“Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.”
(Luke 18:1)
“Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.”
(Romans 12:12)
INTRODUCTION
A litany is an ancient form of prayer that contains a series of petitions or invocations said by a leader and answered by a repeated response from those gathered, such as “Lord, have mercy” or “Pray for us.” Common Catholic litanies include “The Litany of the Saints,” “The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and “The Litany of St. Joseph.”
Waiting is a shared human experience. Each of us has waited — or is waiting — for something throughout life. As leaders, caregivers and individuals called to work in Catholic healthcare, waiting is an experience that can feel endless for our patients.
This litany is an opportunity to pray in solidarity with all who wait, mindful that the God of all Love and Compassion also waits with them.
PRAYER
For all the patients who are entrusted to our care, we offer them to You, O God. In all the heavy situations of their waiting, be with them and near them. Fill them with your lasting peace, O Jesus, remembering that you are always with them and they are never alone.
The response after each prayer is: Lord, have mercy on them. Christ, have mercy on them.
For those anxiously waiting for test results, be with them, O Jesus.
For the scared patient endlessly waiting in the emergency department for care, be with them, O Jesus.
For those staring at ceiling tiles waiting for lab results, X-rays or the physician to return with a diagnosis, be with them, O Jesus.
For the mother in labor, waiting to deliver her child, be with her, O Jesus.
For the parents waiting to deliver a stillborn or miscarried baby, be with them, O Jesus.
For the patient waiting for an inpatient bed to be opened so they can feel settled, be with them, O Jesus.
For the patient in pre-op under a warm blanket, listening to clinical chatter, while counting down the minutes until anesthesia, be with them, O Jesus.
For the women waiting for mammogram test results and those awaiting a life-changing diagnosis, be with them, O Jesus.
For the families waiting in the intensive care unit, anxious for an update on the status of their loved one, be with them, O Jesus.
For those waking up from anesthesia, waiting for the fog to clear and their pain medication to take effect, be with them, O Jesus.
For those waiting for their call lights to be answered, to use the bathroom or change positions, be with them, O Jesus.
For those who are waiting to be discharged home, be with them, O Jesus.
For the people standing in line at registration, to check in, sign insurance paperwork or pay copays, be with them, O Jesus.
For the sick waiting for chemotherapy or antibiotic bags to finish dripping into an IV line, be with them, O Jesus.
For the family members waiting with a loved one in the final days of their life, be with them, O Jesus.
For those waiting to die who are alone and have no one with them, be with them, O Jesus.
For the patients waiting outside the MRI or CT scan suite, often while fasting and hungry, be with them, O Jesus.
For those waiting for a number to be called for routine or urgent blood draws, be with them, O Jesus.
For the family members waiting for a priest to arrive to administer last rites, be with them, O Jesus.
For the patients waiting for a psychiatric evaluation or for a dedicated behavioral health bed to open, be with them, O Jesus.
For those waiting for a biopsy result to confirm whether a tumor is benign or malignant, be with them, O Jesus.
Loving Jesus, you suffer with all those who suffer in their waiting, be with them, O Jesus.
Loving Jesus, you came to heal sickness and restore hearts back to the Father, be with them, O Jesus.
Loving Jesus, may those who wait feel your presence accompanying them through whatever they face, be with them, O Jesus.
Amen.
"Prayer Service," a regular department in Health Progress, may be copied without prior permission.