GUIDED SPIRITUAL MEDITATION
GIVEN BY FATHER JOE BREIGHNER
DURING MARRIED COUPLES’ RETREAT – MALVERN
SEPTEMBER, 2000
As Father Joe began his talk, he instructed us to close our eyes and relax…….Then he asked us to do the following……………………
Paint a scene. Picture yourself seated in a room at a desk with a glass door leading into that room, and you are seated at your desk, writing your autobiography – you are writing the story of your life…maybe using pen and paper or on a computer, but picture yourself now seated at a desk writing the story of your life and there is a glass door leading into the little room. What do you think you would say about your life? How do you feel about the way that you have lived your life?
Now, as you sit at your desk working on your life story, become aware that a figure is standing outside that glass door …. someone is watching you as you work on your autobiography. Try to image someone that you “know” loves you: A father or a mother; a brother or a sister; a spouse; a child; or, a friend. Imagine someone you know who “really” loves you. What do you think that person is thinking about you as they watch you write the story of your life?
And now, let yourself be aware that the love coming from that person is being magnified a thousand times. You have never felt such love coming toward you. Just let all of that love pour over you like waves of the ocean on a gentle summer day.
Now, as your body stays at the desk working on the story of your life, in your mind’s eye gently let your spirit sort of float out of your body, float across the room, float through that glass door and just stand next to this person watching you. Listen to what that person is saying:
“I love you so much. You are so special. You are so good. For all eternity I waited for you to be born. I am so happy that you are here. You are my child. You are my son. You are my daughter. I love you unconditionally. I love you just the way you are. I could have created a world without you, but a world without you is not the kind of world I wanted.”
And, as your spirit stands next to this figure, you realize you are standing next to God. You are hearing what God thinks about you. Now gently let your spirit move from beside God and let your spirit go right “inside” God. Let your spirit go right into that Sacred Heart, right into that divine mind, let your spirit move right inside God and look back at yourself at the desk through God’s eyes. Listen to what else God is saying:
“I love you so much. I understand you. I know how hard you have tried in life. I know all of the pain that you have experienced. I have always been with you, and I am with you now. Your sins, I know them and they are forgiven – I forgive them. Your wounds, I see them – let me touch and heal them. I understand your motives for all of the actions of your life. I see what you did through fear. I know how you acted sometimes out of ignorance. I love you. I care about you. Let go of your hurts and give them to me. Let go of your fears and trust me. Let go of all of your negative thoughts and let me breathe my spirit of peace and joy on your mind and heart. You are mine. I love you. I will never forget you.”
Now, as your spirit dwells inside the person of God, as you look at yourself through God’s eyes, what else do “you” hear God saying right now? What words of forgiveness do you hear? What words of healing do you hear? What words of hope and encouragement do you hear? What does it feel like to see yourself through the eyes of someone who knows everything about you and loves you just the way you are? Just let God’s love and peace and joy pour over you like sunlight on a spring day.
Now slowly, in your mind’s eye, let your spirit move out of the person of God. Let your spirit drift back through the glass door, back across the room, and back into your body as you continue to write the story of your life. And, in your mind’s eye, look up from that desk and look back at God. Look right into His eyes, eyes of unconditional love, eyes of love that accept you just the way you are. Now you can pick up your pen or go back to your keyboard and continue writing your autobiography. But now, you notice that the story of your life is forever changed. Your life story from this moment on is a love story. A story of a God who fell in love with his own creature. The story of a God in love with his child. The story of a God who sets you free to love and to be loved.
Now gently let yourself come back in this Church (be here again) and let yourself be aware that what you just saw is the way life really is. You have just seen yourself through the eyes of God, and know you are loved and know you are free.
…..“Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)
momsfirstscreenn
