Prayers for Individuals with Inadequate Access to Care: February 25-March 1
MONDAY:
As we pray for those who lack adequate access to care, we pray also for the divine mercy for which Saint Mother Teresa was known. Indeed, as a fierce defender of those who were abandoned or discarded, Pope Francis describes her, saying, "She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity." Let us pray that we may see the marginalized and vulnerable clearly, without blinders, and with the mercy and compassion Saint Mother Teresa offered to those around her.
Let us pray together: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Reader: From the Book of Psalms
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Reader:
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Reader:
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Closing Prayer
Generous Lord, with love beyond all telling, you sent Jesus who sends us to shower your love on those most in need, particularly in our ministry to the sick. Inspire us to serve with courage, love and generosity in the spirit of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Give us courage to be guardians of dignity of those who are abandoned and discarded, particularly the dying, unborn, migrant and refugee. Let those among us whose voices are strong raise them in defense of the weak.
Give us love that unveils the face of Christ in the face of every individual we meet, particularly in those we find most difficult to care for.
Give us generosity born from the knowledge that all good things are gifts of your love and through us are to be share with the world.
Amen.
Daily Prayers Feb. 26 - March 1
TUESDAY: A prayer for those who live in urban poverty …
Prayer: You who knows all and sees all, we know that you see more clearly than any of us those who live in urban poverty, those who risk their lives living in dangerous neighborhoods, and who don't have the resources to endure a seemingly endless wait to be seen by a medical provider. We pray not only for eyes by which to see those who live in urban poverty, but for the humility to learn from them how they might be better served.
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
WEDNESDAY: Your love knows no boundaries and your presence cannot be limited of contained, and yet we know that for many who live in rural or hard to reach locations, access to health care and particularly specialty health care can be difficult and even impossible. We pray for those without access due to where they live. Send us your spirit of creativity and determination to find ways to provide quality compassionate care to all your people, regardless of location.
Prayer: God, we ask that you walk with
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
THURSDAY: A prayer for those who are undocumented …
Prayer: We pray, God, for those who lack access to care due to their immigration status, for those individuals who work countless hours to make ends meet only to live in fear, and do not feel safe to seek medical care when necessary. Grant us wisdom and imagination that we might create spaces and procedures that allow those who are undocumented to feel safe when seeking care.
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
FRIDAY: A prayer for those who experience language barriers …
Prayer: You who knew us before we could communicate, we pray especially today for those for whom language is a barrier to receiving care. Guide us toward creativity, Eternal One, that we may better collaborate with others to ensure patients with communication barriers are well cared for.
Response: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Additional Resources
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/sick/documents/papa-francesco_20181125_giornata-malato.html
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2016/documents/papa-francesco_20160904_omelia-canonizzazione-madre-teresa.html
©The Catholic Health Association of the United States