Day 73

Today’s Gospel reading from Saint Matthew recounts the moment when the Lord teaches the disciples how to pray: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

This description of our Father and His presence toward us is worth considering in depth because it has profound ramifications for what it means to make a decision for God and recovery. The hidden God who loves us beyond our wildest imagination, who created each of us purposefully and uniquely, is already present to us in every way as the very ground of our being. As the Author of Life, He is already by His very nature claiming us as His beloved children. We do not have to bargain and babble for His love. We are loved! And we have always been loved, even before the very foundations of the world were laid.

This was an absolute revelation for me in recovery! My hardness of heart, the tomb of my self-imposed isolation built on the brick and mortar of my narcissism, shame, and self-pity, led me for decades to not really believe that God cared for me. I lived under the impossible expectation that I had to earn His love. This is why steps one, two, and three were keys that opened the door to a new world of light, love, and freedom. Saint Augustine wrote in his Confessions, “You were closer to me than I am to myself.” How wonderfully true! What strong hope I now have in living recovery day by day, “[working] out [my] salvation in fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in [me] both to desire and to work” (Philippians 2:12-13). It is not about us, it is about Him, but it necessarily requires our surrender, our Fiat, our choice to embrace Love. What dignity we have been given!

Reflection Questions

• The Our Father prayer is the perfect prayer. Consider how this prayer speaks to your recovery and relationship with the Father.
• Connection with our Higher Power is about being present to one another. How are you present to the Lord and how does this support your recovery?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Sirach 48:1-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7
Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

Reflection by Pete S.

(1449-1505) — Born to Italian nobility, Blessed Osanna, also known as “Hosanna,” rejected arranged marriage and became a Dominican tertiary at 17. She took final vows as a Dominican 37 years later, taking the time to care for her siblings after her parents died. Blessed Osanna was a mystic and stigmatist, experiencing some of the wounds and pain of the Crucifixion. She miraculously learned to read and write, perhaps taught by the Blessed Virgin herself, becoming quite proficient in Latin. Blessed Osanna dedicated her life to care for the poor and sick as well as to spiritual direction.

Blessed Osanna lived her life in service to God and other people. It took her 37 years to complete her final vows as a Dominican. In addiction, life’s dreams can slip away for less noble causes. Lost dreams awaken in recovery. What lost dreams have reawakened in your recovery? What do you still hope for?

“To enter Heaven it is necessary to love God very much: See how all created things sing His glory and proclaim it to men” (an angel to Blessed Osanna in a vision at age five).

Reflection by Brad Farmer