Patient’s Prayer Book

“Surely our grief is borne, and our sorrows God carried” Is. 53:4

“Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed.” Mt. 8:13

SANTA MARTA HOSPITAL

FAMILIAR PRAYERS

Your prayers during this time of illness are precious and, when joined to those of Jesus in his suffering, are very powerful. Some of the best prayers can be the deep sighs of the heart, but perhaps the following familiar prayers will help you recall the ones you learned “by heart.”

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

HAIL MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

ACT OF FAITH

O my God, I firmly believe in you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe in Jesus as my savior and redeemer and in the holy Catholic Church and all the truths it teaches. Amen.

ACT OF HOPE

O my God, relying on your great goodness and on all your promises. I hope to obtain pardon for my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus, my Lord and redeemer. Amen.

ACT OF LOVE

O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all-good and worthy of all my love. I forgive all who have injured me and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sony for having offended you. I detest all my sins, because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.

THE MEMORARE

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I go to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to you I come, before you I kneel, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your goodness hear and answer them. Amen.

PRAYER AFTER HOLY COMMUNION

Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds, hide me. Do not permit me to separate myself from you. From the malicious enemy defend me. In the hour of my death, call me. And bid me come to you, that with your saints I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER OF

ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding, and my will. All that I have and cherish you have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your grace and your love are wealth enough for me.

Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more.

PRAYER OF PEACE

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving, that we receive; It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned; And it is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.

HAIL HOLY QUEEN

Hail Holy Queen, mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning, and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

BOOKMARK PRAYER OF

ST. TERESA OF AVILA

Let nothing upset you,

Let nothing frighten you.

Everything is changing;

God alone is changeless.

Patience attains the goal.

Who has God lacks nothing;

God alone fills all their needs.

MORNING PRAYER PSALM 25

To you, O God, I lift up my soul; I trust you, let me not be disappointed; Do not let my enemies triumph. Those who hope in you will not be disappointed, but only those who break faith.

O God, make me know your ways. Teach me your paths. Make me walk in your truth, and teach me; for you are God my Savior. In you I hope all day long because of your goodness. Remember your mercy, O God, and the love you have shown from of old. Do not remember my sins. In your love remember me.

EVENING PRAYER

PSALM 23

The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. Beside restful waters he leads me; He refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for you

are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage.

You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.

MOTHER OF GOD LIGHT IN ALL DARKNESS

Mother of God Light in All Darkness, shelter Jesus our flame of hope with your tender hands.

And in our times of dread and nightmares, let Jesus be our dream of comfort.

And in our times of physical pain and suffering, let Jesus be our Healer. And in our times of separation from God and one another, let Jesus be our communion. (National Catholic AIDS Network)

SPECIAL TIMES

There are times in all our lives when, because of circumstances, our ultimate dependence on God becomes clearer to us than ever before. We realize that we are limited and vulnerable, and more than ever we rely on our loving God to care for us. Here are some prayers for those special times.

IN TIMES OF PAIN AND SUFFERING

Times of pain and suffering bring with them feelings of fear, loneliness, and abandonment. We recall Jesus who prayed alone in the garden, having been left by friends to suffer in loneliness. We hear Jesus call out from the cross to God, “Why have you abandoned me?”, in the desperation of his pain as if God is no longer there. And yet it is because Jesus suffered in this way that we can turn to Jesus for comfort in our own suffering, knowing that Jesus lived pain as we do and experienced the feelings that we do. And as Jesus discovered that indeed our loving father was always with him, we ask Jesus to give us the strength and comfort of knowing that our God is also with us, holding us in the palm of God’s hand.

Praised be God, the father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! God comforts us in all Our afflictions... As we have shared much in the suffering of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in Christ’s consolation.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

PRAYER

Loving and gentle God, if it were possible for this pain to leave me, how grateful I would be. But I am reconciled to your will, and I ask only that you give me the comfort of knowing that you are with me at this time. With Jesus, your son and my brother, I offer you this pain as my prayer of love for you and for the good of all your people here on earth. Amen.

FOR HEALING

Just as life itself is a miracle, so the healing of our bodies is a miracle. Through the expertise of the doctor and the loving care of the nurse, the opportunity for healing is enhanced. But we know that the actual healing which takes place is one of the miracles of the creation of our loving God. We therefore rely on God for the power and strength we need to heal our wounds and repair our brokeness. With confidence in prayer, we ask that doctors and nurses be instruments of God’s healing power.

PRAYER

God of infinite love, I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to heal my wounds and mend my brokeness. Let the knowledge of our care and concern for me give me the hope and strength to experience the power of your healing touch. With Jesus and in Jesus I ask you for this grace. Amen.

Fear not, lam with you; be not dismayed; I am your God I will

strengthen you, and help you, and uphold

you with my right hand..

Isaiah 41:10

PRAYER

Dear God, who has promised never to leave nor forsake us. Grant, that in my weakness I may know myself to be surrounded by your power. When I am restless and anxious, may I find peace. Do for me what I cannot do for myself When my heart condemns me grant me the grace of forgiveness. Fill my heart and mind with your healing and comforting presence.

PRAYER

Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to you. Allow Your healing hand to heal me. Touch my soul with Your compassion for others. Touch my heart with Your courage and infinite love for all. Touch my mind with Your wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim Your praise. Teach me to reach out to You in my need, and help me to lead others to You in my example. Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength. Touch gently this life which You have created now and forever. Amen.

BEFORE SURGERY

Before surgery it is natural to feel anxious and fearful. The unknown can be frightening. If you are experiencing such feelings, acknowledge and honor them. Given time, these feelings drift away, become less threatening, and are replaced by the confidence that you and the people who care for you are at all times in God’s loving care.

PRAYER

Loving God, I place myself in your care during my time of surgery. Guide with wisdom and skill the minds and hands of the doctors, nurses and all others who will minister to me. I ask that the source of my illness will be removed so that I may live to celebrate the healing power of your love in my life. I ask this in the name of your son Jesus. Amen.

AFTER SURGERY

During the days following surgery, it is often difficult to focus our attention in praise and thanksgiving. Even though we are conscious of God’s presence as we are ministered to by doctors, nurses, and all those who bring healing in their words and gestures of comfort, it is only with time that we are able to respond in heartfelt gratitude. God asks us to be gentle and patient with ourselves. In this process of recuperation, we are called to trust not only in God’s healing power but also in our own ability to facilitate healing in body and spirit.

Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleading; the Lord is my strength and my shield In him my heart trusts, and I find help; then my heart exults, and with my song! give him thanks.

Psalm 28

PRAYER

Loving, compassionate God, I praise you and thank you for holding me gently in your presence during this difficult time. I ask you for the gift of patience as my body heals. I ask too for spiritual insight that I may recognize the meaning of this suffering. Finally, I ask for acceptance that I may lovingly receive your plan in my life. I place myself, my body and spirit, in your hands, loving God. Increase my faith, hope and love. Amen.

FOR MY FAMILY

When we are sick in the hospital, we are separated from our family. We wonder how each person is; our children may be too young to come to visit us. We may feel abandoned by those we love most.

We may wonder if the bills are being paid and if there is food on the table. We have a deep concern for our family and it hurts not to be with each other. Like us, Jesus felt physical pain and felt abandoned and alone. Jesus was deeply concerned about his mother, Mary, and those whom Jesus loved. Jesus knows from his own experience how we feel. Jesus placed his mother in God’s hands and in the care of another human person, John. He learned to trust in the love of his friends and knew that they would care for his mother.

PRAYER

Jesus, I feel alone and sad. I am worried about my family. You always showed deep concern for people. I place my family in your care and I trust that you will hold them and keep them safe from any harm. Help my friends to care for my family. Help my family and me to accept my illness and our being separated at this time. Increase our love for each other. Thank you, Jesus, for your care and concern. Amen.

First of all, I give

thanks to my God through Jesus Christ

for all of you...

I constantly mention you in prayer, always pleading that somehow

by God’s will, that I

may at last find my

way clear to be with

you.

FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES

Yes, we can be grateful for all the services and care provided for us here at the hospital. Of course, doctors and nurses can’t do everything, no matter how sincerely they might wish or how hard they may try. But God is very much present when they are at work, in the medication you receive, in the x-rays and other test, in the meals you eat, and in the skilled hands and trained minds of those who serve you here. Through them, we experience God’s healing.

Romans 1:8-1

I continually thank my God for you because of the favor that God has bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, in whom you have been richly endowed...

I Corinthians 1:4-5

PRAYER

God, look with love on everything that is being done for me. May your wisdom endow the physicians and nurses with insight and skill. Lend your healing strength to all who take care of my needs. Bless their efforts and their work. I ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then Mary said:

My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit finds joy in God my Savior.

Luke I :46-47

FOR THE SAFE DELIVERY OF MY CHILD

As you wait to deliver your child, feelings of joy and hopeful expectation fill your mind and heart. At times, some anxiety may surface. Our God invites you to reflect with Mary, the mother of our savior, in a spirit of trust on this precious gift of life which you hold within you.

Then Mary said:

My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit finds joy in God my Savior.

Luke 1.46-47

PRAYER

Mary, mother of Jesus, I entrust myself to you. Inspire me to live with hope, to respect all God has made. May the life within me be healthy in body and mind and free of physical disability. May the blessing of God, compassionate as a Mother, Of God the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rest upon me and my child. Amen.

FOR PATIENCE

Days spent in the hospital can be very long and dreary. Sometimes we think that we are wasting precious time. We might feel frustrated or even angry because of the long waiting periods before tests are performed. While we wait for test results or when faced with major surgery, we often are fearful or apprehensive. These are all normal human reactions. But illness, as well as other trials, has meaning and value. It gives us the opportunity to imitate Christ in his passion. When we are united to Christ, we participate in his redemptive suffering. We also come to realize better that our life belongs to God and that God is the ultimate good. St. Paul writes this consoling thought in his letter to the Romans: “The sufferings of this life cannot be compared to the future glory that will be manifested in us.” (Rom. 8:18)

I tell myself my future is lost, all that! hoped

for from the Lord Remembering it over

and over leaves my soul downcast within

me. But I will call this to mind, as my reason

to have hope: The favors of the Lord are

not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; they are renewed each

morning, so great is his fait hfulness.

Lamentations

3:18,20-23

PRAYER

You give me another day, O God, another gift from you. Whatever this day may bring, I place it in your hands. Give me the patience and strength I need during this time of frustration and uncertainty. May your peace calm my anxieties. I also present to you the needs of all the sick. Fill our hearts and minds with your healing and comforting presence. I ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE

If you have a problem with drinking or drugs, this does not make you a bad person. Certain peoples’ body chemistry makes it impossible to drink or use without serious trouble of some kind. Not knowing about this disease, many have felt terrible guilt and failure for not achieving a control which the disease of alcoholism simply makes impossible. We need God’s help to accept that we have a disease, to accept that it’s no disgrace to be an addict or alcoholic, and to accept that we don’t have to do the impossible. (What is impossible is for an alcoholic or addict to consistently drink or use moderately or, on the other hand, to stay clean and sober comfortably all by themselves).

We receive God’s help when we join others on the path of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, or other supportive groups.

Come to me, all you who find life burdensome and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Matthew 11:28-3 0

PRAYER

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living One Day At A Time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to Peace; taking, as Christ did, this sinful world at it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; that I may be reasonably happy in this world and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

FOR A TERMINAL ILLNESS

In the Bible we are told that God is with us always. “God dwells among us. We are His people and He is our God.” During His life on earth, Jesus trusted His Father’s presence, even when, near death, He felt alone and abandoned. For us, this means we are never alone, never abandoned, even though we may feel that way. When we are faced with terminal illness, when we experience the pain, the fear, the struggle of dying, then all the more we are invited to trust in God’s loving care and concern for us. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, feared His death, too. But even on the cross He was aware of His Father as He cried out, “Into Your hands I commend My spirit.” On this final part of our life’s journey, let us confidently place our fears, our pain, our hopes in the hands of God who has promised never to forget us and to give us eternal life.

I heard a loud voice

from the throne cry

out: ‘This is God’s dwelling among

people. He shall dwell with them and they shall be His people and He shall be their God who is always with them. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more

death or mourning, crying out or pain, for the former world has

passed away’.

Revelations 21:3,4

PRAYER

O God, Your love and care are stronger than death. By You I was brought to life and through the years You were present in my daily dyings and risings. Let me now continue to experience You as my companion on this final journey of my life. Be my helper and guide; free me from sin and bring me home to life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYER

Grant, dear God of Light, that this darkness may pass from me and that I may rest in the light of your unfailing love. Give me calm assurance that you are my shepherd and even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I need fear no evil. You have promised grace sufficient for every need. May I have the courage and hope to commit myself entirely to you.

Anointing With Holy Oil

Jesus Christ is our Emanuel, God-with-us. In becoming one with our human nature and accepting even suffering and death, He revealed the compassion of God for every person, especially the poor and the sick. During His life on earth, Jesus made them His special concern. In the Gospels we meet people who brought to Jesus their sick and He touched them and comforted them.

The Church continues this ministry of Jesus and His deep concern for the sick. The Church wishes to support and accompany the sick, to comfort the patients. During your stay in the hospital, along with you family and friends, we the Chaplain staff are the Church with you.

One of the concrete ways God communicates His presence, compassion, and love to you is through the Sacrament of the Sick. This sacrament is the prayer of the community of faith. It is through this saving action that God accompanies, comforts, and heals sick persons today.

When should one ask for this sacrament? Before a serious operation, when one is weak or elderly, when one has a serious illness, when one feels very depressed, or when one is critically ill are all appropriate moments to ask for the anointing with Holy Oil.

While in the hospital, you may feel sad and alone. Through the Church and her desire to walk with you, and through the saving action of the anointing with Holy Oil, God our Healer continues to be with you.

The Pastoral Care Team

Services:

Open all day and evening.

Mass Schedule:

          Monday-Friday                                6:30 am.
            Saturday                                           7:00p.m.
            Sunday                                           11:00a.m.

TV viewing on channel 3.

Blessed Sacrament Adoration:

Thursday 5:30 a 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 8:00a9:OOp.m.

Rosary:

Monday-Friday 5:30 p.m.

Communion & Confession:

Catholic Patients who wish to receive Holy Communion may do so in their rooms.

Sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

CONTENTS

FAMILIAR PRAYERS

THE LORD’S PRAYER

HAIL MARY

ACT OF CONTRITION

THE MEMORARE

PRAYER OF

PRAYER OF PEACE

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

HAIL HOLY QUEEN

EVENING PRAYER

FOR HEALING

AFTER SURGERY

FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES

FOR PATIENCE

FOR DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE

FOR A TERMINAL ILLNESS

SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGS

The Pastoral Care Team