Father Leo’s

INDIFFERENCE

“The worst sin towards our fellow creatures in not to hate
them, but to be indifferent to them. That’s the essence of
inhumanity.”

— George Bernard Shaw

For years I was indifferent to family and friends. And the tragedy
was that because of my alcoholism I did not know it! For too long I
was unaware of my disease and its multiple implications.

Today I am not indifferent. Spirituality teaches me that I am not a
spectator but a participant. I am involved in my life and, ultimately,
in the lives of others. Today I seek to practice the principles of
sobriety in every area of my life. I not only seek to be sober on a
daily basis, but I also seek to be honest, open and tolerant with
other people.

The spiritual goal of sobriety and abstinence has placed me at the
center of the universe and I know today that I make a difference
to my fellow man.

Remove from me all attitudes of indifference and apathy. Make me
a worthy steward in Your vineyard. 

Father Leo’s

HUMOR


“The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing is to be taken seriously.”

–Nicholas Murray Butler


For years I used to take myself too seriously. I thought that everything

depended upon my thoughts, actions and decisions. Life was a series of

agendas that had to be met; life was too serious to be joked about. I

knew that I was not God, but I took responsibility for the whole

universe. I had opinions on everything and everybody and I was, of

course, always right.


As the years passed it grew painful being so responsible — my control

produced stress, tension and loneliness. Then a friend said to me, “Let

go and let God.” I began to detach and laugh at my insane behavior. I

laughed more as I began to accept my humanness. I discovered

spirituality in the joke. God must have a sense of humor — after all,

He made me.


Help me to laugh at myself in my search for the Kingdom.

Father Leo’s

RISK


“We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it.”

–Mark Twain

I need to risk in life. I need to try again. I need to face life and not run from it. Early in my sobriety I was scared to try new things because I was afraid I might get hurt. I was afraid to express my feelings. I hid in the idea of simply “not drinking”.

Spirituality is about being willing to reach out into new areas, engage in new and different relationships, enjoy the richness of God’s world. As I grow in sobriety I develop the capacity to react differently to painful situations and overcome them. I learn that mistakes can make for new conquests. That lasting joys and achievements are born in the risk.

Teach me to overcome yesterday’s sorrows with today’s optimism.

Father Leo’s

 WINE

“One of the disadvantages of wine is that it makes a man mistake words for thoughts.”

–Samuel Johnson

Alcohol produced problems in my life. I was unable to control my drinking and the result was catastrophe. I hurt people. I endangered my health. I ruin my productivity. I became lonely. I felt isolated. I was forever getting into arguments. The police were often involved. People who loved me had to walk away from me for their own sanity. Alcohol made my life a mess!

Today I can see this and I am glad I made the spiritual decision to refuse the first drink. Today I am getting my life together. I am becoming a productive citizen. I have friends and relationships again.  But I need to remember what I must never forget:

Alcohol + Me = Problems.

Lord, alcohol is a gift I can refuse.

Father Leo’s - May 29 2026

SELF


“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.”

–William Shakespeare

My addiction to alcohol led me away from “self”: today in my sobriety I am beginning to understand me. For years I blamed others for my misfortunes but today I see that I was the enemy in my life. It was a “cop-out” to blame God, family, job or life for my alcoholism – I needed to take responsibility for “self”.

Part of my recovery program today involves me not looking “outside” for answers but looking within. The answer is not in the stars, not in fate – but rather in the destiny I create by the decisions I make today. I, and I alone, forge my future.

O Lord, let me create a life that is pleasing in Your sight.

Father Leo’s May 27 2026

MOTIVES


“Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.”

–Michelangelo

I must always “think big”, not in an egotistical sense but as an adventure in spirituality. When I had a small God, I always remained a small person, with small aspirations and dreams. Today I have an all-embracing inclusive God that fills the universe. Today I have hope in my dreams.

As an alcoholic I missed so much. I observed very little about myself and God’s world, people and friends became inconsequential; nothing really mattered except the desire to drink. My spiritual potential was lost in my alcoholism.

Today I am realizing my potential and I can risk in sobriety. My motto has become “go for it”. Behind my dreams is my growth. I have a sense of so much joy in the world that I wish to enthusiastically experience my life.

God, I am so grateful to be alive.

Father Leo’s May 26 2026

SPACE

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

–Neil A. Armstrong

Man is able to do such wonderful things in this world. There is no end to what man can achieve when he behaves responsibly and honestly, working together with others to discover more about himself and the universe. God has truly made man in His own image with all the power and creativity that that implies.

The danger that forever surrounds man is greed, pride and the misuse of “power”.

As a recovering alcoholic I understand this only too well. I wanted to be out in front, and ego made me arrogant and selfish. If this is true for me and other human beings, it is also true for governments, countries and alliances. Countries don’t make wars, people do; countries don’t have achievements, people do – and this universe must be seen as belonging to everyone or it will belong to no one!

Let us learn to enjoy and share Your garden and not destroy it.

Father Leo’s May 25 2026

VARIETY

“The growth of the human mind is still high adventure, in many ways the highest adventure on earth.”

–Norman Cousins

Today my life is an adventure. I am prepared for the unusual; I expect the confusion of life; I revel in God’s reflected difference within creation: variety and the acceptance of variety is part of my joy in living.

God is to be found in the “odd” things in life: The dance, relationships, Charlie Chaplin, jogging, the pet dog and the sincere hug. The adventure we find in life reflects our adventure in God.

Spirituality is seeing beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary: “The Kingdom of God is within”.

May I always seek to find You in the smallest and strangest places.

Father Leo’s May 23 2026

EFFORT
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

–Theodore Roosevelt

Because we are not perfect, we need only do our best. Because our recovery from addiction is an on-going process, we will discover that our best is improving on a daily basis. It is so easy to beat ourselves up emotionally by thinking that our best is not good enough. Even after years of recovery we still hear the old tapes: “People do not want to listen to you.” “Is that all that you can do?”

We need to remember that the disease of addiction still lives in our recovery. However, our honest attempts at dealing with a problem or helping another with a problem – provided they are honest attempts – will usually be more than sufficient.

Today I accept my best attempts with gratitude and I am not too proud to seek the advice of another.

God, accept the best that I can offer as an instrument of Your peace.

Father Leo’s May 22 2026

EARTH


“This could be such a beautiful world.”

–Rosalind Welcher

The beauty that I see in the world also reveals a sadness – a sadness in knowing that it could be a much more loving and accepting place for everybody. If only we would get together in our difference instead of demanding sameness.

We destroy so much God–given beauty by our desire to control, understand and arrogantly pursue a philosophy of selfishness – and we all lose.

But my spiritual hope for tomorrow comes in the creative choices I make today.

Let me be a good steward in Your world because it is Your gift to me.

Father Leo’s May 21 2026

ART

“Art flourishes where there is a sense of adventure.”

–A. N. Whitehead

Today I enjoy and am sustained by the adventure of life. The
adventure of living. The adventure of living my life. For years I spent
my time avoiding situations, avoiding people, avoiding me. Now in my
daily recovery I need to participate and experience my spiritual
energy. I want to meet new people. I want to travel. I want to work
productively and earn money. I want to add something to this beautiful
world.

I am discovering in my recovery that experiencing my creative
spirituality makes me an artist. God is found in the hugs I give and the
early morning “hellos” I shout to strangers. Today I am not afraid
anymore. Today I am alive.

God, may I seek and find You in the small and mundane things of life;
let me find You where I am.

Father Leo’s May 20 2026

RELIGION

“You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.”

–Viscount John Morley

I need to remember that you cannot force a person into faith. You cannot make a person believe. You cannot bribe a person into prayer. So much of my early religion was “a deal”: you do this and you will get this. If you do this for God and His church you will be happy and successful. There always seemed to be a “payoff” with God, or that was how it seemed.

I think many of the silent majority sense the same kind of thing; God has got lost in “the business” of religion. Spirituality accepts the pain, confusion and anger of this silent majority and says, “find a God as you understand Him.” Discover your power in your life – and then God will be perceived.

Lord, in my silence is the “shout” heard.

Father Leo’s - May 19 2016

MONEY

“Money is the symbol of duty. It
is the sacrament of having done
for mankind that which mankind
wanted.”

–Samuel Butler

St. Paul said, “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” In one sense money –
how people pay us for the services we have performed – is symbolic of
our value in the community. Of course, this is not always true and
people can make money by dishonest and destructive methods.

However, in our society money is also a force behind much creativity
and job satisfaction. The danger is to become a “snob”. Thinking that
we are better than others because we earn more money.

Spirituality is about discovering the “oneness” of mankind and
incorporating our creative “difference” – we can all learn from each
other. Pretentiousness is indicative of insecurities that need to be
dealt within our recovery program.

O Lord, let my gratitude be seen in my relationship with others.

Father Leo’s - May 18 2026

FAITH

“Faith has need of the whole truth.”

–Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Faith is a journey that ends in God. Our understanding of imperfection
teaches us to look beyond ourselves into the truth that is yet to be
revealed. Our daily attitude adjustments bring us, step by step, to that
truth and freedom that awaits us in the future.

Sufficient today to know that we are not God and nobody has all the
answers. The hardest part of being a human being is accepting the
limitations of our lives. Things happen without our involvement. We
need not be there for existence to happen; there is life beyond me! God
holds the world together, not me. Truth is in me but also beyond me. In
this sense my faith is enriched by others, and at some point in the
future we will all become ONE in truth.

As I look to the future I see the Oneness of tomorrow.

Father Leo’s - May 17 2026

TOLERANCE


“Tolerance is the positive and cordial effort to understand another’s beliefs, practices and habits without necessarily sharing or accepting them.”

–Joshua Liebman

Today I am able to tolerate people, listen to what they are saying and if I do not agree with them, it is okay! I do not have to agree with a person to tolerate or befriend him.

This is a new attitude for me and is part of my spiritual program. When I was drinking, I would not listen to people who had ideas different to mine. I would not tolerate people who had a different philosophy on life. Other religions were discounted as being cultish, crude or superstitious. I have learned that my disease of alcoholism made me very arrogant and narrow in my attitude to life – I rejected two-thirds of the world as being heretical!

Today I can tolerate and learn from people who view God, the world and morality differently from me. Spirituality is teaching me to be open and accepting.

Lord, may I find traces of Your love in different philosophies and religions.

Father Leo’s - May 16 2026

LIBERTY

“Liberty means responsibility.That is why most men dread it.”

–George Bernard Shaw

The fellowship of recovering addicts and their families rejoice in the freedom of life; the exchange of slavery to a drug or person for liberty; a life of choice, rather than meaningless compulsion.

But with the gift of liberty comes the weight of responsibility. Today I am responsible for my life. No longer can I say I do not know; no longer can I blame others for my disease; no longer can I manipulate in the “playground of denial”.

The spiritual program requires a maturity of lifestyle that involves responsibility – but the joys are immense.

O Master of liberty and responsibility, let me not forget to laugh.

Father Leo’s - May 14 2026

SEX

“A little theory makes sex more interesting, more comprehensive and less scary. Too much is a put-down especially as you’re likely to get it out of perspective and become a spectator of your own performance.”

–Dr. Alex Comfort

We make too much of sex because we are afraid of it. We abuse God’s gift of sex by placing it out of context, removing it from the other things that make it meaningful, e.g., gentleness, trust, sensitivity, communication and commitment.

The performance becomes more important than the expression. The meaning gets lost in the event. God’s precious gift of sex is abused by the sex act itself and it then begins to feed on itself. Compulsive sex is only demonstrated loneliness!

Spirituality teaches me to see all things as part of God’s gift of “wholeness” and sex is an important part of this – but only a part.

God, in the awareness of my sexuality, may I discover a relationship with myself, others and You.

Father Leo’s - May 12 2026

RESPONSIBILITY


“Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment and learn again to exercise his will, his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals.”

–Albert Schweitzer

God has created me to be a responsible human being and that means that I must seriously consider the choices and decisions that could affect my life and the lives of others. Today I understand that true freedom can only be experienced within the restraints of a responsible life.

For years I blamed other people for my drunken behavior – family, bishops, job, world situations – even God! But the truth was that I lived an irresponsible life around alcohol. I ignored the facts that surrounded my drinking.

Today I make a responsible decision not to drink, and I also take responsibility for my life. I cannot blame other people for the mistakes that I made. My real freedom is experienced in my responsibility.

Give me the freedom to impose my own constraints.

Father Leo’s - May 11 2026

PROCRASTINATION

“Procrastination – the art of keeping up with yesterday.”

–Don Marquis

Today I try to do all that I have set myself to do in a given day. I make a
list of things that I need to do and a list of those things that I want to do –
the things I “need” to do usually take priority.

This was not always the case. As a drinking alcoholic my life was
littered with promises that were never kept, intentions that were never
honored, appointments and meetings that did not happen. I pushed
everything into tomorrow – and tomorrow never came.

My understanding of spirituality involves a responsibility for those things
that I need to do. When I awake, I thank God for my sleep and I make a
silent intention not to drink today; then I face my responsibilities. I
separate my “needs” from my “wants” and I remember that I have a
responsibility to other people: family, friends and colleagues. Today I am
learning to live in my day.

Lord, may I do the things I should do and may I find time for those
things I want to do.

Father Leo’s - May 10 2026

CREATIVITY

“When one is painting, one does not think.”

–Raphael Sanzio

An artist is predominantly a person who feels rather than thinks; he is molding his most inner experiences into the finished product.

I am doing the same in my sobriety. Today I am molding something good and wholesome from a life that was negative and destructive. I am rediscovering God, not just in thoughts and ideas, but in the daily happenings of my life. God is not only an idea but He is alive in my relationships, behavior and daily acts of kindness.

God is a process in which I am involved. He is at the center of my life, regardless of the ordinariness of the event. Art is part of my life because I am a creative human being.

Teach me to look beyond the painting into myself.