February’s Intention:
For Children With Incurable Diseases
Let us pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope.
Lord Jesus,
who welcomed the little ones in your arms and blessed them tenderly,
today we bring before you the children living with incurable illnesses.
Their fragile bodies are a sign of your presence,
and their smiles, even in the midst of pain, are a testimony of your kingdom.
We ask you, Lord, that they may never lack proper medical care,
human and compassionate attention,
and the support of a community that accompanies them with love.
Sustain their families in hope,
in the midst of weariness and uncertainty,
and make of them witnesses of a faith that grows stronger through trial.
Bless the hands of doctors, nurses, and caregivers,
so that their work may always be an expression of active compassion.
May your Spirit enlighten them in every difficult decision,
and grant them patience and tenderness to serve with dignity.
Lord, teach us to recognize your face in every suffering child.
May their vulnerability awaken our compassion,
and move us to care, accompany, and love
with concrete gestures of solidarity.
Make of us a Church that,
animated by the feelings of your heart and moved by prayer and service,
knows how to uphold fragility,
and in the midst of suffering, becomes a source of comfort,
a seed of hope, and a proclamation of new life.
Amen.
“I Will Pray For You”
A Reflection by Fr. Paul W. Galetto, O.S.A.
“I will pray for you.” These are the five words that, when put side by side, express the greatest act of kindness. They are an act of love. I know this personally because as a heart transplant patient, I was on the receiving end of many people’s prayers. I used to think, “Why should I pray for you when you can pray for yourself?” I abandoned that selfishness when I realized I needed the prayers of others. I needed to change and so did they. Love, expressed in prayer, is the strongest power in the world.
When we pray for someone who is sick, we need to remember three things. First, prayer changes the one who prays. Second, God loves the one for whom you are praying and will work with the sinful nature of humanity (which is at the root of all human maladies). This sickness is not a punishment from an angry God; rather it is the result of our sinful human nature. Prayer does not change God – again, it changes the one who prays. Lastly, all sickness is the cross of Christ; Jesus shares and understands our suffering. We suffer because we love, just as Jesus did.
When you say, “I will pray for you,” what should happen? First, you are aware that people are hurting. Your prayer should cause you to be compassionate to the parents of children undergoing medical care. You may not be with the ones for whom you are praying and so your prayer calls you to seek those in your neighborhood who need your help and compassion. Prayer changes the one who prays by making us more loving.
Your prayer makes you aware of the medical team who treats the child. Be kind to doctors and nurses who are the front line in the battle against disease and sickness. Be compassionate because they have heavy hearts. Prayer changes the one who prays by making us compassionate.
Many illnesses have been overcome through research and sacrifice. Your prayer should make you aware of organizations and movements that seek to fund or address cancer, childhood diseases, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, genetic mutations, and on and on. Change is not going to happen without your support. Prayer changes the one who prays by making us generous.
Love. Yes, prayer calls you to love. Can you do an act of kindness for the individual who is sick? Write a card. Send a drawing. Create a meme. Do something. If you can’t be with the child who is sick, then be present to the sick children who are near you. At a minimum, hug and love your own children. Buy a present for a child at a Ronald McDonald House or a children’s hospital. Do an act of love that lets the child know that he or she is not alone. Be the Simon of Cyrene and bear the cross with the child. Be courageous. Prayer makes us more loving as we join our prayers to the suffering of children. Prayer does indeed change the one who prays by helping us understand suffering as a consequence of true love.