RESOURCES FOR A Forgiveness PRAYER workshop
Saturday, January 16th, 2021, 10 am - 3:00 pm
Facilitated by Therese Saulnier
Here you will find materials you can use to prepare for the workshop.
You are welcome to join us for only a portion of the time; please consult the schedule below.
Materials include:
• schedule;
• description of the workshop;
• description of the Forgiveness Prayer practice;
• Forgiveness Prayer workshop outline;
• audio recording of Mary Mrozowski leading the Forgiveness Prayer;
• video recording of the workshop. Participant questions and sharing have been edited out for privacy reasons, but Therese’s responses have been retained;
• Contemplative Outreach booklet and CD about the Forgiveness Prayer;
• a link to William Meninger’s book The Process of Forgiveness, available through the Contemplative Outreach bookstore, recommended reading for the workshop;
• a film, The Power of Forgiveness, may be streamed here for $2.99. This film is about the nature of forgiveness rather than the Forgiveness Prayer, 1 hour 17 minutes long;
• instructions for centering prayer;
• how to prepare for an online quiet day.
Schedule - Approximate
10:00 Introduction to Day
10:15 Centering Prayer
10:35 Break
10:40 What is forgiveness?
11:10 Break
11:15 Forgiveness Prayer experience
11:30 Q & A
12 Noon Silent Lunch
12:45 Forgiveness Prayer experience
1:00 Q & A
1:30 Break
1:35 Forgiveness Prayer in everyday life
2:00 Q & A
2:40 Integrating Forgiveness Prayer into everyday life
2:50 Closure
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Forgiveness Prayer Workshop
Saturday, January 16th, 10 am - 3:00 pm
Facilitated by Therese Saulnier
The Forgiveness Prayer can teach us to open to God’s grace so that we may forgive when we are hurt, wounded or offended.
In this online workshop we will explore the nature of forgiveness and learn how the Forgiveness Prayer can open us to God’s healing presence and action. How do we forgive? What if we want to forgive but cannot? How do we forgive ourselves?
There will also be a Centering Prayer period during the workshop. Experience with Centering Prayer is suggested for participants.
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Therese Saulnier is a long standing member of Contemplative Outreach. She has been praying Centering Prayer for over 30 years and praying the Forgiveness Prayer for over 25 years. Therese shares her experience that before she learned the Forgiveness Prayer she really did not know how to forgive.
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The Forgiveness Prayer Practice
Take some deep breaths, and just breathe in, and breathe out. I am going to suggest that you begin to focus. You take your mind's eye, that intuitive eye, and you bring your attention to the top of your head. And begin to relax your scalp. Relax, and you can silently say the word "relax". And that's to transmit to your body that now is the time to relax. Relax your scalp and the muscles of your face. Bring your focus, your inner eye, to the muscles of your face and begin to relax the muscles of your face. And now allow your tongue to float in your mouth -- not touching the roof of your mouth or the floor of your mouth. Let it float there and what that does is bring your body, mind and spirit into balance. Float your tongue.
Now, bring your attention to your throat area. Softly and gently using the word "relax". Relax. The back of your neck. Take your inner eye and bring your focus to the back of your neck. Silently and gently, "relax". Relax. Relax. Now bring your attention to your shoulders. Relax your shoulders and your upper arms. Let them hang there, loose. Relax. That inner eye, that focusing, is like a laser beam -- powerful, penetrating, a great light. Now, bring that focus to your lower arms. And relax, relax. Now, bring your attention to your upper back. Relax the muscles of the upper back. And just move your gaze, your focus down the spine and up, gently moving down and up and relaxing the muscles connected with the spine. Relax. Bring your attention and your focus to your buttocks. Relax the muscles of your buttocks. And bring your attention and focus to your abdomen and relax the muscles of the abdomen. Gently relax, relax. Now bring your attention and your focus to the thighs of your legs, relaxing those muscles, gently relaxing those muscles. Past your knees, the calves of your legs. And allow the stress and discomfort leave your body through your toes. Becoming very relaxed. Now bring your attention and focus to the chest area. And just allow that light to move in a circular motion around the bosom, resting, open, relaxed.
And now enter the bosom, that space between the chests. Be one with that focus, that light. And enter the bosom. Moving through a passageway that is warm, and dark and safe and warm. And move down the passageway. Relaxed and safe, moving deeper and deeper through this passageway. Moving slowly, relaxed. At the end of the passageway, there is a doorway filled with light. And move toward the doorway filled with light. And give yourself permission to move through the light and through the doorway, moving through the light and the doorway out into a meadow that is filled with light and sunshine and a soft breeze that just moves across your face. And using all your senses, smell and touch and taste and sight, move down this pathway, allowing the sun to warm you on the path to your sacred place. A sacred place that is filled with light, with the Spirit. Enter into your sacred place. And rest in the bosom of the Spirit, allowing yourself to be held, to be nurtured, resting in the bosom of the Spirit. Using all your senses, be present to the Spirit. And in just a few moments, a person will appear. And when that person appears, just invite that person into your sacred place. Use the person's name. Allow that person to enter into your sacred place. And you and the person in the presence of the Spirit, experiencing a very safe place, begin to share with the person how you have been hurt, traumatized. And be very specific, sharing your feelings, your thoughts, and your experience of how you have been hurt. Pause.. Allow yourself to open and to share your pain, your experience and your relationship with this person. And now tell the person that you forgive them. "I forgive you." "I forgive you." I forgive you." "I forgive you." And now ask the person how you have offended the person, hurt traumatized the person. Ask, "How have I hurt you?" And just wait for an answer. "How have I offended you?" Pause Now, ask for forgiveness. "Forgive me." Forgive me for offending you. Forgive me, forgive me." And now allow the person to leave your sacred place. Always open if the person needs to return. Allow the person to leave as you continue to rest in the bosom of the Spirit, of the grace of God, resting, resting.
And now prepare to leave your favorite and sacred place. It will be easier to return if you choose to. And feeling refreshed, move down the path toward the door filled with light. And give yourself permission to move through the doorway into the passageway, feeling safe and warm and light. And just move into the chamber of your heart and your bosom. And allow yourself to emerge into a normal state of consciousness, very slowly, slowly, safely. And when you're ready, open your eyes.
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Forgiveness (Taken from The Process of Forgiveness by Fr. William Meninger)
1. What we get out of NOT forgiving:
a. Protection
b. Feeling of power
c. Escape responsibility.
2. Misunderstandings about forgiveness:
a. Not forgetting
b. Not condoning
c. Not absolution
d. Not a pretense
e. Not once and for all
f. Not weakness.
3. What forgiveness is:
a. Realism
b. Freedom
c. Not victims
d. Power
e. Release
f. Sign of positive self-esteem
g. Process.