Before entering the rooms of recovery, I lived with reasonable success as a functional alcoholic. I never saw the inside of an emergency room or courtroom because of my alcohol addiction. Not that I couldn’t have and wouldn’t have deserved it, but God preserved me from those experiences. However, as time went on and my alcohol consumption increased, I needed to hear that clarion voice to “repent and be saved.” I needed to hear that voice “crying in the wilderness” and calling me to repentance and recovery. Eventually, I heard it and responded with the aid of God’s grace.
It has been my experience that God will send messengers to convey directly to us the reality of our situation and the change we need to make. However, just like those who heard John the Baptist, each one of us has to make the choice to respond to this call for ourselves. Therefore, whether we are already in recovery or in need of it, let us respond daily to the voice of the Holy Spirit calling us to seek greater healing and hope in Christ.
Reflection Questions
- What were the “clarion calls” you received that helped bring you into recovery? What new calls for deeper conversion do you hear today?
- Is there someone in your life you can be a witness to by living out your recovery and faith? How might you become a “clarion call” for this person with respect to recovery and faith?
Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19
Gospel: Matthew 17:9a, 10-13
Reflection by Kevin S.