The following excerpt is from my article “Wounded Healer” published in the May issue of St. Anthony Messenger

What wounded healers do is to help each sufferer find within himself or herself the seed of healing. I cannot heal anyone. But I believe within each of us is everything we need to heal. We just don’t always believe that.

God didn’t just dump us into this world with a pat on the back and a wish of “good luck!” Rather, God, knowing how challenging life can be, equipped us with everything we need to cope and to grow. Most of us stumble along the way and lose sight of this.

As we grope in the darkness, we may believe that hope and healing are found externally — perhaps in religion, perhaps in therapy, perhaps in some New Age guru. Much like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, we go through all kinds of misadventures trying to find our way home. If we’re blessed, we may cross paths with someone who helps us see that the answer we seek was within all along.

Does such a point of view leave no room for God? The healing potential within each of us comes from God! But we must find and activate it. Jesus gave us a clue when he said “The kingdom of God is within you.” I have come to believe that this is one of Jesus’ strongest sayings, and it is one of the ones that got him killed. It is a revolutionary thought: God is residing within each one of us, waiting.

It is this healing power that a wounded healer models. He or she is living proof of the kingdom within.

If you would like a copy of the full article, send my your address via e-mail at <richp45198@aol.com> and I’ll be happy to send you a copy