Hidden Wounds: Michael Gormley

In this session, Michael had a difficult, yet profoundly simple message: Fear prevents healing.

So often, we have wounds and struggles that we keep hidden. We might pretend that we don’t have any sins or problems at all. We might, like Michael did as a teen, go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation without acknowledging the deepest and most painful wounds in our hearts. And God, who is the Divine Physician, cannot heal the wounds that we will now show Him. Many times we can fall into cycles of sin due to feeling pain, regret, and shame. Those cycles can lead us to sin over and over again. This is often the case with sexual sin, such as pornography and masturbation. These sins cause us to forget the beauty of humanity and sexuality. They cause us to reduce ourselves and others to body parts for use, instead of whole people that are made for love.

Jesus wants to heal us. He wants our healing even more than we want it for ourselves. And, if we open our hearts even the smallest amount, Jesus can begin to bring that healing in us. In Mark chapter 5, we learn that there was a woman suffering from a debilitating hemorrhage. She had faith and hope that Jesus would heal her: even if all she could do was reach out and touch his clothes. Mercifully, He did heal her.

Michael lets us know that we may or may not have an instantaneous healing from some of those habitual sins that we struggle with. But, if we do open our hearts, we will come to know the love that Jesus has for us – the love that makes the battle for healing worth it.

Practical Tips for Healing

1. Go to reconciliation–Confess the sins that are on your heart
2.  Make an action–Be aware of your triggers and make a plan for what you will do if you are undergoing temptation
3. Share the struggle–Find a person of the same sex that can assist you and hold you accountable (this may be a professional counselor)
4.  Identify occasions of sin–understand the situations that are likely to lead you to sin and root those out (i.e. get rid of your smart phone, install anti pornography filters, etc.)

If you have something you are wanting to be free from, hand it over to Jesus first.  He doesn’t want you to live in fear. He wants to restore you into the joy of His salvation. He wants to heal you.

You can watch the live stream from Michael’s talk here.