BY: SR. PATRICIA A. TALONE, RSM, Ph.D.
CALL TO PRAYER
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me. (Jn 14:6)
Leader
Lord God, you who called yourself "the way, the truth, the life,"
instill within each of our hearts a passion for truth in all we do. Grant us
the grace of personal and institutional integrity.
(Alternate)
In myriad ways we state who we are and what we believe. We display mission,
vision, and value statements in our offices and in our corridors.
We vow to
reverence human dignity in each person, and yet at times we respond harshly,
impatiently, condescendingly to those who need our assistance.
We vow to serve the poor, and yet at times we fail to address the needs of
the poor within our walls. We look the other way as some of our own employees
struggle to care for their families.
We vow to treat health in a holistic manner,
and yet at times we ignore our own health through too much work and too little
rest.
We make commitments to steward your gifts wisely, and yet we often squander
time, talent, and energy on projects that have little to do with our mission.
We recognize that these inconsistencies in our lives reinforce our own humanness.
Are we not sometimes like your disciples, Elizabeth the hospitable, John the
faithful, Peter the denier, Mary Magdalene the compassionate, Thomas the doubter?
With utmost confidence in your power to heal and transform each of us, we come
to you, seeking truth, integrity, wholeness. Help us, as individuals and as
institutions, to become who we say we are. To be the women and men you have
called us to be.
We ask this in your name, trusting in your providence and goodness.
Leader
Let us pray together a shared statement of identity for the Catholic health
ministry.
All
We are the people of Catholic health care, a ministry of the church continuing
Jesus' mission of love and healing today. As provider, employer, advocate,
citizen — bringing together people of diverse faiths and backgrounds — our
ministry is an enduring sign of health care rooted in our belief that every
person is a treasure, every life a sacred gift, every human being a unity of
body, mind, and spirit. We work to bring alive the Gospel vision of justice
and peace. We answer God's call to foster healing, act with compassion,
and promote wellness for all persons and communities, with special attention
to our neighbors who are poor, underserved, and most vulnerable. By our service,
we strive to transform hurt into hope.
As the church's ministry of health care we commit to:
- Promote and defend human dignity
- Care for poor and vulnerable persons
- Act on behalf of justice
- Attend to the whole person
- Promote the common good
- Act in communion with the church
- Steward resources
Amen.
Sr. Pat Talone, RSM,
Senior Director, Ethics, Catholic Health Association, St. Louis