Lord have mercy...

Over the past year or so, many members of our faculty and staff have lost loved ones, had family members who are gravely ill, or are ill themselves.  Thus, I thought it might be a good time for us as a staff to come together and to pray to God to heal our sick relatives and friends, heal ourselves, and to ask that our beloved dead be with Him forever.

We gathered yesterday in our chapel for a simple prayer service.  We listened to the Notre Dame Folk Choir's song "Be Still and Know That I Am God" and then prayed Psalm 23 monastic style.  Mr. Clossick of our theology department then read a passage from the gospel of Matthew (one used for the Rite of the Anointing of the Sick) and we had silent reflections.  We then prayed for the intercession of various saints who are the patron saints of those suffering from certain ailments - cancer, drug addiction, breast cancer, ailments of the throat, etc.  We concluded with the Lord's Prayer and the following prayer:

Father in heaven, grant comfort to those who suffer.  When they are afraid, give them courage, when afflicted, give them patience, when dejected, afford them hope, and when alone, assure them of the support of Your holy people.

May the angels lead our beloved dead into paradise, may the martyrs come to welcome them, and lead them to the new and eternal Jerusalem.