Thursday, February 19th
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 Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
One of the things that truly strikes and delights me again and again is how the Saints can teach us everything we need to know about conversion in recovery. Saint Teresa of Avila (AD 1515-1582) is one such Saint! Her selfless love of God and neighbor burned brightly, and her influence on the life of the Church has been, to say the least, enormous! While it is utterly impossible to capture the breadth and depth of her life and teachings in a short reflection, we can nevertheless soak in a bit of her wisdom by letting the great Saint speak for herself. These several passages are taken from a remarkable little work entitled The Pater Noster of St. Teresa, a collection of meditations she wrote for her sister nuns based on the Our Father prayer.
“How presumptuous of me to praise humility and mortification when the King of Glory has extolled these virtues and consecrated them by His many sufferings! Take courage then, O devoted friends of Christ, for this is the opportune time to strive to escape from the bondage of Egypt. When you shall have acquired these two virtues, you will have found in them the true Manna, for they are filled with sweetness for us. No matter how bitter humility and mortification may appear to worldly minded people, to us they seem most worthy of all efforts to acquire them.”
“What is important for us to learn is this: to give Him as an outright gift this palace of our heart, after we shall have emptied it of every created thing, so that He may dispose of it as His own possession. Since His Majesty is justified in wishing this self-emptying, let us not refuse Him anything that He asks. God does not force our will. He takes only what we give Him. But He does not give Himself entirely to us until we yield ourselves entirely to Him.”
“Do you think it is possible for one who truly loves God, to love vanities at the same time? Can you imagine such a one doing it? Of course not! For he who loves God, loves neither riches, nor the pleasures of this world, nor its honors. He has a horror of disputes and envy. His sole ambition is to please the Beloved. His longing to be loved by God exhausts his whole strength, and spurs him to spend his life in seeking means of pleasing Him better. Now how could such love of God be completely hidden? True love can never be concealed.”
It is remarkable how Saint Teresa of Avila can speak so directly to the “program” of recovery even though she lived 500 years ago and knew nothing of the Twelve Steps or recovery fellowship as we understand it! As we continue to walk the path of “spiritual awakening” (Step 12) in recovery, let us be inspired and instructed by God in His Saints. Let us embrace ever more the virtues of humility and self-mortification. Let us intentionally make ready in prayerful surrender the palace of our hearts for God’s permanent habitation. May our love of God be ever more purified in Christ’s grace of the vanities, pleasures, and honors of this world. And may we come to shine brilliantly in the Spirit of God like Saint Teresa of Avila.
Saint Teresa of Jesus, pray for us!
Reflection Questions
- How do the Saints influence your journey in recovery? Who are some saints who speak to you and guide you in your daily conversion?
- How do you relate to Saint Teresa of Avila’s wisdom? Give some examples of how you practice humility, surrender, and self-mortification and thereby invite the Most Holy Trinity to dwell within your heart.
Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: Ephesians 1:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
Gospel: Luke 11:47-54
Reflection by Pete S.
Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
(1515-1582) — Teresa was born to noble Spanish merchant parents of Jewish descent in Avila. She enjoyed reading the lives of the saints as a child and romanticized martyrdom at seven. She joined the Carmelites at 20, but remained stagnant in her spiritual life until nearly 40, when contemplative mental prayer profoundly changed her experience. She was a mystic in prayer, communicating her experiences clearly in writing and making her the first female Doctor (“Teacher”) of the Church. She reformed her order, founding the Order of Discalced (meaning “barefoot”) Carmelites with her spiritual director, Saint John of the Cross.
A dramatic shift took place in Saint Teresa’s life when she committed to daily prayer (Step 11). What could happen if you got serious about daily prayer?
“O my God! Source of all mercy! I acknowledge Your sovereign power. While recalling the wasted years that are past, I believe that You, Lord, can in an instant turn this loss to gain. Miserable as I am, yet I firmly believe that You can do all things. Please restore to me the time lost, giving me Your grace, both now and in the future, that I may appear before You in ‘wedding garments.’ Amen” (Saint Teresa of Avila).
Reflection by Brad Farmer
Other Saints
Discuss
Share your thoughts and connect with others on this journey.
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While living a life in active addiction and alcoholism I squandered my Talents, I lived a life of spiritual sloth and I received what was expected. However, while in recovery I learn the skills necessary to invest and multiple my Talents putting them to good use. A use focused and dedicated towards God. Prosperity is the life I have achieved for myself only when I put my Talents to good use for myself but others first.
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Lord forgive me for not seeking you always!
When I converted to Catholicism in 2014, it was one of the greatest moments of my life. My whole family was there, and I felt supported, hopeful, and finally grounded in something that gave me purpose. But as the years went on and I tried to live out the faith sincerely, things changed. Little by little, some of my family began to see me as “too Catholic,” and the rejection that followed cut deeply. It hurt even more because during the same time, I was fighting to become a recovering addict, and I needed their support more than ever.
My brothers don’t speak to me anymore, and that loss has weighed heavily on me. But through all of it, I’ve learned what it means to carry a heavy and burdened Cross. I’ve learned that my place is to walk faithfully, even when misunderstood, and to remember that I am in the world, not of the world.
May God bless you all. 🙏🏻 Peace be with you!