Like the woman in the story, I was called to bear fruit but I was filling my life with everything unclean: toxic behaviors, anger, lust, arrogance, unhealthy relationships, and empty conversations. Even when I stopped drinking temporarily, I kept holding on to these destructive patterns. I wanted God’s promises to come true in my life but I wasn’t willing to fully surrender. As they say in AA, “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” I was doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results—the very definition of insanity.

God had a plan for me, a purpose and a destiny, but I was blocking it with my alcoholic behavior and refusal to change. Yet, God never gave up on me. There was a part of me that truly wanted to stop and come back to Jesus and completely accept Him as my Lord and Savior. When I finally surrendered, truly embraced sobriety, and stopped putting anything unclean into my body, mind, and soul, everything began to change. The promises of God started to manifest in my life. Just like the AA Promises in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, I began to experience freedom, serenity, and hope. And I came to bear fruit for the Glory of God. I was no longer “barren.”

Everything I allow into my body, mind, and soul must cohabitate with the Holy Spirit. My recovery program has been a gift, teaching me to have a deeper awareness of this truth. While I still fail at times, the Twelve Steps and the spiritual foundation of Catholic in Recovery help me continuously align with God’s will. They equip us with the conviction to examine what we consume—physically, mentally, and spiritually—and to strive, with God’s grace, to avoid anything that cannot coexist with the Holy Spirit within us. Though imperfect, this journey of awareness and surrender draws us closer to living a life consecrated to Him.

Reflection Questions

• How did you receive the gift of desperation that drew you to seek recovery?
• How are the promises of God and recovery being fulfilled in your life? What toxic behaviors are you willing to surrender today?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17
Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

Reflection by Juan Carlos P.