Reflections and Prayers For Those Who Care for Others

Pastoral Care Week

About this Booklet:

This booklet is meant to be a source of comfort and

guidance for all employees and volunteers of Holy

Family Memorial as a sign of our gratitude and

appreciation.

It has been produced for your use by the Office for

Mission and Pastoral Care.

The prayers and reflections used in this booklet have

been adapted from the Catholic Health Association’s

World Day of the Sick, February 11th, 2017 materials.

Artwork Featured on the Front Cover:

“Christ and Woman with Injured Child”

• Painted in 1923 by Sister M. Davidica Beschta, a member of the Franciscan

Sisters of Christian Charity, the sponsors of Holy Family Memorial.

• It was created in Zanesville, Ohio, and was displayed for many years in Good

Samaritan Hospital, Zanesville (the sister facility to HFM) before coming to

Holy Family Memorial in 2008.

• Located on the 2nd floor of the hospital, next to the HFM chapel.

Table of Contents

Holy Family Memorial’s Prayer for Guidance……………………..……....1

A Shared Statement of Identity for the Catholic Health Ministry…..2

A Prayer for the Start of the Workday…………………………..…………….3

In Your Loving Presence……………………………………….……………….….4

A Blessing for Nurses…………………………………..……………………...…...5

A Blessing of the Sick………………………………………….……………….…...6

A Caregiver’s Healing Presence…………………………….…….……….….7-8

Reflection Moments for a Healthcare Leader……..……………….….9-10

A Prayer for all Those Who Work in Catholic Healthcare……….…...11

A Prayer for Spiritual Care-Givers…..………………..……………………...12

A Prayer for Refreshment………….……..……………….………….………….13

Come, Lord…………………………………………………..…………….….………14

A Prayer for Hospitality……..….…………………………….………….……….15

A Prayer for New Life and Inclusion of all…..………….…...…………….16

A Prayer by One Who is Sick…………………..…………………….………….17

A Prayer in Times of Illness………………………………………...…………..18

Concern for Those Who Suffer Accidents…………………….…………….19

For Community Members Who are Sick……..……………………….……20

A Prayer for Healing Touch………………..…………………………….………21

Prayer for Those Suffering from Mental Illness………………….………22

A Prayer to Inspire Peace in Challenging Times…..……………….…...23

A Prayer to Go and Do Likewise……………..………………………….…….24

A Prayer for the Start of the Workday

Lord, our God, we pray in thanksgiving for your great

mercy and for your enduring compassion towards us

and all of your creatures. Assure us, guide us and

grant us confidence to do your will, especially in our

roles in Catholic healthcare. Help us to understand

and respect the vulnerability and fragility of the

persons we serve in our ministry as well as the

associates with whom we serve. We pray, trusting in

your loving kindness.

Amen.

In Your Loving Presence

God, if I am challenged today,

if there is anything difficult or painful I

must face,

help me to let go of anxiety about the

outcome,

and to be mindful of your presence within

me today.

A Blessing for Nurses

May rest find you,

In the peaceful moments when all is still,

In the quiet times when you pause

And breathe.

May rest find you

In the chaos of the moment

In the sorrow you seek to heal.

May rest strengthen and bless you.

May it fill your spirit

And give you unearned joy.

May you find rest in the care of others,

In the knowledge of your worth,

In the value of your service.

And may you, in your very being,

Be a place of rest for others.

Amen.

A Blessing of the Sick

For those who are blind and who cannot see the light of the

sun, the beauty of the world, or the faces of their friends:

Bless your people, O Lord.

For those who are deaf and cannot hear the voices which

speak to them:

Bless your people, O Lord.

For those who are helpless and who must lie in bed while

others go out and in:

Bless your people, O Lord.

For those whose minds have lost their reason and those

who are so nervous that they cannot cope with life:

Bless your people, O Lord.

For those who must face life under some handicap; those

whose weakness means that they must always be careful:

Bless your people, O Lord.

Prayer for Caregivers

Let us reflect on what it means to be a “healing

presence.”

It is a call …

To listen more than we speak

To remain calm even when others are in chaos

To stay clear and focused even when no clear

direction is apparent

To value people exactly as they are and not as

we think they should be

To be with people who are suffering, rather

than trying to have all of the answers or

explain that which ultimately is “mystery”

To let go of the temptation to show only the

clinical and professional side and hold back the

personal and human side of caring

And So I Pray...

Good and gracious God,

You are the source of all healing. In you we have a

share of the wonderful ministry we call “healing

presence.” Today, we pray for caregivers, that your

grace moves through each of them to reveal your

healing touch, your compassionate glance, your

consoling words. Bless them in a special way today and

strengthen them so that they might continue to be your

living healing presence to others.

We ask this in the power of your Holy Name.

Amen.

Reflective Moments for a Healthcare Leader

Spend a moment of silent reflection

What is a unique gift I bring to my work?

Upon whom do I depend each day in order to ad-

dress the needs of patients, families, others?

For whom am I most thankful in my personal life,

in my professional life – those persons who enable

me to be at my best?

And so I pray...

God of mercy, I come to you today different and unique, yet

one with my colleagues. May we be united in our desire to

serve. Give us a share of your Spirit so that our minds and

hearts are open to the ways you will speak to us during this

day. Give me more trust in the confidence you have placed in

my leadership as a sign of your love and healing for others.

Amen.

A Prayer for all Those Who Work in Catholic

Healthcare

Loving God, you created us with the capacity to heal,

to restore and to offer peace through our role in

Catholic healthcare ministry. Help us to be signs of

love and compassion in the world today — honoring

every person we meet who is in need.

When our burdens are heavy, renew us, remind us of

the blessing of our calling and reawaken our

commitment to the healing ministry.

Amen.

A Prayer for Spiritual Care-Givers

Bless these women and men whom you have

called to serve you as spiritual companions of

the infirm and suffering. Make them ministers

of the "sight" that we all need in our lives in

times of trial. We ask this in the name of Jesus,

the healer, who attends to both body and spirit.

Amen.

A Prayer for Refreshment

Dear God, when I spend myself without

replenishment, I wind up being no help to anyone. I

know what nourishes and refreshes me.

Thank you for these gifts. May I turn to them readily.

I recognize that I have far more to offer others when

I am vibrant and full of life than when I am weary

and on edge.

Refresh me often, my God.

Amen.

Come, Lord

Father, Your love is as wide as the oceans, as deep

as the sea, and as tall as the heavens. May your

spirit rise like a mighty wave and come and restore

those who are ill.

You are the water of life. You are a fresh spring.

You are healing rain to all those who are in need.

Come, Lord!

A Prayer for Hospitality

O God, in whose image we all are made,

give us hope that through the work of our

hands, and with Jesus as our model, we

may glorify you now and always.

Amen.

A Prayer for New Life and Inclusion for All

God, our creator and the ground of our being, we

give you thanks for all of the blessings of this life,

especially for the gift of each other and our calling.

Every person is a treasure, every life a sacred gift.

May the work we do diminish the chasm of

disparity and bring about greater justice and

equity, especially among the newly born, sick, and

suffering.

Amen.

A Prayer by One Who Is Sick

Lord, look upon me with eyes of mercy,

may your healing hand rest upon me,

may your life-giving powers flow into every cell of my

body and into the depths of my soul, cleansing,

purifying, restoring me to wholeness and strength for

service in your Kingdom.

Grant to me such a consciousness of your indwelling

and surrounding presence that I may permit you to give

me health and strength and peace.

Amen.

A Prayer in Times of Illness

Lord Jesus, you came into the world to heal our infirmities

and to endure our sufferings. You went about healing all and

bringing comfort to those in pain and need. We come before

you now in this time of illness asking that you may be the

source of our strength in body, courage in spirit and patience

in pain. May we join ourselves more closely to you on the

cross and in your suffering that through them we may draw

our patience and hope. Assist us and restore us to health so

that united more closely to your family, we may give praise

and honor to your name.

Amen.

Concern for Those Who Suffer Accidents

Grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured or

disabled, that they may be made whole.

Grant to all who through illness are lonely, anxious or

despondent, an awareness of your loving presence.

Restore those who are in mental distress to soundness

of mind and serenity of spirit.

Amen.

For Community Members Who are Sick

Father of goodness and love, hear our prayers for the sick

members of our community and for all who are in need. Amid

mental and physical suffering may they find consolation in your

healing presence.

Show your mercy as you close wounds, cure illness, make

broken bodies whole and free downcast spirits. May all those in

need of care find lasting health and deliverance, and so join us

in thanking you for all your gifts.

We ask this through your Holy Name.

Amen.

A Prayer for Healing Touch

Lord, you invite all who are burdened to come to you.

Allow your healing hand to comfort those in need. Touch

their souls with your compassion for others, their hearts

with your courage and infinite love, and touch their

minds with your wisdom.

Bring them health in body and spirit,

that all may serve you.

Amen.

Prayer for Those Suffering from Mental Illness

Loving God, we pray today for those who are confronted by the

sadness, ambiguity and confusion of mental illness, and for those

upon whom they depend for attention and compassionate care.

Look with mercy on all whose afflictions bring them weakness,

distress, confusion or isolation. Provide for them homes of

dignity and peace. Give to them understanding helpers and the

willingness to accept assistance from others.

Amen.

A Prayer to Inspire Peace in Challenging Times

God, our Creator, you have blessed us with the great gift of your

Son Jesus whose healing ministry is a model for our own.

Grant that we may ever serve you by serving our brothers and

sisters who experience illness and injury.

Help us to bring alive your reign of peace through models of

healthcare that are emerging to meet the needs of our challenging

times.

Let us go out to tell the world what we have seen and heard,

faithful to your Word.

A Prayer to Go and Do Likewise

Lord, as one entrusted to carry on your healing mission,

help me to be ever aware of the commandment

to love you and to love my neighbor as myself.

Help me to be a merciful neighbor and a compassionate caregiver

even when it is inconvenient,

when time is short or other responsibilities loom.

Help me to remember the Good Samaritan

and Jesus’ simple message:

“Go, and do likewise.”

Holy Family Memorial’s Anniversary Prayer

Loving God,

We are grateful for and inspired by our founders and

sponsor, the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.

They had the courage and perseverance to answer the

call to establish a hospital so many years ago.

We pray that we will continue to be guided by their

example and that of our patron saint, Francis of

Assisi. We seek Your wisdom and strength to care for

others with respect, dignity, and inspired caring. May

we always be focused on others above self, exhibiting

passion and purpose as we serve in this healing

ministry.

We dedicate all that we do and are to You. May the

lives we touch be enriched with your healing

presence.

Amen.

A Shared Statement of Identity for the

Catholic Health Ministry

We are the people of Catholic Healthcare, a ministry of the church

continuing Jesus’ mission of love and healing today. As provider,

employer, advocate, citizen—bringing together people of diverse

faiths and backgrounds—our ministry is an enduring sign of

healthcare rooted in our belief that every person is a treasure, every

life a sacred gift, every human being a unity of body, mind, and

spirit.

We work to bring alive the Gospel vision of justice and peace. We

answer God’s call to foster healing, act with compassion, and

promote wellness for all persons and communities, with special

attention to our neighbors who are poor, underserved, and most

vulnerable. By our service, we strive to transform hurt into hope.

As the church’s ministry of healthcare, we commit to:

Promote and Defend Human Dignity

Attend to the Whole Person

Care for Poor and Vulnerable Persons

Promote the Common Good

Act on Behalf of Justice

Steward Resources

Act in Communion with the Church

©The Catholic Health Association of the United States

Funding for the printing of this publication

provided by Positrons and HFM Volunteer

Services.

We are grateful for the funding provided by these

organizations.