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Prayer for Inner Healing

Fr. Emile Frische and Mike & Mary Gibbons

(Priest Convention, July 8, 2005)
Used with the permission of
Fr. Emile Frische and Mike & Mary Gibbons

[EDITOR NOTE: The following prayer was read by Fr. Emile and Mike & Mary at the Priest Day prior to the 2005 WWME National Convention. It was directed more toward the priests, which explains why parts being read by Mike or Mary may sound as if they are referring to their journey as a priest. This is a powerful prayer and can be easily adapted for couples by replacing those parts referring to the journey of Holy Orders with the journey of Holy Matrimony.]

Emile: Father, I thank you for your Son, Jesus, who died on the Cross not only for my sins, but also for my fears. I thank you that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that He wants me to be completely whole: spirit, soul and body.

Father, I ask you to send Jesus to walk back with me through every second of my life, to heal me and make me whole.

Father, you gave me Your Son, Jesus, to come and set me free. Free from all that would prevent me from living life fully. I now turn to Jesus, Your Son, my Lord, and ask Him to journey with me through the history of my life.

Mike: Jesus, you knew all about me even before I was born. Thank you for being there as life began. If fear or any other negative force was transmitted to me as I was in my mother’s womb, set me free from those forces.

(Maybe your mother didn’t plan you, didn’t want you, didn’t love you. Maybe she felt resentful, scared, depressed.

Maybe your father forced himself upon your mother, and didn’t really care about her feelings.)

(Glory be to the Father ... Then continue.)

I call on you, Jesus, from my very beginning, fill me with your precious love. Lord, let your eternal love remove all fear.

Mary: Lord Jesus, walk back with me through every second of my life during those early years.

(Maybe you were separated from your parents because of sickness. Maybe you were born into a large family and did not receive the love that was needed. Maybe there were times of painful loneliness. Maybe you were abused mentally, physically or emotionally by your family.)

Glory be to the Father ... Then continue.

Lord Jesus, go back and fill every void. Give the love that was not received. Remove every hurt. Take away all fears: fears of darkness, fear of falling, fear of animals, fear of being lost, fear of people who hurt me, fear of being alone.

I thank you for being with me in my early years. I thank you, Jesus, for setting me free and for your eternal love which fills my heart and heals me.

Emile: I pray, Lord Jesus, that you will take my hand and walk to school with me. On that very first day when I had to let go of my mother’s hand, my father’s hand to work and play with kids I didn’t know - at times I felt shy and awkward. I was afraid to leave home and go into these new situations. Jesus, there were times I felt embarrassed at school. I put all those memories into your hands now and ask for healing. For the times I was treated harshly by a teacher, or was hurt by classmates. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

(Maybe you couldn’t keep up with classmates physically or intellectually.
Maybe you were laughed at or ignored, lonely.

Maybe you couldn’t fit in, maybe there were fears – of failing, of speaking in front of the class, of punishment; maybe a fear of some of your teachers.) Glory be...

Thank you, Jesus, for healing those hurts and setting me free from those fears. I thank you Jesus for being with me through every day of my school years. I thank you, and I praise you.

Mike: Lord Jesus, I thank you for my mother.

(If you did not know your mother, ask Jesus to fill that void, that empty place, and give you all the love you needed.) Glory be …

Jesus, I ask you to stand between my mother and me and let your love flow between us. I ask forgiveness from my mother for any way I have hurt her or failed her; and I forgive her for any way she hurt me or failed me. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

Mary: Lord Jesus, I thank you for my father.

(If you did not know your father, ask Jesus to fill that void, that empty place and give you all the love you needed.) Glory be …

Jesus, please stand between my father and me. I pray that your divine love will mend any broken relationship. I ask forgiveness from my father for any way I hurt or failed him; and I forgive him for any way he hurt or failed me. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

Emile: I lift up my brothers and sisters to you, Jesus. Where there were feelings of competition, jealousy or resentment, I ask that your healing power and love mend every broken relationship. I forgive each brother and sister for hurting or failing me; and I ask their forgiveness for hurting or failing them. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

Mike: Thank you, Jesus, for being there in my teenage years. There were new problems and fears to be faced. Some of these were very painful and affected me deeply. As each painful memory is brought to mind, I pray that you will embrace each one and wipe the pain from my mind. Take away any feeling of humiliation, embarrassment, guilt, fear of failure. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

(Maybe you were teased because of your looks or your size or because you didn’t have what the other kids had. Maybe you didn’t have any friends there. Maybe you were embarrassed because your parents were strict with you. Maybe there were hurts from broken relationships. Maybe you did poorly at school.) Glory be …

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving me as a special, unique individual then, and for being there in every situation. Thank you, Jesus, for being with me through every day of my teenage years.

Mary: And, Jesus, continue to walk with me as I experienced new fears, frustrations and pain as I prepared to leave home. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

(Maybe you were afraid of leaving the security of home. Maybe you couldn’t get in to the college you really wanted. Maybe you couldn’t even make up your mind what you really wanted to do or be.) Glory be …

Jesus, I may have struggled in answering your call to serve you as a priest. I kept putting it to the back of my mind as I pursued other avenues and really didn’t give you the time that I needed to give you. I was confused for a while, but then you put someone into my life to show me what you were asking of me. I thank you, Jesus, for that person – priest, couple, single person – for being your instrument in guiding me to give my life to you. I thank you, Jesus, for never letting me go.

Emile: Jesus, as I entered the seminary I was excited and promised to really be the best priest I could possibly be. The lectures were way beyond me at times, especially right at the beginning when I didn’t understand a word that was being said. All these new concepts, especially during philosophy - Lord Jesus, I tried to understand all that, but sometimes gave up in frustration. There were times when I wanted to give up and walk out on you – when you seemed so distant from me. But, really, it was me distancing myself from you. Jesus, I ask you to hold my hand as I go through those early times in the seminary – to allow me to see that you were always there with me, loving me, especially when the going was tough.

Mike: Lord, as it came to the year of Ordination, I may have thought that I knew everything, and that there was nothing that anyone could teach me any more. Jesus, I ask for forgiveness for my pride and arrogance. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

I thank you for all those who through their prayers and sacrifices journeyed with me through all these years leading up to my Ordination. I thank you especially for my parents, brothers and sisters. I thank you for all those from my home parish community – for the way they held me and continue to hold me in their prayers and in their hearts. I ask for forgiveness from all of them for the times when I didn’t pray for them and failed to show them acts of kindness when I was home on vacation. In you eternal love I know I have forgiveness.

Mary: Jesus, in answering your call to serve you as a priest, you ask me to walk with you all the way to Calvary. I know that you will never ask me to do anything which you yourself have not done. You ask me to give myself completely to you so that I will be free to serve my people with all my heart, mind, body and soul. Jesus, there have been times when I’ve not given myself totally to you or to the people you have called me to serve. I have not always celebrated my sexuality and valued the gift of celibacy. I have misused that gift at times, and ask for forgiveness from you and from those who suffered because of my selfishness. Teach me to love completely and honestly, Jesus, as you love me. Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart and heal me.

Emile: Also, Jesus, in the area of time, I have been selfish, putting myself ahead of you and others. When it comes to material things, Lord, there is always the temptation to reach out and get what I want, and it’s not always the things that I need. Give me deeper understanding Jesus, of your words to ‘come to you. . ‘ and find there the energy and fulfillment of my mission. Give me a deeper understanding of the power of your eternal love.

Mike: Jesus, you said that you have not come to do your own will, but the will of Him who sent you. As I take my oath, vow, promise of obedience to my Bishop or Superior, I know that I am called to be YOU, alive in the world today. As you are obedient to the Father and know His will, I am sometimes tempted to want to do my own thing and go my own way because of some superior attitude I may have. Jesus, right now, I ask you to be with me as I ask forgiveness from my Bishop, Superior, pastor, or whoever was appointed to form and guide me on my journey as priest, and I ask forgiveness for the times I did not listen to them and refused to acknowledge them as persons chosen by you to help me. Again, Jesus, I may have been hurt by some of these people also, and right now I forgive them and promise to be reconciled with them. Thank you, Jesus for the graces you give me to see the giftedness of these people.

Mary: Jesus, I thank you for the way you are present to me every day of my life. I thank you especially for the privilege of being your instrument there at the Altar celebrating Eucharist. What a fantastic grace that is Jesus. There have been times when I haven’t properly prepared myself for this, Jesus. I’ve been busy with other things and rushed in to the sacristy with just enough time to robe myself and beat the bell to get out there to “say” Mass. I ask for your forgiveness and healing, Lord. I also ask for forgiveness from the people who were at those Masses – for not being for them what I am called to be – priest and servant. I ask for forgiveness for my pride. Thank you, Jesus for the constant reminders that I am called to be servant – to wash the feet of my people. Thank you Jesus that I am your priest forever.

Emile: Jesus, in my ministry with Worldwide Marriage Encounter, I thank you for all those couples who witness so powerfully to their sacrament of Matrimony. I thank you for their faithfulness and example – for the way they show me the path to life, which includes the road to Calvary and beyond. Jesus, for all those couples here today, (and especially for the couple right here with me today – with whom I am privileged to serve), I thank you for the sacrifices they constantly make so that there will be renewal in the Church and change in the world. For the times I’ve been stubborn and slow to respond to their enthusiasm and needs, I ask for forgiveness from them right now, and ask you, Jesus to embrace them with love and gratitude – Lord, let your eternal love fill my heart that I may embrace them right now with that same love and gratitude.

Mike: Jesus, I ask for your blessing, that I may continue to be a good priest. I thank you for walking back through every second of my life right up to the present moment. I thank you for going way down into the deep and dark recesses of my mind and cleansing me. I thank you for healing my emotions, my mind and my memories. Thank you for healing me of all hurts, fears, uncertainties, and for setting me free. Thank you for filling me with your love. I thank you for giving me peace. I thank you, Jesus, for making me whole. I give thanks to you Lord, I trust in you Lord because you are good and your love is eternal.

Mary: Help me to love myself fully, as you love me. Help me to love others. Help me to embrace your love and to become all you intend me to be. Help me to be clay in my Father’s hands. My God, in you I trust. And to you I give all the praise and all the glory this day and forever.

In Your Name I Pray, AMEN

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