Unconditional trust in God is in actuality the very pathway to knowing and living His will for us. The Psalms are steeped in this truth. And one of the very best confessions of trust in God’s providential love and permissive will comes from the late Fr. Walter Ciszek. A victim of years of persecution and suffering, it is worth quoting Fr. Ciszek at length because his wisdom speaks directly and profoundly to the addicted sinner’s distrustful heart. 

“God’s will was not hidden somewhere ‘out there’ in the situations in which I found myself; the situations themselves were his will for me. What he wanted was for me to accept these situations as from his hands, to let go of the reins and place myself entirely at his disposal. He was asking of me an act of total trust, allowing for no interference or restless striving on my part, no reservations, no exceptions, no areas where I could set conditions or seem to hesitate. He was asking a complete gift of self, nothing held back. It demanded absolute faith: faith in God’s existence, in his providence, in his concern for the minutest detail, in his power to sustain me, and in his love protecting me. It meant losing the last hidden doubt, the ultimate fear that God would not be there to bear you up. It was something like that awful eternity between anxiety and belief when a child first leans back and lets go of all support whatever—only to find that the water truly holds him up and he can float motionless and totally relaxed”  (He Leadeth Me).

“O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge” (Responsorial Psalm).

Reflection Questions

• How have the Psalms enriched and served your prayer life in recovery?
• How does trusting God in all things lead you to discern His will for you?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12
Gospel: John 7:40-53

Reflection by Pete S.