“What really hurts is not so much suffering itself as the fear of suffering. If welcomed trustingly and peacefully, suffering makes us grow. It matures and trains us, purifies us, teaches us to love unselfishly, makes us poor in heart, humble, gentle, and compassionate toward our neighbor. Fear of suffering, on the other hand, hardens us in self-protective, defensive attitudes, and often leads us to make irrational choices with disastrous consequences.”—Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom
PRAY
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile, show unto us
the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet virgin Mary.
Amen.
REFLECT
Take time to think about and write down responses to the following questions. Once you’ve done so, discuss your responses with your sponsor and/or small workbook group.
- How would you describe your experience of working through the Fourth Step so far?
- Share two or three fears that come to mind when brainstorming what you will include in column one of the Fear Inventory. Explain why you have the fear, how it affects you, and your part in the fear.
ACTDiscuss
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