In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we all need comfort and support in times of illness and bereavement. In hospitals, nursing homes and even in their own homes, it is not always possible to sit at the bedside of the sick.
Mindful of the feelings and needs of the sick and the dying, all who care for them and those who mourn their loved ones, the following prayers might help.
In joy and in sorrow,
in life and in death,
in this world and in the next,
our hope and our peace
is in the love and mercy of Jesus Christ,
who has promised to be with us always.
Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.
‘Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls.’Mt 11:29
Suffering
I am tired of being unwell Lord,
and weary with the weight of illness.
Be my hope and strength and lighten my burden.
Safety
Circle me O Lord,
keep peace within and fear without.
Keep trust within and doubt without.
Keep light within and darkness without.
Keep forgiveness within and hate without.
Prayer for strength
May your people be strengthened, O God, by your blessing.
May you be our consolation in times of grief,
our power to endure in times of suffering,
and our protection when in danger. Amen.
For Carers
For carers in this world, young and old,
whose love, time and freedom
are given sacrificially for one who is in need.
May they know your blessing, through good days and bad,
and receive as they have given love in good measure,
flowing as a gentle river into their hearts and lives. Amen.
Blessing
Lord, bless my loved ones
and those I have met today.
Bless me also this night. Amen.
(Above Pieces taken from the “Prayers and Reflections” Booklet of World Missions Ireland.)
Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes
towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic.
Comfort those who are distraught
and mourn their loved ones who have died,
and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply.
Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick
and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them.
Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future
and the consequences for the economy and employment.
(A section of a prayer Pope Francis asks us to pray with him throughout May).
