Paul attended a Little Way Healing of Memories course and writes:

“The first memory that I had prayed for was an early time in my life when I remember being terribly hurt. My father had returned home after the Second World War and he was a stranger to me, someone who I was slowly getting to know. I was about 4 or 5 years old and had a stutter, not a bad one, but I had difficulty getting my mouth round words.”

“One day my father said roughly to my mother, “The boy cannot even talk properly”. I was so hurt. He kept saying to me, “Before you say anything, think what you are going to say”.

“My mother took me to a speech therapist for elocution lessons. This made me self-conscious about speaking, and sometimes I came out in a sweat when I could not get the words out. I was so hurt though by what my father had said. I could handle most of it but not that initial hurt which I never forgot.”

” Before the Healing of Memories course, I always had difficulty giving a talk or testimony unless I planned beforehand what I wanted to say. During the prayer for healing of memories, I expressed my anger at my father and, after the prayer, that pain from so long ago is no longer there. Thank the Lord.”

“I am sure that through the power of the Holy Spirit I can now talk logically without having to plan beforehand how to articulate what I want to say.”

“Another memory I had prayed for during the course was a memory from my school days. I was educated by the De La Salle Brothers, an order of teaching founded in France by St John Baptist De La Salle. I used to help serve Mass at 7 am at home which meant that I would miss my tram and be late for school. I would then be sent to the Headmaster’s office and was punished by being hit on the bottom with a cane.”

” I never told anyone why I was late. I thought I could handle it, toughen things out, grin and bear it, as I always did until the course. I never complained. I bottled it up. During the prayer for healing of this memory, I could not visualise Jesus or Mary.”

“I felt they did not belong in this dark place. I could, though, visualise St John Baptist De La Salle. I found my voice and was able to articulate how I felt to the Headmaster. It was because of him that I had always felt that I had to bottle everything up. Now I feel free and open. I now know who I am. I am open and not bottled up. Praise the Lord.”