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Day 74
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The Pathway to Recovery

Module 74 of 90

Day 74

To finish today's module, find time to pray, read through the below reflections, complete the five daily habits, attend a recovery meeting, and share what's on your heart and mind on today's discussion board.

PRAY

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.

Trusting that You will make all things right,
if I surrender to Your will.

That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with You forever
in the next. Amen.

Third Step Prayer

God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will.
Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life.
May I do Thy will always!

Discover more prayers to strengthen your recovery and faith.

REFLECT

Good evening, Friend
July 16
Daily Reflection
Saint of the Day
Daily Reflection
Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

For the first followers of Jesus, the “yoke” was a familiar term. Many worked with oxen and animals of labor to plow the fields. They placed a wooden bar—the yoke—over the neck of the animal, and this was attached to a plow that directed the oxen to till the soil when moving forward. To be strapped with a yoke was a mark of servitude. In a similar way, the Pharisees were crushing the Jewish people with the “yoke” of minute rules, which did not bring them peace.

Jesus is inviting us today to take upon ourselves His yoke of virtue and hope that allows us to be free from the debilitating hardship of addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. Looking at our recovery journey as working under Jesus’ gentle harness, we find that life’s problems take on a different meaning. We find a positive way of being in the world that lets us better cope with problems and interact with others. We are freed so that addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments don’t take a foothold in our lives. Recovery teaches us to connect with others like us and to ask for help when we need it. It teaches us to be grateful for what is going well in our lives—even if just the small things—rather than focusing on what we don’t have, what we did wrong, or what could have been. Ultimately, working our recovery faithfully is one way of taking Jesus’ yoke upon us. Therefore, let us take to heart the words of Saint Augustine as we work our recovery, one day at a time: “This burden is not a weight at all, it is wings to fly with.”

 

Reflection Questions

  • How has recovery made your burdens lighter or fitted you with wings?
  • Name three small things you are grateful for today.

 

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 102:13-14, 15, 16-18, 19-21
Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30

Reflection by Chiara F.

View Full Reflections Calendar

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Audio Reflection

Blessed Mother holding the Child Jesus in one arm and the scapular in the other hand(1251) — Mount Carmel was the location of the showdown between the prophet Elijah and 450 prophets of the Canaanite deity, Baal (1 Kings 18). The Carmelite order, known for its contemplative and Marian spirituality, takes Elijah as their predecessor and spiritual father. On July 16, 1251, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave Saint Simon Stock, sixth prior general of the Carmelites, the scapular. Saint Simon Stock spread the Carmelite order throughout Europe. It has graced the Church with a wealth of spiritual masters.

Charisms are given for the sake of building the Church. Different expressions of spirituality grace the Church in different ways. Different expressions of 12-step fellowships benefit their membership in different ways. Catholics in recovery come together to build up one another and go from fellowship to build the Church. How can your recovery experience serve your local parish?

“O Most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, beautiful vine, splendor of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity…O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my mother” (Saint Simon Stock, Flower of Mount Carmel Prayer).

Reflection by Brad Farmer

Other Saints

Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
July 15, 2025
Saint Camillus de Lellis
Saint Camillus de Lellis
July 14, 2025
Saint Henry
Saint Henry
July 13, 2025
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin
July 12, 2025
Saint Benedict of Nursia, Abbot
Saint Benedict of Nursia, Abbot
July 11, 2025
Saints Rufina and Secunda, Martyrs
Saints Rufina and Secunda, Martyrs
July 10, 2025
Saints Augustine Zhao Rong and 119 Companions, Martyrs of China
Saints Augustine Zhao Rong and 119 Companions, Martyrs of China
July 9, 2025
Saints Aquila and Priscilla
Saints Aquila and Priscilla
July 8, 2025
Saint Marcus Ji Tianxiang, Martyr
Saint Marcus Ji Tianxiang, Martyr
July 7, 2025

ACT

  • Practice the five daily habits:
    1. Start your day with prayer
    2. Attend a recovery meeting (click here to find a meeting)
    3. Connect with people in recovery outside of meetings
    4. Read some recovery literature and Scripture
    5. Give thanks to God at the end of the day

Discuss

Share your thoughts and connect with others on this journey.

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