At the height of my addiction, I reached a point of pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization and yet couldn’t stop drinking. I began to believe that I had no purpose and that my life was worthless. I had lost my faith and will to live. My faith was restored when I joined my 12-step recovery program and began to hear the voice of God again. Little by little, my will to live was restored. As I worked the Twelve Steps, God’s divine plan for me began to emerge, and I was given the fortitude and courage to endure life’s afflictions without needing a drink. God also began to show me how my past sufferings had a purpose and could be used for good. I began to see that my painful history had equipped me to help newcomers in recovery suffering in the ways I had only known too well.
As we work our recovery and endure in faith and love for one another, we begin to see God bring to fulfillment “every good purpose and every effort of faith” in our lives. We begin to see and share with others the goodness of God, giving thanks to Him for the blessings He bestows upon us, even in the midst of tribulation. As we continue to live out our faith and recovery, let us pray for one another, intercede for one another, serve one another, and make Jesus Christ the center of our lives.
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever felt criticized or mocked for joining a recovery program? How do you feel now that you have been working the program and have begun to see God’s blessings unfold?
- How has your suffering turned into an asset for God’s glory and a way to help others? How has your faith and purpose in life been restored through working the Twelve Steps?
Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5
Gospel: Matthew 23:13-22
Reflection by Juan Carlos P.