In the 9th verse of Psalm 51 the penitent asks for a total cleansing:

Psalm 51:9: “Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow.”

(Via USCCB.)

The penitent asks for a restoration of their purity. In a way, a “recovery” of what they were before their sin disfigured their soul.

This is what we should be seeking when we are involved in our recovery from addiction. Alcoholism and addiction seriously distorts our true selves, it disrupts the “normal” path of life that we should have been on. Recovery seeks to restore what was lost. (This is for most people. For some, like me, recovery has been more than just “recovering” a normal life, it has been part of a call to spread the Gospel, although in not very traditional methods.)

We are children of God and as such our lives and souls should be a reflection of that. Although it is extremely hard to accomplish that in today’s world, purity can be achievable by heroic efforts. With God’s help, it can be done.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)