AYBE YOU CARRY WITHIN YOU WOUNDS FROM THE PAST that still rankle in your heart. It is helpful to return to the events that produced these negative feelings so as to drain them of any harmful effect that they might be having on you today.

Return to some scene in the past where you have felt pain or grief or hurt or fear or bitterness… Relive the event. See the place and the people and what was done in detail… But this time seek and find the presence of the Jesus in it… In what way was He present?

Or imagine that Jesus himself is taking part in the event… What role is he playing?… Speak to him. Ask him the meaning of what is happening… Listen to what he says in reply…

Return to the event again and again in your imagination until you are no longer affected by the negative feeling that is produced.

It would be good to write down your personal reminiscences of where you have felt pain, grief, hurt, fear, or bitterness. Journaling in this way will help you to take hold of those events in your life story rather, than having the events take hold of and influence you.

Questions to reflect on and write about after the prayer:

• What happened in the prayer?
• What did Jesus do?
• Did you experience any spiritual and emotional benefits in this exercise?

[1] Anthony de Mello, Sadhana— a way to God.