Coming to grips with the fact that we are powerless over addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments puts us in a position to seek help beyond human aid. Being convinced that our lives had become unmanageable prompts the need for something far greater than ourselves if we are to have a lasting psychic change.

For some, this means enlarging the concept we have of God and experiencing the fruit of forgiveness through our kinship in God’s kingdom.

While the Twelve Steps guide us to a spiritual awakening, the Lord’s Prayer is our request for God to order our lives in a way that centers around Him. Prayer is not an attempt to change God’s will, but rather a request for God to bend our will toward His. Jesus teaches us to honor God above all things through prayer as we say, “Hallowed be Thy name.”

We plead for His kingdom, which, through Jesus’ life and ministry, is all-inclusive, peaceful, compassionate, and full of forgiveness. By aligning our will with God’s, we pray that we might be advocates for His kingdom as He shapes our attitude and behavior.

To maintain His presence in our lives and in the world, we ask for our daily bread—the very Body and Blood of Jesus, which offers divine substance for our journey.

Forgiveness is an act of repairing broken relationships and is central to both the Twelve Steps and the spiritual traditions of the Church. As we are forgiven by God, we extend forgiveness and healing to others.

In the Steps, we do this by making a moral inventory of ourselves, sharing it with God and our sponsor, and making amends to those we’ve harmed.

This Sunday’s Gospel reading has Jesus introducing the Lord’s Prayer to His disciples before giving insight into God’s mercy and generosity (Luke 11:9-12):

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?”

There are a variety of internal and external obstacles that make it difficult to accept that God accepts us. We are made in the image and likeness of God, but too often we envision God through the limits of our own image and likeness.

While stepping into the stream of acceptance, we would be wise to integrate the essence of the Lord’s Prayer into our daily lives as we work through the Steps and seek recovery one day at a time.

Reflection Questions

• What spiritual routines, prayers, or exercises help you order your life around God?
• How has your understanding of God as a loving Father changed over time?
• What part of the Lord’s Prayer speaks most directly to your need for healing today?

Sunday Mass Readings

First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
Second Reading: Colossians 2:12-14
Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

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