2009 Prayer Cards

For 2009, the National Association of Catholic Chaplains will offer two separate prayer cards for World Day of the Sick: Prayer for the Caregiver and Prayer of the Sick or Suffering. On both cards, the prayer appears in English on one side of the card and in Spanish on the reverse.

To place an order, click here for the order form. To preview the cards use the links below.

Prayer of the Sick or Suffering: English  |  Spanish

Prayer for the Caregiver: English  |  Spanish

Order form

2009 Prayer Card Order Form

Prayer cards from previous years

Past prayer cards

World Day of the Sick resources

Prayer of the Faithful

A prayer for the ill and those who care for them.

A Healing Service in a Hospital Setting

Carey Landry, NACC member and co-coordinator (along with his wife, Carol Jean Kinghorn) of liturgical music at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Indianapolis, wrote this article that appeared in April 2002 issue of Vision.

World Day of the Sick program   |    World Day of the Sick program (leader's copy)

This program was written by NACC member Linda DeHahn.

Further WDS resources (at other websites)

A novena of prayer for healing in preparation for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
World Day of the Sick information from the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care
Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for the World Day of the Sick

Vatican message

The WDS message is currently only available in non-English versions (Croatian, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish). Here's the complete text as automatically translated by Google from Italian to English (any errors therein are a result of automatic translation):

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI FOR THE XVII WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

Dear brothers and sisters!

World Day of the Sick, which is the next February 11, liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Community will meet with diocesan bishops in their moments of prayer, to reflect and decide on steps to increase awareness about the reality of suffering. The Pauline Year, which we are celebrating, offers the opportunity to pause and meditate with the apostle Paul that, "as the sufferings of Christ in us, so through Christ abounds in his consolation" (2 Cor 1:5). The spiritual connection with Lourdes also recalls to mind the motherly care of the Mother of Jesus for our brothers and sisters of her Son "still journey on earth and put in the midst of dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home" (Lumen Gentium, 62) .

This year our attention turns to children particularly, creatures weak and defenseless, and among these, the children sick and suffering. There are little human beings in the body that carry the consequences of disabilities, and others who struggle with evil still incurable despite advances in medicine and assistance to researchers and health professionals. There are children injured in body and soul as a result of conflicts and wars, and other innocent victims of senseless hatred adults. There are boys "street", deprived of warmth of a family and left to themselves, children and desecrated by vile people who violate the innocent, provoking in them a psychological wound that will mark them for life. We can not forget the incalculable number of children who die because of thirst, hunger, lack of health care, as well as small exiles and refugees from their land with their parents in search of better living conditions. From all these children there is a silent cry of pain that challenges the conscience of our people and believers.

The Christian community can not remain indifferent to such tragic situations, felt the urgent duty to intervene. The Church, in fact, as I wrote in Deus Caritas Est, "is the family of God in the world. In this family there should be no one who suffers for lack of need" (25, b). I hope therefore that the World Day of the Sick will provide an opportunity for parish and diocesan communities to take more and more conscious of being "family of God", and encourages to make visible in the villages, neighborhoods and cities love of the Lord, who asks "that the Church itself, as the family, no member should suffer through being in need" (ibid.). The witness of charity is part of the life of every Christian community. And from the beginning, the Church has translated into concrete evangelical principles, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles. Today, given the changed conditions of health care, there is a need for closer collaboration between health professionals working in various health institutions and ecclesial communities in the area. In this perspective, it is confirmed in all its value an institution affiliated with the Holy See what the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, which this year celebrates its 140 years of life.

But there's more. As the sick child belongs to a family who shares the suffering, often with serious hardships and difficulties, the Christian community can not even bear to help the families affected by the illness of a son or a daughter. Following the example of the "Good Samaritan" that we need chini on people try so hard and give them the support of a concrete solidarity. Thus, acceptance and sharing of suffering results in a useful support to the families of sick children, creating in them a feeling of serenity and hope, and then feel around them for a broader family of brothers and sisters in Christ. The compassion of Jesus for the tears of the widow of Nain (cf. Lk 7,12-17) and the imploring of Jairus prayer (cf. Lk 8,41-56) are, among others, some useful reference points for learning to share the moments of physical and moral pain of many families try. All this requires a generous and selfless love, a reflection and a sign of God's merciful love, which never abandons her children in the test, but still supplies them to wonderful resources of heart and intelligence to be able to cope with the difficulties of properly life.

The dedication and commitment daily non-stop service to the sick children are an eloquent testimony of love for human life, particularly the lives of those who are weak and fully dependent on others. Indeed, it should be very strongly the absolute and supreme dignity of every human life. Does not change with the passage of time, the teaching that the Church unceasingly proclaims: human life is beautiful and should be lived to the full even when it is weak and surrounded by the mystery of suffering. E 'a crucified Jesus that we must turn our gaze: dying on the cross He wanted to share the pain of all humanity. In his suffering we see a love supreme partnership with the small penis patients and their parents. My venerable predecessor John Paul II, that patient acceptance of suffering, offered a shining example, especially at sunset of his life, he wrote: "On the cross is the" Redeemer of man, the Man of sorrows, who itself has taken on the physical and moral sufferings of the people of all ages, so in love they may find the salvific meaning of their sorrow and valid answers to all their questions "(Salvifici Doloris, 31).

I wish here to express my appreciation and encouragement to national and international organizations that take care of sick children, particularly in poor countries, and with generosity and selflessness offer their help to ensure them adequate and loving care. I both a heartfelt appeal to the leaders of nations will be strengthened because the laws and measures to help sick children and their families. Always, but especially when it comes to children's lives, the Church, for its part, is willing to offer his cordial cooperation in order to transform the whole human civilization in "civilization of love" (cf. Salvifici Doloris , 30).

In conclusion, I would like to express my spiritual closeness to all of you, dear brothers and sisters who suffer from some disease. I extend an affectionate greeting to those who attend: the bishops, priests, consecrated persons, health professionals, volunteers and all those who are dedicated with love to treat and alleviate the suffering of those who are struggling with the disease. A very special greeting for you, dear children sick and suffering: the Pope will embrace with fatherly affection together with your parents and family, and assures you a special remembrance in prayer, and invite you to trust in the maternal help of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Christmas in the past that we have once again covered while shaking with joy in the arms the Son of God made children. In calling upon you and every patient the maternal protection of Our Lady, Health of the Sick, to impart a special Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 2 February 2009