The shame and disgrace of my own youth were difficult for me to embrace, painful to remember, and required the healing and hard work offered by the Twelve Steps. Step Four and Step Five provided a holy path back into my past, where I could take responsibility for my actions and open myself up to the healing grace of God. As we read in the Big Book, the promises of recovery are a hopeful witness that “we will not regret the past, nor wish to shut the door on it” and “no matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others” (Alcoholics Anonymous).

In today’s Responsorial Psalm, we encounter a concise summary of our path from addiction into recovery: “O LORD, my God, I cried out to you for help and you healed me. LORD, you brought my soul up from Sheol; you let me live, from going down to the pit” (Psalm 30:3-4). God does for us what we could not do for ourselves when we turn our lives over to Him. By the grace of God, we are “raised from the dead, suddenly taken from the scrap heap to a level of life better than the best [we] had ever known” (Alcoholics Anonymous).

Reflection Questions

• In what ways has the “shame of your youth” been transformed by the healing power of God and recovery? Do you still feel shame and disgrace from your past and, if so, how might you hand that over to the Lord?
• Do you think of your life in recovery as a miracle that has lifted you from the “pit” of addictions, compulsions, and/or unhealthy attachments? How does reflecting on this deepen your gratitude to God?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 54:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b
Gospel: Luke 7:24-30

Reflection by Marybeth B.