2012 Prayer Intentions - 6. Healing for Victims of Sexual Abuse

The abuse scandal in the Church greatly damaged Her, and alienated many of the faithful, some of whom most certainly have left the Church. In addition to that, we are seeing broader cultural currents that seek to normalize pedophilia, as well as the revelations of child abuse at institutions such as Penn State's football program, all of which indicate a need for great healing for our society.

Having had my own experiences of abuse as a child, I testify to the scars that are left: an inability to experience joyfully physical intimacy, an inability to trust others, and an abiding fear and uncertainty regarding one's own body, among other things.

My friend Dawn has a book coming out this spring on the topic of healing from sexual abuse that I eagerly await. She recommended to me a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a particularly fitting way to experience healing and love, and so it is for this that I set aside my Friday prayers in 2012.