In today’s first reading, we read, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Reform your ways and your deeds, so that I may remain with you in this place. Put not your trust in the deceitful words…But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss! Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, go after strange gods that you know not, and yet come to stand before me” (Jeremiah 7:3-10).

Sobriety is more than abstaining from our drug of unhealthy behavior of choice. It is about having a renewal of our hearts. We cannot be half-hearted, claiming to be reformed to God while still giving into our destructive old ways of life. We must completely transform our lives to honor and glorify Him. Otherwise, we are like those in Israel who stood before God with divided and unfaithful hearts. 

When we surrender our will and lives to God’s care (Step 3) and ask Him to remove our defects of character (Step 6), we must understand that this goes beyond our addiction. It involves all the behaviors and habits that lead us astray. We ask Him to give us a pure and undivided heart, one that truly worships God. In my case, I had to cleanse my life of detrimental habits and ensure I did not entertain thoughts that could lead me back to drinking, using drugs, or engaging in unhealthy sexual behavior. As we do such things and continue to work the Steps, slowly but surely we embrace honesty of heart and bear fruit by God’s grace. We find freedom from a life of worshiping the “strange” gods of addiction, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments.

Reflection Questions

• What character defects contributed to your addiction, compulsion, or unhealthy attachment?
• How has God removed (or is removing) your defects of character? Are you still clinging to unhealthy behaviors that you need to surrender to God?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Jeremiah 7:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30

Reflection by Juan Carlos P.