06 July 2017
 |
| artist Marion Honors, csj |
I invite you
to close your eyes and to feel into your breath, the gentle rise and fall of inhale
and exhale. With each wave upon wave of breath, enter the refugee of welcoming silence
... Feel yourself embraced by the luminous quiet of Mystery, of Holy Presence
... What you need is here ...
Ask
yourself: Is there someone with whom I need to reconcile? A person with whom I
am angry or who has hurt me deeply? Someone who incites my judgment, avoidance,
or exclusion?
If
comfortable, allow the image of this person to surface in your imagination. Notice
thoughts and memories that arise, how these rest as feelings or sensations in
your body ...
Gaze into this
persons' eyes. She/he is sometimes afraid, hurting, angry, joyful, and loving,
a person with hopes and dreams, sorrows and joys. She/he, like you and all of
creation, is filled at the core with Holy Presence.
Bring your
awareness to the space of your heart. Breathe deeply into this space the always
abiding and already healing love of our Holy One ... Breathe out peace and
healing into the heart of the other ...
Repeat this
circle of breathing until you feel a softening in your heart, a release from
separation and alienation from this person. (If this is not possible, surrender
any and all judgment of yourself. You can return to this prayer at another
time.)
Allow the
image of your person to fade.
Take a few
more moments of silence to rest into the freedom of healing and peace ... What
you need is here ...
You might
end this prayer by dancing the dance of releasement, writing a poem and/or listening
to the You Tube "Be Still" by Shaina Noll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUSESEwMtY.
Often we are
unwilling to surrender our "righteousness" perspective or we refuse
to accept "what is" true in the reality of our life situation,
leading to all kinds of suffering within ourselves and between persons. There
are also persons who have caused us immense pain through abuse. We can forgive
them, too, without engaging in further relationship, thus releasing ourselves
while wishing them healing and all good things.
A helpful
resource is found in a chapter from "The Grace in Aging" by Kathleen
Dowling Singh entitled Forgiveness as
Liberation from Aversions: Freedom from Anger and Judgment.
Another
resources is on You Tube: "Forgiveness in the Service of Justice" by Sr.
Margaret Farley
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