When we enter or exit a Catholic church, most of us make it a habit to dip our fingers into holy water and make the Sign of the Cross. This simple act is a way to bind us once again with the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism, through which we recognize our powerlessness and find identity as beloved children of God.
Saint Paul reminds us of the graces offered by our baptism in this Sunday’s Second Reading:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life. If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.
As we fully realize how unmanageable our lives had become, we placed ourselves into the hands of God. Through Jesus Christ, God redeems us by entering into human form and taking upon himself all the sins of the world. Jesus, our Savior, understands the extent of despair that we have faced as addicts as he is with us to guide our recovery efforts.
Clothed in the grace of Jesus, we begin to journey through recovery by staying in touch with our need for redemption. Regardless of where we are, this can be practiced every day. Humility and honesty are essential to participate in the grace of baptism in conjunction with the first step of recovery.
It is suggested that, during the course of working through Step One, we write down compromising situations where our addictive and compulsive behavior has put us and others in harm’s way. It is a simple, yet hardly easy, way of coming to terms with the consequences that our own will has propelled us toward.
In recovery, we are given a gift to know Jesus in a personal and necessary way. The first step is a crucial starting point where the insufficiency of our human resources is brought to light. This step is a tangible way to carve space in our lives to surrender to the mercy made available by God’s grace and to continue participating in the reality of our baptism.
Reflection Questions
- How does a fresh memory of your past keep you dedicated to recovery and reliant upon God?
- What do you do to keep your memory “green”?
- How do you maintain a tangible connection with your baptism?
- Share what is going on in your life today and tie it to a recovery principle or spiritual solution.
Sunday Mass Readings
First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19
Second Reading: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42
Printable General Recovery Meeting Reflection
Printable Family & Friends Recovery Meeting Reflection
Printable Lust Recovery Meeting Reflection
Download virtual meeting reflections: General Recovery, Family & Friends Recovery, Lust Addiction Recovery