Jonah’s journey to the pit of darkness in the belly of the beast brought him into submission. Similarly, many of us who found recovery experienced isolation and the loss of all we knew and loved. We were only willing to concede and surrender because we had lost everything—perhaps even our will to live. We needed God to rescue us from ourselves. Like Jonah’s journey after his expulsion from the fish, the road ahead for us was not going to be smooth and easy. Recovery would bring new and different challenges than addiction did. But, like Jonah, we now had hope, and we had the company of God and our fellow travelers in recovery. And like Jonah, we had never really been completely abandoned after all.

Reflection Questions

• In what ways did the Lord call you out of your addiction, compulsion, or unhealthy attachment? What was your initial response to His promptings?
• How does the companionship of the Lord and your recovering brothers and sisters impact your struggles in recovery?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Jonah 1:1–2:1-2, 11
Responsorial Psalm: Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

Reflection by Mark L.