To proclaim the greatness of the Lord is to affirm that He is God and we are not—what the first three steps in recovery actually teach us. This crucial change in perspective is essential to our spiritual awakening. Only after the genuflection of humility can we truly stand upright with dignity as beloved children of God. Only in prostration before the Lord can our soul rejoice in Emmanuel who comes to save us from ourselves!  

“From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name” (Luke 1:48-49).

To be blessed is to be happy, and to be (truly) happy is to be a saint, all of which consists in His will, not mine, be done. God wills to make us saints if the demeanor of our lives is humble submission. In other words, lives characterized by “metanoia” (repentance), “fiat” (let it be done), and “amen” (so be it). When we relinquish self-righteousness and dominion over self, others, and even God, we gain divine favor and the power of grace. Then miracles happen! Holy is His name indeed!

“He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation” (Luke 1:50).

“Fear of the Lord” is reverential awe before the saving God of mercy born of gratitude and evocative of hope. It is never cowering, servile fear—what our pride, the world, and the Devil would otherwise have us believe. Never forget that we have a savior “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

“He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:51-53).

Woven throughout the tapestry of salvation history is the constant theme of God exalting the humble and chastening the proud. By staying humble and focused on Christ who “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant…and became obedient unto death,” we can see His example of holy self-effacement as pointing the way for us to freedom and joy and peace (Philippians 2:7a, 8).

“He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever” (Luke 1:54-55).

God is ever faithful to His promises of mercy, justice, and salvation. The Lord does not fail us even when we fail Him. He knows our weakness and loves us nonetheless. We must therefore return to Him again and again with renewed humility just as our Lord got up again and again on His way to Calvary for us. There is simply no other path to recovery and sobriety, to conversion and sainthood.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

Reflection Questions

• Consider how humility grounds your recovery. When do you see pride reasserting itself? How does this impact your recovery?
• Reflect on what fear of the Lord means for you. Are you afraid to be honest, open, and willing with Him in your prayer life and recovery?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: 1 Samuel 1:24-28
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
Gospel: Luke 1:46-56

Reflection by Pete S.