“stand up straight on your feet.” The man jumped up and began to walk for the first time in his life…

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14-5-18), we see Paul and Barnabas bringing the Good News to the Gentiles in Lystra.  While preaching, Paul noticed a lame man who had never walked.  This man watched Paul intently and Paul noticed him, saying “stand up straight on your feet.”  The man jumped up and began to walk for the first time in his life.  Paul recognized the necessary faith this man had and performed this miracle calling upon The Lord to heal him.

An Empowering Story of 30 Years of Sobriety from Yvonne a Guest House Donor

Dear Guest House Family,

What an utterly wonderful surprise today when I opened the mail and received your beautiful Peace card in celebration of my 30th sober anniversary!!! Your kindness has touched me so deeply! I thought, “How do I thank you,” and then I thought, “What better way to thank all of you who may still be struggling with alcohol than to share my story with you?” It’s not that my story is so great, but rather I hope it shows you that being sober is simply, absolutely, and positively FABULOUS! Believe me, it is all worth the initial struggle, because everything just gets better and better and better. In time, you each will find yourself becoming comfortable with yourself: becoming comfortable with your world, and-with all that comfort-you will be able comfortably to do things you never imagined you could do. So to begin at the beginning, my adventure, in fact, starts in Michigan. Born to a family with alcoholism (no surprise-research is increasingly substantiating alcoholism to be not only a disease, but also an inherited disease based not on will- power or the lack thereof, but rather on brain chemical imbalances-! also had the good fortune along the way to do post-graduate study in our disease), I remember the parties and the yachts and all the fun, always accompanied with alcohol.

SOBRIETY AND ALL THAT IT MEANS

By Mary Ellen Merrick, IHM, D. Min., MAC
Executive Director, Guest House Women’s Treatment Program

My community has a publication that we make available several times a year and it usually has articles centering on a theme.  A few issues back, the theme was “Celebrate” and I was asked to write an article about celebrating sobriety.  I took the letters of the word SOBRIETY and said the following about each letter.

S  -  for many people sobriety is a SECOND chance to fulfill a covenant between a God who loves unconditionally and a humanchild who comes to understand that truth in a deeper way.

O  – for the OPPORTUNITIES to be a genuine service to other people who are also in need of understanding and compassion.

B  -  for the ability to understand what BALANCE means in the daily living out of one’s life.  It includes leisure and prayer.

R  -  for the desire to be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with oneself, others and the God of my understanding.  This may necessitate learning skills that will enhance communication.

I  –   for the effort to become a person of INTEGRITY.  Does the inside match the outside when I am alone and when I am with others? Who gives me feedback about myself?

E  -  for the EFFORT that is the foundational in order to do the daily work of remaining sober.

T  -  for the TRUST that is needed to sustain a program of recovery.

Y  -  for the YES to believe in the possibility of continuing sobriety and to accept it as a gift.

“Trust God, clean house (that is my soul) and help others.”

Reflection for May 13, 2013

With today’s Gospel from St. John, we come to the end of what is called the “farewell discourse of Jesus.”  Jesus gives us his final word about our future in this world:  “I have told you all this so that you might have peace in me . . . take courage since I have conquered the world.”   (John 16:29-33)

In AA we often say that we will be delivered from our obsession to alcohol if we seek God and trust in Him alone.  This, of course, has to be more than just mouthing words.  It has to be rooted deep within our heart that God and His Spirit dwells within us.  Calling upon that Spirit throughout this day, we will be led rightly.

‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,’

Reflection for Monday, May 6, 2013

Today we are reminded of the important place of women in society and thus in the AA program.  In the Acts of the Apostles first reading for today, we find Paul at prayer with women from Philippi, a Roman colony.  “We spent some time in that city.  On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer.  We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there. One of them, a woman named Lydia….listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.  After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,’ and she prevailed on us.”   (Acts 16:11-15)

Reflection for May 9, 2013: Remember Jesus Ascending to His Father in Heaven

Today is the day we remember Jesus ascending to His Father in heaven.  Thus we call it “Ascension Thursday”.   What exactly does this mean for those of us in recovery?

For one thing, we can easily reflect that we too have “ascended” to a new life from what we experienced when we were drinking ourselves silly.  It is good for us today to review a bit about where we came from and where we are now.

Luke tells us in his account from the “Acts of the Apostles” “….But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:1-11) This was the instruction of Jesus to those gathered with him just before He ascended to His Father.

Do we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit promised us and given to us from The Lord?  If we really believe then we will call on this power today to lighten our spirit, bringing us new joy.

Guest House Launches Distance Learning

Dear Friend,

Guest House is North America’s founding behavioral health and addiction program for Catholic clergy and religious.  Since 1956, we’ve provided personalized clinical treatment with a spiritual emphasis.  Our goal is focused:  To successfully return men and women to their mission.  Our accredited full time clinical staff provides these services at our tranquil, private residential facilities.

To provide such important treatment, education and recovery to more than 8,000 clients since our inception, we’ve constantly sought out new and innovative ways to treat, reach, educate, serve and follow-up with our clients. As part of our mission to the Church, we have recognized that the valuable information compiled in our field is crucial to all servants of the Church, and all advocates of education, prevention, intervention, treatment and lifelong sobriety, including: