Healing After Betrayal
Just A Minute Meditations
Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes FSP
ISBN 9780819834768
eISBN 9780819834775
ASIN B0GDGC3GMH
I have picked up all the volumes in this series. In part because they are great to work through, in part because I really enjoyed them, and in part because I am a completionist. I had picked up a few before I began reading them, but they kept getting lost in my ‘to be read’ list. As of the writing of this review there are 7 volumes in the series, 4 authors with Sister Kathryn having penned 4 of the volumes. And to date and 4 and penned by Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP. I have four of them on my Kindle purchased over the last two years. But while researching for this review I have found out, at least a few of the volumes are a rebranding of volumes published 8 years ago under the titles “Mediations for …”
The description of this edition states:
“Find refuge in God’s Word in the painful aftermath of a betrayal by someone you trusted. Let the gentle wisdom found in the pages of this pocket-sized collection of thirty Scripture passages, reflections, and prayers accompany you through the healing process and remind you of God’s steadfast love. Healing after Betrayal is part of the Just a Minute Meditations series from Pauline Books & Media, a collection of themed meditation booklets to help you pray through the challenges of life.”
Another current description is:
“"God's holy Word gives us a place to go when our soul needs to breathe and our heart needs to heal." --from the Introduction
Find refuge in God's Word in the painful aftermath of a betrayal by someone you trusted. Let the gentle wisdom found in the pages of this pocket-sized collection of thirty Scripture passages, reflections, and prayers accompany you through the healing process and remind you of God's steadfast love.
Healing after Betrayal is part of the Just a Minute Meditations series from Pauline Books & Media, a collection of themed meditation booklets to help you pray through the challenges of life.”
About the author we are informed:
“Sister Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP, has been helping people walk the road of spiritual growth and inner healing for decades. She has a masters in theological studies from Weston Jesuit School of Theology and an advanced certificate in Scripture. She is the author of many books, including the bestselling Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach, which has been translated into seventeen languages. She is passionate about sharing the spiritual journey with others. You can find her at her site.”
The chapters in this volume are:
Introduction
1. Lord, This Is My Honest Prayer
2. I Choose Healing Today
3. I Hear You Call My Name
4. Show Me, Lord, How You Have Loved Me
5. Lord, I Give You What Hurts
6. Come, Jesus, and Find Me
7. You Heal Me Gradually
8. Lord, You Make Good Things Happen for Me
9. Give Me New Memories
10. Lord, You Still Have a Dream for My Future
11. I Plunge into Your Grace
12. Your Vision for Me Is Far from Over
13. You Are the God Who Sees Me
14. You Make Me Feel Safe and Loved
15. You Show Me the Precious Value of My Life
16. You Touch Every Human Heart
17. You’ve Called Me for a Purpose
18. The Lord Will Never Leave Me
19. Jesus, Show Me the Next Step
20. I Am Ready, O God
21. Jesus, You Help Me Move On
22. Jesus, You Have Changed the Course of My Life
23. Lord, I Desire Everything You Wish for Me Now
24. Jesus, Help Me to Love Bravely
25. Open My Heart to Love Again
26. I Renounce the Lies I Have Believed
27. Lord, You Are Making All Things New
28. You Show Me a Better Way
29. I’m Beginning to See That You Are Faithful
30. How Can I Thank You?
The prayers in a section at the end of the book are:
Psalm 18
Enter My Life
A Prayer to Believe in Love
Heal Me, Lord
Sub Tuum Praesidium
Prayer for the Healing of Memories
Heart of Love
I highlighted a few passages while working through this volume, they are:
“Recall a time when you felt you could trust others without second guessing. A time before a loved one didn’t take responsibility for inexcusable behavior, or someone didn’t follow through on a promise, or a close relationship began to fray because of the other’s addictive behaviors or infidelity, or you were criticized in front of others, or a friend spoke harshly about you behind your back.”
“Whether the situation is serious or less so, betrayal hurts. Betrayal wounds. It is hard to recover from the cruel disappointment we feel when someone we love and trust turns out to be on a different page altogether. We question ourselves, or even kick ourselves for being so blind, so utterly trusting.”
“The good news is this: the Word of God points us toward realities that lie deeper than we can see with the naked eye. God’s holy Word gives us a place to go when our soul needs to breathe and our heart needs to heal.”
“View the meditations in this book as the whispers from a friend who understands the questions you are asking. These short reflections on God’s Word are like a hand reaching out to you from someone who knows that healing is not neat and tidy, that it’s a daily battle.”
“O God, I need your help, for I am alone and no one else knows what I am going through.”
“When you’ve been betrayed—deceived, tricked, double-crossed, stabbed in the back—anger, guilt, depression, anxiety, self-hatred, and a host of other issues can take over your life. Months and years may be stolen from you and your loved ones as you try to recover what you’ve lost: the time, the money, the relationship, the self-worth, the courage to get on with life.”
“At this moment, Jesus wants to draw near to you. Hear him addressing you by name and saying: I see the weight of the burden you’re carrying. I hear you crying out for relief. Come to me. I will support you as you reclaim your life.”
“Notice that when Jesus takes everything that you hand over to him, he holds it all gently. Take a deep breath. Rest at this point.”
“Dear Jesus, the wounds I have received have led me to isolate myself from others and even to hide from you. Today I choose to hand over all this to you.”
“The actions of someone who has hurt you do not define you. Nevertheless, betrayal in your life may be one of those “before and after” experiences.”
“The beauty of this promise is that it helps us reframe our perspective. It gives us some solid ground to stand on when our emotions and reactions are swirling within us, creating their own narrative. This promise tells us that God sees us. God hears us. And God is doing something about what we’re suffering.”
“At these times the scattered ruins of your world seem no more than a pile of discarded stones. You may fear that the shards of your experience will never fit together again.”
“When you dive below the raging feelings, that very hurt can lead to amazing discoveries about yourself and about God. Strength you never recognized can thrive in adversity. The very suffering has become an invitation to plunge into God’s grace.”
“As you find fresh hope, meaning, and purpose in your life, you will be surprised that your relationship with God will take on new colors, shapes, and textures.”
“Jesus is Redeemer, Savior, Shepherd, Healer. The Son of God took on our humanity, choosing to embrace our vulnerable, fragile, and often tenuous earthly existence as his own. He did not come with overpowering demands or force us to bend to his desires. He came as a baby, poor, one of us. He knows from the inside out how we are made, what we feel, how we suffer, and also what frees us, draws us, makes us feel safe and loved.”
“Jesus wants you to rest your head on his most Sacred Heart, ever pulsing with love. Why? Because he wants you to know the truth of his love for you and the precious value of your life.”
“Regardless of the way you were wounded, your spiritual life and your relationship with God have surely been deeply affected, for being able to believe in love is at the foundation of all spiritual growth. Ultimately, no words will convince you of God’s love—only the beating of Jesus’ most Sacred Heart.”
“Christ continues to be mysteriously but genuinely present and incarnate in the world through the Church.”
“The Lord has called you for a purpose. He has chosen you to become like Jesus, his Son. Since God is for you, you can trust that, in the waiting and the weeping, he is creating an outcome for you that comes only from his heart for you.”
“Heavenly Father, I trust you with all the outcomes I’m praying for. I know you have my good at heart.”
“In life and relationships, there are changes. People move on. People no longer want to share our vision. People don’t have the courage to endure hard things. People whom we trusted with our heart turn on us. The weight of life that saddles each person with unexpected responsibility feels like too much. The fabric of relationships is torn.”
“Even if every step forward has been followed by two steps back, you will never have reached a dead-end, but merely a turn in the road. Take a rest if you must, and then find new ways to engage life. Read. Reflect. Experience the world. Talk to others.”
“By letting grievances go, whenever and however you are able, you affirm that you are no longer held hostage by another. You affirm that the Lord himself is watching over you and revealing your way into the future.”
“Jesus, help me to relinquish what can’t be regained, to recover what can still bless my life, and to replace what has not been helpful with what is wholesome and true. Amen.”
“God’s love is an invitation to live no longer out of what “they did to me,” but out of what “God has done for me.” That still might be hard to hear. Your heart may still shout, “It’s not fair!” And it’s the truth: whatever happened to you wasn’t fair and should never have happened.”
“It is by God’s sheer grace that through Baptism each of us has been incorporated into Christ and made a child of God!”
“The Beatitudes tell us that, regardless of the circumstances, we can trust God to show his favor to us when we live their upside-down, counter-intuitive values. Like showing mercy. Like being pure in heart. Like being a peacemaker.”
“Perhaps as you began this journey, you felt deeply wounded from another’s betrayal. As you have prayed, it is God himself who has brought about something new within you. Now would be a good time to ask the Lord: What is it that you want me to know?”
“Ask Jesus for a core image of how he sees you when he looks at you now. You can do this every day because each morning is a new beginning and each evening witnesses the many subtle and not so subtle transformations that mark the beauty of a life that God is continuing to make new.”
A sample day is:
“13 You Are the God Who Sees Me
The Lord’s angel found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She answered, “I am running away from my mistress, Sarai.” …
To the Lord who spoke to her she gave a name, saying, “You are God who sees me.”
Genesis 16:7–8, 13 NABRE
There are many beautiful names of God in Scripture. This is the name that Hagar gives to the Lord, who finds her when she is in distress: “You are God who sees me.” The God who sees us is the one who counts our every tear, who knows everything about us, who never closes his eyes or misses a detail of what is happening in our lives.
When you don’t feel God near, or if you think friendship with God is beyond your reach, ask yourself, “What really stands between me and knowing God’s strong love and enduring friendship?” In the passage above, notice it is the Lord who approaches Hagar first. She then tells him about her situation. She listens to his direction and then she addresses him by name.
The Lord is attending to you right now. He knows everything that is in your heart. Speak to him any way you know how. Then call God by this beautiful name: “You are God who sees me here and now.”
When I feel I am lost, O Lord, you see me. I am never alone.”
I hope those quotes and sample day give you a feel for this book, and I believe the series. I highlighted so much in this volume; I exceeded the maximum 10% the publisher allows you to export. It is an easy volume to engage with, and you will benefit based on how much effort you put in. It would be a great book and series for teens, young adults and us older adults as well.
It is a great book and excellent series. I can easily recommend it.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books in the Just A Minute Meditations Series:
Embracing Hope in Christ – Kris Frank
Finding God In Times of Depression – Kathryn J. Hermes
Finding Inner Peace – Kathryn J. Hermes
Grieving with Christ – Mary Leonorr Wilson
Growing in Self Esteem - Marie Paul Curley
Healing After Betrayal – Kathryn J. Hermes
Trusting in God’s Love – Kathryn J. Hermes
…
Books by Kathryn J. Hermes:
Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach
Beginning Contemplative Prayer: Out of Chaos Into Quiet
Prayers for Surviving Depression
Holding on to Hope
Making Peace with Yourself: 15 Steps to Spiritual Healing
The Journey Within: Prayer As A Path To God
Cherished by the Lord
Minute Meditations for Lent
Jesus: Help in Every Need
Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life's Disappointments
Healing After Betrayal
...
