BY: SR. BARBARA McMULLEN, CDP
Call to Prayer
Leader:
Come to our aid, O Healer God.
All:
We have need of you today.
Leader:
Listen to us now as we pray.
All:
Open our eyes to your works, and our ears to your words of life.
Reading
"The ministry of healthcare is participation in the mission of Jesus Christ. It is an essential component of the mission common to all believers: proclaiming and making visible God's reign. If we are to continue Jesus' mission, we must reflect on how he carried out that mission. How did he heal? What characterized his healing activity? . . . Jesus touched those he healed; he listened to those who called out to him; and he restored the suffering to community" (Juliana Casey, Food for the Journey, Catholic Health Association, St. Louis, 1991, p. 22).
Reflection
Jesus touched the lepers, and they were made clean. He touched the blind man, who became able to see. Jesus touched the dead boy, who was raised to life. Jesus' touch was filled with healing power. He approached others, touched them, and allowed himself to be touched, because he was drawn to those in need.
Response
O God, help us to remember that healthcare is still about people--and about touching people to heal them. Help us not lose sight of the importance of a caring, reverential touch.
Reflection
Jesus listened to those who were suffering. He listened to the two blind men who asked him to restore their sight. He listened to the children's needs, and he listened to the mother pleading for her daughter's health, even though others tried to silence her. God's power in Jesus pays attention to suffering and listens for its voice.
Response
O God, help us remember that today's healthcare world is marked by a highly technical language. Help us listen carefully to another's pain, or fear, or anxieties. May we always recall that listening is an integral part of healing.
Reflection
Jesus' healing power touched hearts as well as bodies. It restored relationships broken by pain and illness. Jesus' compassionate healing extended to those who suffered with others, as well as to those who were isolated in their own agony. The lepers were made clean and returned to a respected place among their people.
Response
O God, may we, too, have the compassion Jesus had for others. Help us to have a touch that heals, a heart that listens, and a healing that restores relationships. Help us know that when we are attentive to these elements of healthcare, we are living the mission of Jesus to be a radical presence of healing in our world.
Let Us Pray
Loving God, help us to remember all those who have touched us, listened to us, and helped restore us in our daily ministry of healthcare. May we be a proclamation of your good news to all we meet, so that God's loving mercy is set free for life. Amen.
—Sr. Barbara McMullen, CDP,senior associate, Sponsor Services, Catholic Health Association, St. Louis
Health Progress provides this prayer service to assist busy persons who are called on to incorporate prayer and spiritual reflection into work life. You may use this service at meetings or on other occasions when you wish to provide a moment to reflect on the mission of Jesus.
Copyright © 1997 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
For reprint permission, contact Betty Crosby or call (314) 253-3477.