

Just about everyone's life has been touched by addiction whether it be a cross they are bearing personally or through somebody they love. We see this topic come up often in our Rosary Prayer Request forum as well as our Inspirational Stories about the Rosary forum. Please talk a little about addiction in general.

I have given considerable time studying Addiction. My father was a brilliant man, but at times a serious alcoholic.

After he was discharged from the Canadian army, his alcoholism became much worse.

AA helped him for a short time, but then the drinking got much worse. He was a lovable person when sober, but a frightening one when he was drinking. One day while drunk, he burned the house down and shortly afterwards killed himself.

I constantly questioned, "Why does a good person continue their addiction, when they can see how much they hurt others." The books of Dr. Patrick Carnes, an American psychologist, were a great help.

With his insights I have discussed this subject on ComeAside.com and given a 12 step Catholic response. Please see the Serenity Prayer section on our web site. Also, Lumen Christi is a free booklet listed at the back of our site.

This applies to all addictions, including pornography.

Catholic prayer, the sacraments and the Rosary do have the power to deliver a person from their addiction.

(Dr. Carnes has been recognized by the American Association of Clinic Psychologist for his paper on the Addiction Cycle. I believe it helps the addict better understand and resist his addiction.)

It is important to know that Jesus can use our addiction to help others.

Vern Langley (now deceased) was a Catholic friend, who helped so many addicts to stay dry. His humble and caring love for those fighting an addiction would have pleased Jesus.

How can prayer help non-addicts understand and come to terms with an addicted loved one and their behavior?

I don't believe that it is possible to fully or even adequately understand the strength of an addiction. But...

Prayer makes it possible to continue to love the addict. It also gives you hope and the strength not to give up on the person...

And that is not easy to avoid.

Prayer also provides wisdom to know how to get on with your life and to make hard decisions when threats or possible violence are present.

Is there a final thing you would like to share?

To people who have an addiction or who are related to an addict, I strongly recommend not only the Rosary but also devotion to the Sacred Heart with consecration. These are a must.

It is not a case of being tried and found wanting, but a case of not being tried.

Please visit ComeAside.com where you will learn how to attain joy, peace and love plus overcome any obstacle by developing a daily Catholic prayer life.

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