In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus asks who others say He is. Peter’s answer—that He is the Christ—is similar to what we do in Step 3. By turning our wills and lives over to God, we are saying Jesus is Christ and He alone is the one who can save and heal us. Yet, we have to truly believe and submit to this to have our lives restored. Otherwise, we end up like the scribes and elders who value performance, doctrine, and legalism over humility, truth, and grace. In other words, religion alone can’t save us from our addictions, compulsions, or unhealthy attachments. Sitting in a pew, knowing theology, or reciting polished prayers didn’t break my own chains of addiction. It was working the Twelve Steps with a spirit of humility and trust that did.
When we surrender to God, Jesus enters the mess of our lives. He walks with us, the desperate, rejected, addicted, and outcast. And once He saves and delivers us, He asks us to carry His message of healing and hope to others, just like we’re called to do in Step 12. And when we do this, the house of our souls is no longer filled with shame but with glory—the glory found in the Christ of God.
Reflection Questions
- What was it like to have your spiritual house in disorder? How is Jesus restoring it?
- What can you do today to carry forth Christ’s message of hope and healing to others suffering from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments?
Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: Haggai 2:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 43:1, 2, 3, 4
Gospel: Luke 9:18-22
Reflection by Juan Carlos P.