FOR GRACE IN TIMES OF ILLNESS

Merciful and loving God, in whose presence I bear my illness with faith and with fear: I thank you for the faith you have given me to entrust my healing and my health to you. May I ever be mindful that I am always in your hands and that, while I am there, I shall not be forsaken nor shall I be abandoned. As your grace accompanies me through paths I know not, embrace the questions I ask, the doubts I feel, the fears I know and the sufferings I dread. May these be my sacrifice and my offering today. If in my weak state my hope, too, weakens, strengthen me and renew my hope. If bitterness approaches me, draw nearer to revive my spirit and renew my joy; for as I rejoiced in you with my health, now may I also rejoice in you with my illness. When the time for my healing will have come, may I have the grace to accept it with gratitude, the spirit to celebrate it with joy, and the courage to serve you with humility. Through Jesus Christ, my Rock and my Fortress. Amen.