Me and Myself

Introduction & Welcome (1 min.)

I. Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Grace: To grow in a greater awareness of how we reject or embrace who God has created us to be.

Use the grace or a suggested scripture above to create your own prayer, or use the one below. After reading the scripture, say:

God of love, we thank you for gathering us here tonight. You once have called your son, “You are my beloved.” We pray for the grace of a greater awareness of how we reject or embrace who you have created us to be. Help us to reject the loud voice saying to us, “You are no good,” and embrace the gentle voice, “You are my beloved.” Amen.

Note: Ask for a volunteer to lead opening and closing prayers for the next meeting.

II. Check-In (5 min.)

Invite members to share some of the high and low points of the week. This check-in is meant to ease the group into reconnecting and reflecting on their experiences and it should be brief.

• What were some of your high and low points of the week?

III. Focus Exercise (40 min.)

Materials Needed: CLC supply box (CLC journal booklets, papers, pens, etc.), music, Being the Beloved and Self-Rejection or True Self vs. False Self handouts (found in journal booklets)

Introduction

1. Feel free to use any song to set a tone. (Suggestions: "Unfold" by Marie Digby or "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera

2. Introduce the topic and preview the meeting

Exercise: True Self vs. False Self (30 min.)

Note: You have 2 options—either discuss the article, “Being the Beloved and Self-Rejection” or pray with “True self vs. False self.” Choose one only.

Option #1: Discuss the article, “Being the Beloved and Self-Rejection”

Invite each member takes a turn to read a paragraph prayerfully out loud. Use the suggested questions to discuss them.

Option #2: Pray with “True Self vs. False Self”

Explain to the group that for the next 10 minutes or so, they will be engaging a stream of consciousness writing exercise entitled “True Self vs False Self” on page 12 in their journal booklets. Encourage members to allow themselves to be led by the spirit, not being preoccupied with punctuation or content. In other words, consider this writing exercise as a form of prayer.

• This is who I really am…
• I have been true in living out my truest self in these ways…
• I have not been true in living out my truest self in these ways…
• Barriers that keep me from living truthfully to who I am…
• God, you see me as…
• God, I need a grace of …
• Repetition: Invite members to take a couple of minutes to look over their writings and underline any parts that stand out to them or repeated themes.

Sharing

1. Invite group members to share their writings or parts of it. In their sharing, the following questions may be helpful:
2. Was there anything that surprised you?
3. Anything that was challenging for you in the exercise?
4. How is God communicating to you through these words?
5. Which parts of yourself are you being called to embrace and which parts are you being invited to grow in?

Listening Deeper

Suggested questions to deepen awareness of inner movements and further conversation

• What has struck you as you have been listening to others share? Do you notice any patterns or commonalities?
• How have you been feeling throughout the meeting? Comfortable? Anxious? Curious?
• Is there anything you would like to share after listening to another person share?

IV. Moving Forward (5 min.)

• Wrap-Up: Thank members for their openness and participation.
• Action:
  1. Pray with Awareness Examen: Invite members to pay attention to the moments that they live truthfully and the moments that they don’t throughout the week. Record these moments in their journal booklets.
  2. Switch prayer partners
• Announcements:
  • Topic for next meeting and upcoming CLC events

V. Closing Prayer (5 min.)

CONFUSION

by Donald Neary, SJ

Lord, I’m so mixed up;

There seem to be so many aspects to my personality: With teachers and parents I am one person,

With friends I am another.

I want to do good, to follow you;

But at other times, I’m mean, I cheat, I use others for my own advantage.

You see, I’m a rag-bag of things.

Who am I, Lord, anyway?

I want to please my parents, Yet I want to be myself.

I don’t want to hurt my elders, Yet I want to be independent,

I don’t want to seem rebellious, Yet I want to be alive and spontaneous.

Tell me, Lord, how to find my true self.

Help me, Lord, to grow in confidence, To conquer insecurity.

I know you understand who I am:

Help me to know myself, forgive myself, And value myself as you do.

Lord, give me patience With my growing-up. Give me confidence

That within these different aspects of my personality

I will discover a self that I can accept and love. As I discover myself, make me an instrument For the knowledge of your love

And the spread of your Gospel. Amen

Please feel free to voice your own intention out loud so that we can pray with you…