This service imperative runs parallel with the message offered by Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel Reading. Since January, most of the Church’s liturgical readings have been taken from the Gospel of Luke, which focuses on the desperate and poor. In this case, we witness the faith of a man being executed with Jesus.

Like the tax collector praying in the Temple a few Sundays ago, this criminal utters a short, but profoundly honest, prayer: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” When we launch into the work of recovery, we start to see what Jesus can do as he takes leadership of our lives. Oftentimes, it begins with a humble cry to our Lord in prayer. We can learn much from the exchange between Jesus and two criminals as they are being put to death:

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”

As attendants of Christ, we are not tasked with fighting or battling. Rather, he is the one who has shed blood for all and invites us to declare the good news to others. As Catholics who have found recovery, this is not only a part of our Christian calling but also essential to our freedom, abstinence, and sobriety.

Perhaps you are in a position where you feel you are most in need—your personal rock bottom. Embrace the hand that reaches out to you and accept your identity as a beloved son or daughter of God, with whom He is well pleased. A new life awaits you—one that you may not be able to envision today.

It is a gift to be in recovery, as few lifestyles offer such genuine opportunities to live under the reign of our Lord. Let us conclude this week’s reflection with a prayer of service and thanksgiving (The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments, p. 168-169):

Lord,
Thank you for never giving up on your pursuit of me. Every step of my recovery journey
has been paved by you,
and you have crafted me beautifully.
Please allow me to see the world
through your lens
so that I may be of maximum service to you
and to those around me.
May I do for others what your love has done for me.
In all things, give me a heart that seeks the weary,
the lonely, and the hopeless
so that, one day, we may all be united
in your heavenly kingdom.
Amen.

Reflection Questions

• How have you responded to the service imperative at the heart of 12-step recovery?
  • Remember, never underestimate your ability to help the addict who still suffers.
• Do you have any commitments at a weekly meeting or elsewhere in a recovery community?
• How have you benefited from the service of others?

Sunday Mass Readings

First Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
Second Reading: Colossians 1:12-20
Gospel: Luke 23:35-43

Printable General Recovery Meeting Reflection
Printable Family & Friends Recovery Meeting Reflection
Printable Men’s Lust Recovery Reflection

Download virtual meeting reflections: General Recovery, Family & Friends Recovery, Men’s Lust Recovery