Reflecting on my first year in the fellowship of recovery, I can relate to the confusion and uncertainty that come with navigating difficult circumstances. As the spouse of someone struggling with alcoholism, I struggled daily with questions I couldn’t answer: Was I enabling or showing compassion? Was I expressing love or merely pity? I couldn’t discern the difference between submission and surrender in my marriage. The constant turmoil was a vivid reflection of what the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous describes with respect to the nature of addiction: “cunning, baffling, and powerful.”

Without the guidance of my sponsor and the support of those I met in recovery meetings, I wouldn’t have learned how to practice essential principles, such as detaching with love. They helped me see that true compassion doesn’t mean condoning harmful behaviors—it means setting boundaries while still extending grace. We are called to be loving and compassionate, yes, but also prudent and wise. It is by participating in recovery and growing in our faith that we learn to do so. As we are reminded in the Serenity Prayer, may God grant us the wisdom to navigate life’s most challenging circumstances with courage, discernment, and faith.

Reflection Questions

• How do you seek God’s guidance to respond in difficult situations with love and wisdom? What steps can you take to deepen your trust in God’s plan for your situation today?
• In what ways can you show love and compassion while maintaining healthy boundaries in your relationships?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 5:5-6, 7, 12
Gospel: Luke 6:6-11

Reflection by Paola P.