Matthew 5:8 

 As we welcome 2026, we take time to reflect on the health of our own spirituality and behaviors. Since August 2025, the HUM Prayer Newsletter has been on a shared journey through the Beatitudes—exploring how these teachings speak into our own lives, the lives of our loved ones in need of healing and prayer, and the lives of the men and women we serve at Helping Up Mission. 

The sixth Beatitude is my personal favorite and lies at the very

heart of the AA/NA Twelve Steps of recovery: 

To be pure in heart means living from our authentic self—being the same person on the inside as we are on the outside. Our words align with our actions, our motives are clear and transparent, and we have nothing to hide from others or from ourselves. 

As HUM clients do courageous and often difficult recovery work, AA/NA Steps Four, Five, and Six are central to cleansing the heart of addictive behaviors. Many who struggle with addiction live with a “split” inner life—deep feelings of unworthiness and shame on the inside, while presenting a “know-it-all” or self-protective mask to the world. Through the AA/NA Steps, individuals take a fearless moral inventory and admit their shortcomings to themselves, to God, and to another person. Speaking these truths aloud is a powerful act of humility that brings self-awareness, healing, and the ability to begin meaningful self-correction. 

This self-correction is not a one-time event—it is a lifelong journey. Addictive behaviors are rooted in the ego, and recovery requires daily vigilance, honesty, and surrender. 

When the heart is cleared of addictive vices and destructive

patterns, we are better able to see God—because our hearts

begin to reflect God’s heart. And when we see God more

clearly, we begin to see Him in others. Mother Teresa

captured this beautifully when she said: 

“A pure heart is necessary to see God in each other. If you see God in each other, there is love for each other; then there is peace.” 

As we lift our daily prayers—for our loved ones, for the men and women at HUM, and for all those on our prayer list—may all who seek God discover His peace within their hearts. May we be transformed by mercy, grounded in grace, and filled with His divine peace.