Tuesday, March 3rd
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
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle
Today’s readings intertwine two seemingly unrelated themes: service and love. By reflecting on them, I confronted a personal struggle deeply rooted in my past—my inclination toward overcommitment. Stemming from an inability to say no and a fear of missing out, this tendency recently led me to burnout. Amidst the turmoil, I found myself resenting my sponsor and fellow journeyers in recovery due to our numerous service commitments.
I eventually had a revelation: I realized I was approaching service from fear, intimidation, and shallow gratitude. This realization helped me uncover a disconnect within me—an absence of joy and love, which had been replaced by bitterness and an unhealthy idolization of others. I came to understand that true service should stem from authentic love and gratitude, not obligation.
Only by embracing humility and acknowledging my powerlessness did I find release from this burden. I came clean with my sponsor and reasoned it out. Surrendering to the divine, I allowed God to replenish my spirit with love and grace.
Today, as we commemorate the feast of Saint Matthias, whose name means “gift of Yahweh,” let us view every service opportunity as a divine gift: as an opportunity to receive the gift that comes from serving another in Christ as well as being a gift to that person. May Saint Matthias’ intercession guide us in our service, keeping us always mindful of the divine origin of our call to serve and love others. Saint Matthias, pray for us, that we may serve with hearts full of love and gratitude!
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever felt like you were serving out of obligation rather than genuine love and gratitude? How did you realize this and what did you do about it?
- How has humility and accepting your limitations impacted how you serve others? Can you share a time when surrendering control led to a deeper connection with God or others?
Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Gospel: John 15:9-17
Reflection by Paola P.
Saint Matthias, Apostle
(d.80) — A witness to the Resurrection of Jesus, Saint Matthias was the Apostle that replaced Judas Iscariot after his betrayal and death. We can read about Saint Matthias in Acts 1:15-26. Tradition holds that he was stoned to death in the year 80. He is the patron of carpenters and against alcoholism.
Saint Matthias encourages us to follow the spiritual principles of integrity and discipline. Integrity means being integrated and undivided in our different parts, especially between spirit and body. Original sin destroyed the integrity humanity was created to have. Discipline leads back to this unity.
“We must combat our flesh, set no value upon it, and concede to it nothing that can flatter it, but rather increase the growth of our soul by faith and knowledge” (Saint Matthias, attributed to him by Saint Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, III, 4).
Reflection by Brad Farmer
Other Saints
Discuss
Share your thoughts and connect with others on this journey.
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Fear keeps me in bondage for not knowing how to let go and let God. I want to turn my will over to God but I do not know how to. I pray and pray and pray but I still hold on tight to something that I do not want. I want to give it all to God. Please my Lord take it from me, you be in control. Please pray for me to let go and let God!
Fear of the opinion of others has kept me in AA from sharing my story which is one of a catholic experiencing periodic spiritual battle for my soul. I now turn to God in pray "Lord, empty me, fill me, use me" whenever my thoughts turn negative, and I have included it and the Litany for Humility into my morning prayers. For me this has been working very well.
I’ve pretended to be okay, capable and at full capacity. I tumbled pretty far down.
* How does fear keep you in bondage to self-will and how might you turn your will and life over to Christ, the true master, each and every day this Lent?
Fear of my husband of vulnerability of what could happen. Fear of losing this life I’ve worked so hard to build. Fear of losing my independence, having to do things I don’t feel like or want to do with/for husband. Bondage of self will… it definitely makes it really hard to see what is good, what I need to do, what I need to let go of, with the right thing to do is. I can only pray and every day ask thy will not mine. Be willing to see past the fear, be willing to operate from a place of love and not fear and not control.