To be truly of service, we must share honestly about our failures to manage our addictions and lives, neglecting no embarrassing details regardless of how it looks to others. We must share our continuing struggles in recovery, embracing the slogan “progress not perfection.” And we must never claim authority over others but always point to God as the ultimate authority in our lives and the lives of others. 

When we do all this, we become “cheerful givers” blessed with the joy of watching “the eyes of men and women open with wonder” as they “awaken to the presence of a loving God in their lives” (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions). God “makes every grace abundant” to us, so that the more we give, the more we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit as well as serenity, hope, faith, and love (2 Corinthians 9:8). And in this way our very lives become a trumpet blast of praise to God, bearing witness “to those [we] would help, of Thy power, Thy love and Thy way of life” (Alcoholics Anonymous).

Reflection Questions

• In today’s first reading, Saint Paul says “whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” How is this reflected in your experience of the 12th step of recovery? 
• Today’s Responsorial Psalm proclaims, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.” Do you fear the Lord, or do you fear others’ opinions of you more? Are there times when spiritual pride shows up in your recovery and, if so, what steps or sacraments can bring you back to a posture of humility?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9
Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Reflection by Ann A.