Catholics Returning Home
A Ministry to Inactive Catholics
Click on the topics below to find out more about Catholics Returning Home at Church of the Holy Spirit

What is Catholics Returning Home all about?

Those who have become inactive in the Church are given the chance to share hurts, decisions, or events that led to their leaving or drifting away, be offered apologies for the sins of those in the Church who have caused them pain, and experience new perspectives and renewed invitations to return to the Catholic community. If successful, participants find ways to move past old hurts or issues, and re-center God in their lives. If very successful, participants identify and embrace pathways that lead to their renewed communion with the Church as a whole.
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Who might benefit from Catholics Returning Home?

Even though people become inactive in the Church for a lot of different reasons, this program is for any of these who are seeking a more honest relationship with God, and are ready to explore the Church’s role in that relationship.
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“Why is our parish offering Catholics Returning Home?

By some estimates, there are over 60 million US citizens claimed as members by the Catholic Church, but of these, some 18 million are inactive. This group of 18 million is bigger than any other non-Catholic active or inactive religious group in our country,“ say Pastor Msgr Charles Troncale. “In our families, most all of us know, or have known, the pain of family gatherings in which there are loved ones missing from the table - due to anger, shame, or whatever reason. The family is “not whole” and the events celebrated less joyful than they would be if all were there and reconciled. Having any Catholics who have decided against, or drifted from, active communion with the Church leaves all of us less whole and our worship less joyful. Face to face, we wish to tell those who have not been with us that we really miss them, that for our part and for the pain anyone in the Church has unnecessarily caused we are truly sorry, and that we long for them to be back at the Church’s table.”
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When is the next session of Catholics Returning Home,
and how can I get more info?

Sessions are planned several times per year. Call (334) 269-2969 or the Church of the Holy Spirit parish office (334-277-5631) for more info.
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Catholics Returning Home Prayer

(Thomas Merton)

“My God, I have no idea where I am going.
 I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following Your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this
you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore, I will trust you always,
though I may seem to be lost
in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.”

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Inactive Catholic Myths

Inviting inactive Catholics home will only chase them away or anger them.....FALSE

While the WAY inactive Catholics are invited DOES matter, most importantly, inactive Catholics need to know the invitation is heartfelt and that they are missed.

Most people leave the Church due to controversies over Her teachings.....FALSE

Many just drift away, based on priorities and choices, as young adults. Nearly one 1/3 leave due to remarriage outside the Church, though many might be eligible for an annulment and remarriage IN the Church.

Inactive Catholics must not care much about returning, if they don’t. .....FALSE

Most non-practicing Catholics would like to return to the Church, but they don’t know how, and/or, they are afraid of the reception/rejection they might get if they try. Many mistakenly believe they have been excommunicated, and that this state is irreversible. Even if they were educated in the Catholic school system, many who have been away are now unfamiliar with even the most basic beliefs of the Church. There are also a large number among these who have dysfunctional, suffering, or abusive families or marriages in their past, and have difficulty feeling God’s (or the Church’s) love for them.

It is more important to focus on the state of their souls and their redemption, rather than give a false impression about their issues by being “nice.” .....FALSE

Accusations, nagging, or condemnation are generally not effective ways and not how we should reach out to this group. They are to be treated compassionately and kindly; many are so touched that they joyfully return and generously give of themselves, including their time and talents in ministries.

It is important that returnees hear as much about the current Church from priests and deacons (as opposed to laity) as possible.....FALSE

While the ordained are an important part of the entire “Welcome Back” and “We’re sorry if the Church has hurt you” message, their excessive presence can retard the process of returnees speaking freely about their past. For some angry or frightened folks, a priest can make them even more frightened or angry (and all this can be very rough on the poor priest!). This ministry is led and largely conducted by laity, most preferably by those who were once inactive themselves.

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USING THE HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS TO INVITE INACTIVE CATHOLICS HOME 

Christmas and Easter provide a special time for us to reach out inactive Catholics, because many hold on a desire to celebrate these holidays with liturgy, regardless of their habits during ordinary times.  We all should make a concentrated effort to welcome home these folks at Christmas or Easter, other family gatherings, weddings, or funerals.  This is no time to be angry that a stranger may have taken "my seat" - we should rejoice instead that they have joined us at least on this holy day, and pray that this may be a beginning for them to become more active.  Let's be welcoming and glad they're here. People will come back if they experience a warm and welcoming community they want to be part of.

The inactive or alienated Catholic – whose business is it, anyway? We need to overcome the notion that religion is a private thing. We are members of a body, the Body of Christ and we have a stake in one another. We need to let our inactive brothers and sisters know they always have a place in the Church, and that we miss them. We have found a spiritual home and should want to share it with them. Inviting inactive Catholics home is about wanting others to experience the “Life to the Full” that Jesus offers us, and the unity He so strongly wished for us all.

“We want to let our inactive brothers and sisters know that they always have a place in the Church and that we are hurt by their absence…Every Catholic can be a minister of welcome, reconciliation and understanding to those who have stopped practicing their faith."  Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization, US Conference of Catholic Bishops

 

People most often come back to the Church not because of doctrine or creed, but because in the stories of Jesus and the community they can find a home and a meaning for their own story.  Most people who return to active membership with the Church report that their journey back began with an invitation to “take another look” from another Catholic, and the knowledge they had been missed.

 

Some Ways You Can Help

*      Anticipating holidays or celebrations that might provide an opening for invitation, contact the Catholics Returning Home ministry (269-2969) to discuss or refresh yourself on ideas that might support your upcoming efforts.

*      When you escort inactive family members to holiday liturgies, weddings, or funerals, direct their attention to the Welcome Center literature rack in the vestibule, invite them to take anything that might interest them, and invite them to update themselves on what the Church has to say to them.  Many are surprised to find the Church misses them and has ministries to reach out to them.

*      Give the names of local inactive or alienated Catholics you know to the pastor or your Evangelization committee, and ask them to follow-up with invitations, talks, and care.

*      Be aware of occasions to seek out local or visiting alienated and inactive Catholic. Think about family members, friends, neighbors, etc. that you can invite to your Christmas or Easter liturgy celebration.  Extend a warm welcome to join you and our parish community at Mass. Take a few “Catholics Returning Home” calling cards or brochures from the dinette display the vestibule, and leave these with them. 

*      Support the parish by placing “Catholics Returning Home” signs in your yard a few weeks before sessions begin after the Christmas, Easter, and summer holidays.

“Go into the world and proclaim the Good News to every creature.”   Mark 16:15

*      For those visiting your home during the holidays, schedule time for Mass, and plan this into the collective plans for everyone; if visiting out-of-town relatives, ask in advance for the Mass schedule, and politely ask that plans there include time for you to attend Mass (then you can also invite those there to go with you). 

*      People you might invite outside our parish can be directed to national organizations like Catholics Come Home, who have a great website at www.catholicscomehome.org.  When visiting the parishes of inactive Catholics, you might introduce yourself to their parish priest, assure he has the person’s contact information, and request he or his local ministers do what they can to open lines of communication and invitation.

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WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN WE MAKE TO INACTIVE CATHOLICS?

 Short answer – LOTS!       To do so, be willing to pray, prepare, and work.

 Pray

Pray particularly to the Holy Spirit – the giver of bravery, inspiration, discernment, and zeal.    Pray to overcome fear of rejection or ire, that the vital work of furthering the kingdom be done.  Pray for inspiration – when we do things for God’s glory, the right words and approach are provided.  When we sincerely seek discernment, the Spirit will open your eyes and ears to those who hunger and those moments when they are ready to receive.  And lastly, ask the Spirit to reawaken your zeal for Christ and the kingdom in ever new ways.  You can’t give away what you don’t have, and evangelizing ourselves anew is always a mandatory priority before we can show Christ to others.

With prayer, great things happen.  Prayer not only changes us, but truly shows God “our head is in the game”.   Giving the time and openness to pray to be God’s instrument, wanting it, focusing on this goal in our time with our Lord – look out!  Great things will truly happen.

Prepare

  1. dispel personal misunderstandings about inactive Catholics,

  2. put in a bit of effort (in preparation and courage) to defend our faith better,

  3. educate ourselves on the tools available to invite these folks back

1.)    Despite what many believe, more often than not, the 2 out of 6 Catholics who drift from our communities for prolonged periods have:

a.       Rich personal spirituality, they just lost a sense of the role the Church might play in their lives and that of those they might touch.  They often are surprised at all the ministries and community spirit present at modern Catholic parishes like Church of the Holy Spirit.

b.      few concerns about the teachings of the Church, just questions or misunderstandings from their past Catholic experience that weren’t addressed (or they just weren’t ready to “hear” before)

c.       shyness/concerns about looking “dumb” about teachings, the Bible, what the Mass is really all about, or fright about going to confession – and they don’t feel a compassionate hand to give the small help it might take to overcome these

d.      little or no feel that our communities miss them, or will readily overlook their past

2.)    Hearing the stories of those who respond to ministries like our parish Catholics Returning Home  (CRH) program,  a very common theme arises;  these folk hunger for “something more” and “going home” - they really just want to be INVITED back.  Their stories often indicate that blessed moments and brief encounters with a Catholic who says/does the right thing at the right time make all the difference.  Are you prepared with what you would say if/when someone commented, “Oh I used to be Catholic.”?  (Call us if you we can help you here!)

3.)    Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the following tools:

a.       Call the priests or CRH anytime (269-2969) individual cases arise where you sense you might make a difference but are not sure how to proceed

b.      Familiarize yourself with the CRH program offerings (see materials available at our dining room display in the gallery), so you know what invitees can be offered from us

c.       Take a few CRH business cards, and keep these ready in your wallet.  Plan how you could use/introduce them as encounters might arise.

d.      For inspiration for this work, and/or for inactive Catholics you know outside our area, check out a national website Catholics Come Home at www.catholicscomehome.org and direct others to this to plant seeds that might lead them home.  (If you need assistance hooking up someone in programs outside our area, let us help!)

 Work:

 This ministry constantly needs help getting the word out about our Catholics Returning Home program.  Unlike most parish communications, outreach to inactive Catholics involves publicity to circles OUTSITE our church family – inactive Catholics seldom get a bulletin!   If you can help with a yard sign to promote upcoming sessions, please let us know.   If you have suggestions for new ways to raise awareness and make invitations outside our parish, please forward these to us.  Better yet, we would really appreciate your help for just a few hours several times a year to help with pre-session publicity – delivering brochures to venues who will post them, etc.

 Never doubt – we all can be a “face of Christ”, helping to bring our church family members home!  Please help.

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What if my friend or loved one does not live here?

  1. Contact Catholics Returning Home, and let us know their situation and address.   We can help search for local inactive Catholic ministries in their area, and at least make sure their local pastor knows about them, and offer his own invitations.
       
        We can also contact the individual, either by phone or mail, if either seems appropriate, and do what we can remotely.
     

  2. You can refer inactive Catholics to a new website:

http://www.catholicscomehome.org/

Catholics Come Home is an independent, non-profit charity started and supported by a number of Catholic families and individuals. This is a virtual, on-line welcoming ministry for those who have left the Catholic Church or anyone interested in becoming Catholic.  This “anonymous” inquiry process can be ideal for even the most tentative of seekers.

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WHY DO THEY LEAVE?  WHY DO THEY COME BACK TO THE CHURCH?

 The following is a synopsis of the book by the same name by Lorene Hanley Duquin.   For more detailed study, a complimentary copy of her book is available by request, from the Catholics Returning Home ministry.

 Interfaith Marriage

 Most people are surprised to learn that interfaith marriage is the No. 1 cause of someone leaving the Catholic faith. Today, nearly 50 percent of all Catholics marry a person from another religion; that percentage is usually much higher in areas where there are fewer Catholics. In about half of all interfaith marriages, one person converts to the other person’s religion. In practical terms, what that means is the parish tends to get a lot of new converts to Catholicism from other faiths, but it also loses a significant number of Catholics.  In-law pressures, desires for simplicity (especially when raising children), and pressures which arise when one spouse is significantly more affluent or socially powerful often leads a spouse to abandon their faith or practice no religion at all.

 Specialized premarital preparation helps interfaith couples crystallize the challenges and commitment (as well as the blessings!) for successful interfaith marriage, and provides tools for the Catholic to stay in the Church.  Counseling and support of other interfaith couples can provide these same tools to existing marriages. While non-Catholic spouses were once required to pledge that children would be raised Catholic, now the Catholic spouse is asked to vow to do all that is reasonably possible to raise their children in the faith, and exposure and participation in the spouse’s faith is also encouraged.  Respect should always be maintained by both sides (spouses and in-laws).  During the marriage, willingness and sacrifice to take the time for joint involvement in religious activities is key to each spouse staying faithful to their tradition.  The importance of open welcome and respect to a non-Catholic spouse can be a strong support for a Catholic to stay or return to the Church.  

 The next two reasons (loss of commitment and being “spiritual not religious”) constitute the rest of the MAJOR causes of those who become inactive in the Catholic Church. 

 Loss of Commitment

Even for those who never stop going to Mass regularly, we all go through seasons in our faith of dryness, agony, or indifference.  Too many people never attain an adult level of faith.  The problem with those who choose to curtail Church attendance is that time (as little as 6 weeks by some estimations) and habit can make it all the harder to move out of religious “dryness”, come back, grow in your faith, and experience reconversion and the “good” faith seasons.   A recent survey confirmed that as many as 60 percent of young Catholics fall away from the Church during late adolescence and early adulthood.    Later in life, low faith cycles coupled with disruptions in lifestyle (moving, new job/schedule, divorce/death, new babies, etc) can lead to falling away and inactivity in Church life.  Secularism and materialism send strong counter-messages about what is important in life.

 A “lukewarm” faith does not sustain one. What happens initially to the majority of Catholics who go inactive, is they lose their ability to see an affirmative response to one or more of the following questions:

·         What’s in it for me if I give my time, talent, or treasures to the Church?

·         Is the faith taught to me in my youth really relevant to my current life?

·         Does God expect me to stay active given the current circumstances of my life?

·         Why should I go to Church if I dislike my parish, the liturgies, the homilies, or a particular priest?

·         Does God care if I even think much about how to live my faith, recognize my mortality, my life’s bigger purpose, or if I take my relationship with God for granted?  Will God care as long as I basically strive to be “good”?

 You can’t force someone to enter into a conversion process, but you can encourage and invite.  Often the people God chooses to be His instrument may unwittingly participate – the innocence of a child (whose parents suddenly want them to know the faith), the life example/joy of an acquaintance, the peacefulness found by the elderly.  Something has to happen for the person to notice that things could/should be different in their lives. 

 Just as active Catholics “snap out” of the low cycles in our faith life, studies also show that most teenagers and young adults eventually turn back to religion.  There are general steps taken in one’s journey to a new closeness with God and the church.  At the first level of conversion, a person asks the question: “Who am I and why am I here?”  Next, in relation to the world, your family, and your friends you realize that you are not in control. You don’t have complete answers. You will not live forever. You admit that you are a dependent being in relationship to a larger mystery, and you should no longer avoid the question “How does (and how should) this mystery touch me in my life?”  Thirdly, in your limited/mortal/humble capacity, you turn to others for help on this journey, so you re-identify yourself as a Catholic Christian, and, claiming a right of your Baptism, you turn to the community to bless and enable you. Finally you realize that the seeking of the good is much bigger than you are, and sometimes it means that you put yourself second.  Your adult sense of integrity, “walking the talk” of life, focuses you to stay more in harmony with what you have discovered about the mystery of God, and put energy into your religious life. 

 Spiritual but not Religious

Many times we are tempted, sometimes for long periods, to think we can do alright by ourselves.  We see no need to go to church or take an active role in a faith community. Vanity, ego, or laziness can lead us to this temptation.  Once tempted, an increasing number of people in our society rationalize faith as a private matter between God and themselves. They reduce spirituality to individualism. Further rationalization (to salve their conscience) might cause them to store up arguments against organized religion, such as the sinfulness of its members, contradictions in its teachings or between teachings and its acts, lack of spiritual feeding in liturgies, etc.  Our modern values of individualism, self-determination, and right to be stimulated in how we spend our time – these all foster a sense in many that they are on the right track to reject involvement with organized religion.

 Like those who suffer from a loss of faith, life events can open the door for the non-religious to notice the advantages of being part of a community.  Scripture study opens the eyes that Jesus was radically communitarian in His example and desires the same for His people.  Sometimes, in a parish where you don’t feel fed and it seems too hard to “bloom where you are planted”, a change of parish attendance can be the catalyst to reconnect to the faith.  Primarily, the examples of others can lead the non-religious to take another look at their choices and lifestyle - friends or family who:

·       faithfully attend Mass and express spiritual nourishment from it

·       get involved in their parish and obviously connect how Christ comes to them through others

·       show a feeling of gratification from doing God’s will to build the kingdom, in this case through their relationships

·       find peace and meaning in healthy stewardship of time, talent, and treasure

·       with proper balance, speak of both the good and bad of parish life, but convey on the whole they are blessed by it.

 The remaining reasons below, when they uniquely contribute to one’s decision to leave the Church, are really much more rare, but can often be contributing factors along with the major causes already mentioned, and, when they apply, can tend to be more emotional or dramatic for all involved.

 Proselytized Away

The documents of Vatican II recognize the lack of respect and dignity involved in proselytizing others away from their faith, although arguably, the position of the Church has not always been so informed.   We cannot then be surprised that some other faiths still hold policies which encourage this practice, either because they demonize our faith, or because they believe in a very specific formula for salvation unique to their beliefs. 

 As in other categories, failure to form an adult faith and conscience while active in the Church leaves one vulnerable to methods of those who feel they need to “save” others from Catholicism.  Conversion comes in many shapes and forms, but a characteristic of those who do not have an adult faith is failure to have or recognize a conscious event or trend in their lives by which they personally and maturely encountered and committed themselves to God (“when they were saved”).   Vulnerable Catholics in this category can lack the skills to meet verbal challenges about their surety of salvation, or other misleading contentions (often carefully crafted to trip up all but the most astute Catholic theologian) about Scripture or Church teaching, or to recognize misleading myths or historical interpretations of both the gifts and the sins of those in the Church.  One contributing factor to the number of Catholics in this category is a too-common mistaken myth that one “graduates” from religious studies at Confirmation (usually in young adolescence), and that lifelong learning in Scripture and apologetics need not have priority in one’s life.    One cannot underestimate the importance of the “family church” from birth to young adulthood, to assure children are prepared to face these battles, and unfortunately, too many children are born to parents who are not at a point in their lives to provide this aid.   Persons who never mature from a child/adolescent internal faith are all vulnerable.

 Although all circumstances are unique, trends are seen among those who “re-convert” to Catholicism after having had allegiance with or membership in with other faiths.  (Many people, when looking into coming home are surprised to find out, that in all but very infrequent circumstances, these inactives are not automatically “excommunicated” or have to do anything other than make a sincere confession (for having missed Mass) to reinstate their good standing due to previous outside religious allegiance.)    

 Even away from the Church, honest Scripture study can provide balance to negative views of the Church.  Even within another  tradition, study in that tradition can show their own internal inconsistencies and personal interpretations  (tradition vs professed literalism) of Scripture. Many become disillusioned with an overly simplistic means to salvation that negates or minimizes the effects of a lifetime relationship.  An unbalanced practice of “scoring converts” rather than focusing on lifetime faith journey issues of longstanding members can become shallow as one moves on.  Loneliness or lack of meaning can come from a kind of intimacy with God so overwhelmingly personal that it effectively excludes others.  But most common of all, no matter the lack of faith and conscience development beforehand, those who leave the Church come back due to their hunger for Christ in the Eucharist.  Those of us who too often “go through the motions” during Sunday Mass would do well to reflect anew on this precious gift of our Lord to the Church.

 Shopping For/Converting to Other Faiths

One should begin with a respect for those who are genuinely hungry for relationship with God and recognize the value of being part of a faith community.   Those on true spiritual quests ultimately can grow to be the most fruitful member of the parish they join.   Others might take this route because for some combination of reasons, maybe, again being immature in their faith and for whatever reason don’t first look within the Church for renewal and growth.  We need to look honestly at our Church and faith practices if we cannot or do not make a profound difference in those who worship with us.   Our information society can make it too easy to search, however misguidedly, for information and a “virtual” sense of community on the internet and other less than desirable sources. Inhibitions of the past that brought fear or stigma to those who abandoned the Church of their family/heritage are no longer a significant factor of American society. 

 But whether one is drawn away, or moves away by choice, the quest for spiritual truth draws those Catholics who return back to their roots.

 Angry at the Church

It isn’t hard to encounter occasional sin or lack of compassion in the Church – after all, all our members are sinners!   Our gratitude for the blessings of our faith and its high claims for our loyalty and faithfulness make injury or scandal experienced feel all the more acute.    We celebrate the most important events of our lives sacramentally in our parishes, and we allow ourselves to be emotionally vulnerable accordingly, in the confessional, faith groups, liturgies, etc.    Since teaching is such a vital part of Church life, it is too easy to identify individuals in leadership as the Church itself; accordingly, when individuals of the Church sin, it is too easy a leap to feeling betrayed or abandoned by the Church as a whole.  Once injustice or reform opportunities are recognized or perceived, we all can suffer from impatience when issues are not corrected in the way or speed we would prefer.

 The journey home begins with recognition that there is always a bigger picture.  If our feelings can be blamed on the actions or omissions of specific individuals, one must “revisit the crime”.  Can we find compassion for how another’s journey or current crisis might open them to wrong-doing?   Can we remember that we too have let others down or caused hurt?  In the case of acute individual wrongdoing, which sadly has occurred, how can we take responsibility to get the help we might need, either spiritually or psychologically, to heal and grow?  What action might we take to achieve justice and protect others from the same harm?  In the long run, can we not let the past rule was is now in our spiritual best interests?

 When it comes to real issues with the institutional Church, at some point those who come back decide it is not worth it to cut themselves off from the sacraments and spiritual nourishment of the Church, due to concerns about some part of it.  A change of parishes or signals of changes in pastoral leadership on the local level can sometimes provide the environment and strength for healing or forgiveness as well. 

 Those angry at the Church need to know that apologizing and a desire for healing is part of our modern Church.  In March 2000, Pope John Paul II asked forgiveness for past and present sins committed by Catholics in the name of the Church. He apologized for sins against Christian unity, for the use of violence in attempting to defend the truth, for sins against Jews and people of other religions, for sins against women and against the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. This unprecedented act was repeated by many bishops around the world who asked forgiveness for the human failings in their own dioceses.

  As we know from the Lord’s prayer, healing begins with the ability to forgive others so that we might also be forgiven.

 Angry at God

Intellectually it is one thing to know there is suffering in the world, and it is another to experience it or its victims firsthand.  The search for meaning in a world of evil, injustice, broken promises, mortality, and pain is a major quest of all religions.  While it may be of little immediate comfort, some suffering can be seen as just - attributed to our own mistakes, or to a world of free wills in which God allows others to also make mistakes – all in an attempt for us to build real and life-long commitments to Him.   But what about “causeless” tragedy – natural disasters, illness and death, world poverty?  Belief that God is good and in control is very different from understanding the reasons why things occur, and faith can be strained to breaking when our limited intellect will not accept conflicts between what occurs and what our faith maintains. Anger is, simply, an emotional response to a perceived injustice.    As an emotion , how we move on from it is what matters.

 Those who cannot get past anger at God feel deeply wounded, and may have trouble letting go of the role of a victim.  At the same time they may tell themselves that there is something intrinsically wrong with getting angry at God, so instead of dealing with the anger, they may bury their feelings.  Constantly displayed or suppressed anger does not go away, however.

 The journey back begins when they are ready and find someone with an open heart that they can be totally honest with, someone they can talk to, someone who is not going to try to answer what they’re feeling or try to fix their feelings – not someone preaching to them. They need someone to listen. Grieving people need support, a deep bonding that allows two people to feel a certain unity of heart, mind, and spirit. Increasingly, Catholic parishes are starting bereavement and other support groups for people who are struggling with the loss of a loved one or other severe life crises.   How beautifully can hurt be offset (though not ever negated) by the experience of caring in a loving faith community!  Giving and receiving that caring is how we are all called to live amidst the mysteries of life, and provides an endearing means for angry/ hurt inactive Catholics to come home.

 Addictions

Faithfulness to the church requires a mature commitment of full consent.  Those who suffer from addictions lose their “room for God”.  No one chooses to become an addict.   The types of addictive agents are widespread - prescription, over-the-counter, as well as non-prescription drugs and gambling are widely recognized, but lesser appreciated (but potentially as mortal and spiritually threatening) are food, sex, nicotine, shopping, and even the Internet!  The cycle starts when a person discovers that a particular behavior or substance temporarily deadens emotional pain or physical discomfort and makes him or her feel good.  Before long, however, the person begins to rely on the substance, the capacity to deal with life’s difficulties becomes increasingly unmanageable, and finally brain chemistry is altered, completing the addiction process.

 Addicts should be treated as those suffering from an illness, not as morally unstable, lacking in willpower, or even possessed by an evil spirit.  Denial (of an addition and the suffering it causes) is an integral part of the disease that must first be overcome; key to this is ending any enabling or “co-dependency” within the addict’s circle of family and friends.  These should seek help from Al-Anon or other support groups for addict’s loved ones, for their own personal health and safety, as well as constructive ways they can help the recovery process.

 Like those who have suffered in other ways,  recovering addicts are challenged in a special way to turn their will over to God, humbly assess, repent, and ask forgiveness for their wrongs, and offer us all examples of all that can be accomplished by the power of will, faith, and prayer.   Addicts who find their way with the support and care of a faith community tend to be more inclined to “give something back” as their recovery process permits them.

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