w/ Sis. Mary Jean Saile

• Individual task:1.   Draw your “Roots” make a symbolic drawing2.   Think of 5 different elements that make up the foundation of your life.3.   As you draw the roots, mark out your thoughts, feelings

and reactions.• Small group sharing:

1.Share answer 1&2 to question of Individual Task2.share your roots, explain different parts and

meaning3.Whose influence do I value most and why?4.Ask for clarification only5.Pray for the persons on your right and left

Individual task:1.Draw your trunk. “Make a symbolic drawing”2.Think of your personal strength, talents, qualities of the

heart and mind at least 5. Think of your 5 weaknesses.3.Make a note of your feelings, thoughts and reactions while

doing the exerciseSmall group sharing:1.Share your trunk, explaining different parts.2.Share 5 of your strengths and 5 weaknesses3.Share your feelings, thoughts and reactions4.Identify a strengths that you observe in each group member

of your group and add it to the trunk.5.Pray for the person on your right and left.

- thanking God for the positive and asking for grace overcome the negative

Individual Task: Draw your Branches1.   Think of your contribution to social relationship,

sense of community, your reaching out to others.2.   Make a symbolic drawing of your branches with

flowers, birds, nest, fruits, butterflies and etc.3.   Note your feelings, thoughts and reactions while

drawing and after drawing it.4.   small group sharing”

a)   share your branches and explain your different parts.

b)   Share two (2) accomplishments.c)   Share your current involvement flowering

deep life giving relationship.d)   Share the feelings, thoughts and reactions you have noted down.

OVERVIEWMost of the entire marriage, the priesthood or religious life and single blessedness already with a lot of hurts and traumas of the past. Many are still suffering from the wounds and scars of childhood, Unconsciously, we carry them into our vocations and they become obstacles to positive and open relationships crucial not only in the life we have chosen but even in our service to God.

HEALINGIn this fallen world, almost everyone succumbs to sickness. Whether it be the common cold of the deadly cancer, sickness has a way of disrupting the design God meant for life. Its very nature is to destroy or afflict the body that He created. Therefore, it becomes a bondage of the infirm person. But with every sickness comes the hope of divine healing through the blood of Jesus.

• The meaning of DialogueDialogue means listening and

speaking in depth from the core of our being. It implies mutual give and take, mutual exchange and sharing of ideas, beliefs, meaning appreciation, resources and experience.

listeningspeaking

givetake

• We must dialogue with OURSELVES as we listen to the “voices” that speaks from within. When we do, we learn more about our feelings, convictions, needs and desires, intentions, and how we are being affected by our past circumstances.

OURSELVESwithin

feelings convictions needsdesires intentions

•We need to have dialogue with OTHERS to bring the truth, to enrich ourselves with the knowledge and belief of others. We listen not only to their voices but to their hearts.

OTHERS

knowledgetruth

others

• We also listen and read the SIGN OF THE TIMES, the environment through the “sights and sounds”, the happening and events in our social, political, economic and cultural environment where we are constantly invited to respond as loving children of God.

SIGNOF THE TIMES

sights sounds

social political economiccultural environment

• Dialogue with any group is saying what you really think when you feel it should be expressed, rather than keeping your ideas, opinions and feelings to yourself. This does not mean honestly just for honesty’s sake, but contributing what you feel will assist the group in whatever task it is attempting to accomplish or will help the group a more cohesive, effective group.

ideas opinions feelings yourself

• Too often we do not feel free to express our true thoughts, for fear of punishment, rejection, or ridicule, or we keep our feeling hidden for other reason. We don’t like what the group is doing, or we think what it is doing could not affect healing from within us, so we are reluctant to share these feelings with the group.

feel freeexpress true thoughts fear

ridicule feelingpunishment rejection

hidden

• If given and received in the proper manner and at the appropriate time, however, dialogue can clear the air between people and provide a more solid and honest foundation upon which to build. It provides the feedback a person needs to find out how his attitudes and behavior are affecting others and the basis for experimenting with other behaviors that might be more effective or acceptable. If given in a supportive manner, to help rather than to hurt, to provide information that maybe helpful or necessary in analyzing or understanding a problem, it can reduce a fear, suspicion, and distrust, and provide a sound basis for the development of healthy productive and creative working or personal relationships.

dialogue clearair people provide

attitudes behavior

analyzing understanding

• If all members of the group feel the responsibility to contribute to the group and willingly and openly share their feelings, ideas, and opinions, the total resources of the group are being used to complete the group’s task and to solve any problems that might arise. If even one member does not feel free to participate with the group in this way, the group is not as effective as it could be.

membersresponsibility contribute

willingly openly

solveproblems

• Sometimes we experience a lack of freedom in ourselves, an inability to cope with something an inability to forgive, a fear, a problem with uncontrollable anger, or something like that. No matter how we pray or what we do, nothing seems to help. The first step once again is discernment. We need to discover the root of the problem. Very often it helps to talk it over with a spiritual director.

freedom ourselves

forgiveangeranger

discernment

• Sometimes our weakness or constraint is a result of an inconsistent or inadequate prayer life. Sometimes it is a result of an unwillingness to face the truth, or to let go of something we want, or a lack of discipline in our lives. Sometimes it is because we are too busy or too tired. Sometimes it’s because we have not forgiven another. In instance like these, what we need for healing is repentance not prayer. If we take time to discern and if we make use of spiritual direction, this sort of thing will come to light.

unwillingness truth

livesbusy tired

repentance

• Sometimes, though, the problem or problems are rooted in the deep past, even in the time we were being carried in our mother’s womb or in the process of birth. No matter how loving our home life has been, no matter how happy our childhood, it was not perfect; so we carry in ourselves the wounds of bad experiences, some of which we have not thought about in years…

rooted

ourselves woundsexperiences

• There is a way of praying for the healing of past experiences. It is sometimes called “Healing of Memories”, sometimes “Psychological Healing”. It rest on the fact that Jesus is the Lord of all time past, present, and future, that He can even change the past.

prayingpast experiences

Lord

• A year or so ago, one of the women in our community said to me in passing that I had a lot of bitterness in me. I was busy at the time and busy afterwards with a lot of things, so I did not do anything about it. From time to time her remarks occurred to me, tone of voice, a certain harassment would color my relation with others. I would ask forgiveness when I could and move on. A few months ago I had occasion… to use my prayer time to be healed of the affects of bad experience in the past.

• I began setting quietly in God’s presence, and after reminding myself of His perfect love and of His desire to heal me, I asked Him to bring to my mind the memories of the experience which were at the root of this buried bitterness. The first memory came back almost at once. I saw my self on the stairway of my high school the first day of my freshmen year. I was a fat little twelve-year-old between two much larger boy’s.

• It was a scene that I hadn’t thought about in over 25 years. I saw their faces clear and I even remember their names. A priest walked by and said, “Hello”. I had served Mass for him many times. The other boys did not know the priest and began to ridicule me for trying to “get in” with them. I was getting off to a very bad start. I really couldn’t understand why saying hello was so misunderstood.

• At that point in my recollection I forgave each of them. Then, in my imagination I walked back into that scene with Jesus by my side. I could imagine each of the boys becoming elf-conscious and confused as they saw Jesus. I could see Jesus forgiving them and urging them to be more loving and understanding. Then he turned to the little boy (me) and He let me know that what I had done was all right, that the other boys were wrong in what they did and they were sorry. I really felt His love. I could see the little boy begin to smile, and then we walked out of the recollection. In the course of a week’s prayer I had about fifty experiences like that, and I find that much of the bitterness and harshness has disappeared from my behavior. Praise God!

1.   Begin by resting in the presence of God.2.   Recall His love and power.3.   Ask Him to bring to your mind the memories of the

bad experiences of the past which affect you now.4.   Be quite and let them come to mind.5.   Walk back into those recollections with Jesus and

imaginatively reconstruct what would happen.6.   Thank Jesus for His love Healing.

• Sometimes this must be done more than once. You know when you are healed when the child or person in the memory is smiling and happy because of the presence and love of Jesus.