PRIEST: We gather to celebrate the World Day of the Sick associated with yesterday’s Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Gospel speaks to us of a Jesus who overflows with healing and life for the broken and the outcasts. Mary as the servant of God’s healing in Lourdes challenges us to work for that equality and justice that will bring health-care and hope to the poorest of the earth. Our mission is to witness to the Gospel of Life and the tenderness of God especially for the excluded, wounded and vulnerable of our world. Do we seek to be signs of hope and healing?
READER: For the ways our words have wounded, not healed;
our hearts have hardened against another,
not opened in caring and compassion, offering hope
LORD HAVE MERCY…
For the ways we have not valued and supported
those whose work is medicine, research or caring;
when we could have shared the burden and did not
CHRIST HAVE MERCY…
For the times we have been too preoccupied with self
to reach out and listen to another’s pain;
slow to respect every person, not bearers of the Gospel of Life
LORD HAVE MERCY…
PRIEST: O God of love without limit,
make us compassionate as you are compassionate;
Jesus, come to bring us Life in all fullness
makes us whole and holy;
Holy Spirit, breath of love and great Comforter,
bind us together in unbreakable bonds of a love that give hope
and so bring us all to everlasting life…
AMEN!