BY: SR. BARBARA McMULLEN, CDP
Call to Prayer
Leader:
O Infinite God of love,
All:
You call us not to work in isolation but in community. Help us to support one another in all of our endeavors.
Reading
We must recognize the absolute necessity of being present as a community to others in their need if they are to gain confidence in life. Human life is not meant to be lived in isolation. To be fully human, we must live in community. We care for people in such a way, that, whether or not we can physically cure their illness, they find strength and comfort in knowing God's abiding love for them. . . .
—(Joseph Bernardin, A Sign of Hope, Catholic Health Association,
St. Louis, 1995, pp. 5-6.)
Prayer
Response (alternate verses)
I seek a heart that is attuned to listen
To the sounds of human life—
The murmurings of pain and struggle,
The babble of confusion and doubt,
The whisperings of yearnings,
The ecstatic outburst of joy and delight!
I seek a heart with an interior vision
That can penetrate closed walls—
Walls that shut out closeness,
Walls that prohibit friendship
Walls that choke out life.
I seek a heart that can open new avenues to life
By a recognition of goodness,
A freeing of humanness,
And an appreciation of God's wonders.
I seek a heart that is other-centered,
Motivated by love of my God,
Freely giving till it hurts,
Joyfully surrendering selfish whims,
Peacefully touching life with beauty,
Gently walking in God's way.
—Stella Magers, OSF, "Sensitivity of Heart"
Let Us Pray
All:
O God of infinite love, you call us to go beyond boundaries which separate and divide us. Help all of us to work together as partners in healing, to build on the common concerns we share, and to grow in our trust and support of one another. Bless us and all those who serve in healthcare ministry. Amen.
SUGGESTED MUSIC
"Deep Within," by David Haas, in As Water to the Thirsty, GIA Publications, Chicago, 1987.
"We Have Been Told," by David Haas, in Come and Journey, GIA Publications, Chicago, 1985.
"All One People," by Dan Schutte, in Drawn by a Dream, OCP Publications, Portland, OR, 1993.
This prayer service focuses on community, partnerships in health ministry, and seeking a heart sensitive to the human condition. You may use this service at meetings or on any occasion when you wish to take a moment to reflect on the mission of Jesus. Feel free to adapt the service to suit your own needs.
—Sr. Barbara McMullen, CDP, senior associate,
Sponsor Services, Catholic Health Association,
St. Louis
"Prayer Service," a regular department in Health Progress, may be copied without prior permission