Because of the impact of this book when it was first published in 1974, Jesuit Fathers Matthew and Dennis Linn were asked by their provincial to spend 10 to 15 years working full time in the healing ministry. Matthew and Dennis consulted surgeons and professors of scripture and psychiatry in order to combine the best insights from medicine, spirituality, and psychiatry for their books andworkshops.

Concerned with emotional healing by prayer. Strong, charismatic emphasis.

This is an early volume of the brothers (Sheila is not listed as author of this volume) and it is sparser on personal examples. It lays out a simple approach to healing memories of past hurts:

1. Thank God for our gifts.
2. Ask Christ what he wants to heal.
3. Share with Christ a painful memory that keeps you from getting healed.
4. Replace hurt with love by forgiving painful memories.
5. Replace hurt with love by becoming thankful for a painful memory.
6. Thank God for healing.

Like most models of inner-healing, the Linns hold up the healing power of forgiveness, but what I appreciated about their model was the space they give to gratitude. We begin by thanking God for the many gifts he's given us, the ways he's made us and the ways he has showed us his love through our lives. This leads us into reflecting on the grace of the moment, how Jesus was gracious to us and used that part of our story to make us into who we are and be thankful. Thanksgiving heals.

There are parts of their model that were opaque to me, but this simple and powerful. I wish somethings were fleshed out a little better.
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