Saturday, March 7th
To complete today's challenge, find time to prayerfully read through the reflections below, attend a recovery meeting, and share what's on your heart and mind on today's discussion board.
REFLECT
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
“Jesus said, ‘Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sister or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age’” (Mark 10:28-31).
Jesus reassures us that if we give up our selfish and self-seeking motives, and instead pivot our motives to pleasing God, that He will provide for us. We will prosper and be joyful. Above all, God wants us to seek the kingdom of Heaven. By giving us the Ten Commandments, God gives us instructions on how to please Him. He did not give us these to control or punish us but, rather, to guide us to live joyfully and become the best versions of ourselves. In other words, He gave them to us to help us experience a little bit of Heaven here on earth. God not only knows how we will function at our best and most joy-filled, but has revealed how to do so through the commandment, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit. All we must do is put God first and seek Him in all we do.
This insight is reiterated in Chapter 5 of the Big Book, which reads, “God could and would if he were sought” (Alcoholics Anonymous). Are we seeking God today in all that we do? Or are we seeking the approval of others? This is why it’s important to continually examine our motives with a daily moral inventory. And when our motives are to please God, we find that God blesses us abundantly, gracing us with relief from our addictions and unhealthy attachments.
Reflection Questions
- Do you have a conscious contact with God? How can you involve God in all of your decisions today?
- What gifts from recovery and the Church can you use to ensure you’re seeking God in all that you do?
Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: 1 Peter 1:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Gospel: Mark 10:28-31
Reflection by Jana I.
Saint Philip Neri
(1515-1595) — Saint Philip had a stunning mystical experience in his late twenties on the vigil of Pentecost. While praying in the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian, he encountered a glowing ball of light that entered his chest. He experienced a supernatural love and a physically enlarged heart cavity. Philip was a very popular confessor and was known as a living saint with miracles surrounding his life. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory and was always known for his joyful disposition.
Known as the Apostle of Rome during the Counter-Reformation period, Saint Philip is also commonly called the Apostle of Joy. His joy sprang from the infinite spring of supernatural love, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Do we make a point of intentionally being joy-filled, pausing to express our gratitude to God?
“Do not grieve over the temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and a promise by God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast” (Saint Philip Neri).
Reflection by Brad Farmer
Other Saints
Discuss
Share your thoughts and connect with others on this journey.
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I relate to both in my sinful ways. My sin is always before me. Tempting me, trying to keep me away from the truth, from the love of God.
I related to the younger son in that although I would binge drink, God my Father was always there to help me battle out of the binge and come to HIs loving embrace. I relate to the older son in that I would allow the devil to entice me into feelings of envy, judgement, resentment, etc. which would begin to disrupt my relationship with God and eventually go on another binge. Since my recovery and working the steps, I have completely accepted my past including a formal confession and absolution, so I live completely for God now.