Stepping over the threshold into the rooms of recovery is one of the hardest things many of us will ever do. By God’s grace, we muster up the courage to admit our powerlessness and surrender ourselves and life to a fellowship of recovery.
By living sober, we realize humility is a principle of recovery that keeps us trusting and living in God’s will. The Twelve Steps bring many of us in recovery back to our Catholic roots, too, which some of us had all but abandoned during our sordid lifestyle of addiction. With this newfound discovery, we may feel stifled from sharing openly and honestly about our faith and love of the Lord because of anti-Catholic sentiment in some meeting rooms.
Over time these feelings could fester and cause resentment and anger. We know resentment to be the number one offender for those of us in recovery. We may be placing ourselves and our sobriety in a very precarious position, and so we must remember to place principles before personalities. Yet, we may still find our hearts aching to blend our recovery with our Catholic faith. And Catholic in Recovery may just be the answer to this hunger deep within.
Below are four reasons to become involved with Catholic in Recovery:
1) Catholic in Recovery is a fellowship where we combine the Twelve Steps of recovery with the sacramental understanding of our Catholic faith. Scott Weeman’s book, The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments is a Catholic accompaniment through the Twelve Steps of recovery. Whether you are already part of another fellowship or someone seeking help but not knowing where to turn, this book could be a great next step. And there is some other great news! The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments Workbook will soon be available to further enhance your spiritual and recovery journeys.
2) The Catholic in Recovery fellowship meets in person and online, and there are meetings happening seven days a week. A new Spanish-speaking meeting has also been added. The meeting structure is very similar to other 12-step meetings. We reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings while also incorporating principles of the Twelve Steps. We welcome and respect those of different faiths to join us as well.
3) Catholic in Recovery meetings are not just for those seeking freedom from alcohol and drugs but also freedom from food, lust, porn, codependency, and other unhealthy attachments. There are also several meetings during the week for friends and family members who struggle with someone in their life currently in active addiction or partaking in other unhealthy attachments.
4) In the rooms of Catholic in Recovery, you will befriend beloved sons and daughters of God who pray for one another, cry with each other, and build each other up with Christ as our guide. We believe the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life. We seek God’s mercy and love in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We share our approaches to prayer and meditation as we strive to maintain regular conscious contact with God, such as by reciting the rosary or divine mercy chaplet. All the while we remain grateful for Alcoholics Anonymous and other fellowships that have come before us.
I pray you get involved with Catholic in Recovery, where you will be welcomed with big smiles, wide-open arms, and hearts on fire for the Lord and His Church!
By God’s grace, Kathy has been clean and sober since June 1, 2006, and is an active member of Catholic in Recovery. She also feels called to share the merciful love of Christ’s healing grace with all those suffering from the pain and wounds caused by abortion. On most days, you can find her at daily Mass, the gym, or caring for the needs of her family.