Glorious St. Camillus, Who cared for the sick with the love of a mother, Turn your gaze to all those who are suffering. Intercede to God for them, To lighten their pain in body and soul, Strengthen them in their solitude and dry their tears, Give them strength for the journey And patience in waiting, Grant them serene acceptance of each day And trust-filled hope in the future. Grant that we be inflamed With the same charity that burned in your heart To love and serve our suffering neighbour As Christ himself, The Good Samaritan of body and soul has taught us. AMEN

O Holy Mother Health of the Sick You are a true fountain of mercy and healing Full of love and compassion Obtain for us health of body and soul By your all powerful prayers To your divine son Jesus Christ. In your motherly hands We entrust ourselves, our dear ones, All the needs of your holy mother church Of our country and the salvation of all people. AMEN

Mary, Mother of the Saviour, Full of grace, ever open, Woman believing and generous With unsullied heart, The Word lived in you. We invoke you As the model of a healthy relationship with God. Help us to let ourselves be led by his love And to live intimately in his presence So that like you We may be entirely of him, Carriers of his love and tenderness In the service of the sick.

Lord my heart is bereft, I feel like mud, I am like discarded clay, awaiting the potter’s touch. Put your hands and your heart, Lord, To my wretched state, Fill up my life with your mercy. Protect my life, save me. I trust in you. You are my God, my father, you love me. I call to you all day long. Give joy to those who long to be your friend; I have placed my trust in you. I know you are good and you pardon me. I know you are merciful to those who open their hearts to you. Hear me, turn to me, I am calling. I come to be with you and to remain together with you. I am silent in your presence, You know me through and through. I am here Lord, just as I am; Hiding nothing from your clear vision. I am here, fresh clay, awaiting fashioning By your merciful touch. You are great and you work wonders; You, the only God, teach me your ways, May my steps follow faithfully in your footprints. May my heart, undivided, be yours alone. I thank you with all my heart, Lord my God; I will always say that you are my faithful friend. You have freed me from temptation’s snares; I have felt your mercy. You have made me live again, I return to your ways; I have felt your mercy. Lord, I rejoice because you are a compassionate God. I exult because you pity and are patient. I am happy, for you are merciful and faithful. Lord, look at me. Be compassionate to me. Give me strength. You, Lord, are always ready to help me, To re-enliven my heart when it grows faint. Lord, take my heart of mud, Fashion it according to the greatness of your mercy.

Bless Yahweh, my soul, Bless his holy name, all that is in me. Bless Yahweh, my soul, And remember all his kindness. In forgiving all your offenses, In curing all your diseases; In redeeming your life from the Pit, In crowning you with love and tenderness; In filling your years with prosperity, In renewing your youth like the eagle’s. Yahweh, who does what is right, Is always on the side of the oppressed; He reveled his intentions to Moses, His prowess to the sons of Israel. Yahweh is tender and compassionate, Slow to anger, most loving; His indignation does not last for ever, His resentment exists a short time only; He never treats us, never punishes us, As our guilt and our sins deserve. No less than the height of heaven over the earth Is the greatness of his love for those who fear him; He takes our sins farther away Than the east is from the west. As tenderly as a father treats his children, So Yahweh treats those who fear him; He knows what we are made of, He remembers we are dust. Man lasts no longer than grass, No longer than a wild flower he lives. One gust of wind, and he is gone; Never to be seen there again. Yet Yahweh’s love for those who fear him Lasts from all eternity and forever. Like his goodness to their children’s children, As long as they keep his covenant And remember to obey his precepts.

He, Yahweh, is merciful, tender-hearted, Slow to anger, very loving, And universally kind; Yahweh’s tenderness Embraces all his creatures. Yahweh, all your creatures thank you And your faithful bless you. Kingly and glorious they proclaim you, They affirm your might. Let humankind learn your acts of power, And the majestic glory of your sovereignty. Your sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty, Your empire lasts from age to age. Always true to your promises, Yahweh shows love in all he does. Only stumble, and Yahweh at once supports you, If others bow you down, he will raise you up. Patiently all creatures look to you To feed them throughout the year. Quick to satisfy every need, You feed them with a generous hand. Righteous in all that he does, Yahweh acts only out of love. Standing close to all who invoke him, Close to all who invoke Yahweh faithfully. Those who fear him need only to ask to be answered; He hears their cries for help and saves them.

PRAYER TO ST CAMILLUS DE LELLIS: Glorious St Camillus, turn your merciful eyes upon those who suffer and those who care for them. Grant to the sick Christian resignation and trust in the goodness and power of God. Make those who take care of the sick be generous and lovingly dedicated. Help me to understand the mystery of suffering as a means of redemption and the way to God. May your protection comfort the sick and their families and encourage them to live together in love. Bless those who dedicate themselves to the infirm. And may the good God grant peace and hope to all. Amen. Pray Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be. St Camillus de Lellis, pray for us. WORDS OF JESUS: “Blessed are those who suffer because they will be consoled.” “I was sick and you visited me.” “Come, blessed of my Father, and take possession of heaven.” “Everything you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me.” Novena prayers, day 1 to 9 – always begin with the Sign of the Cross. End with the “Prayer of the Sick”, at the end of this post. FIRST DAY: Dear St Camillus, knowing that there is no greater love than to give your life for another, you patiently put up with many infirmities during your life without ceasing to work on behalf of the sick. Intercede with God so that I (or mention name(s) of the person(s) instead of “I” during the course of these novena prayers) may have the strength necessary to overcome the troubles that afflict my life and the life of my family and friends. Help me to spiritually benefit from everything that happens. Do a good deed to someone in need. Read Mark 5:21-43. SECOND DAY: Dear St Camillus, shocked by the abandonment in which the sick lived, you received from Jesus the inspiration to create an organization for caring for the sick with love. Help me to understand that it is important before God to treat those who suffer with love. In the difficult moments of life, give me courage not to become disheartened. Pray for someone who suffers more than you do. Read Mark 10:46-52. THIRD DAY: Dear St Camillus, inspired by the example of the Good Samaritan, you vowed to improve the treatment of the sick. In all countries, may there be more concern and responsibility in helping the sick and in all health services. Give those who are in good health more joy in taking care of the sick. May everyone believe in the immense riches that God reserves for those who love Him and their brothers and sisters. Ask God for the help needed by those who are not taken care of. Read Luke 10:29-38. FOURTH DAY: Dear St Camillus, because of your extraordinary love of the infirm, the Church declared you patron saint of hospitals, the sick and nurses. Intercede with God in favour of doctors, the sick and all who take care of them so that they may be good hearted, enthusiastic and competent in their work. Make them remember that Jesus said that ‘everything you do to the least of my brothers, you do to me’. Pray for those who take care of the sick. Read Matthew 25:31-46. FIFTH DAY: Dear St Camillus, meditating on the words of Jesus (everything you do to the least of my brothers, you do to me), you received from God such great faith that you considered the sick as if they were Jesus Himself. Help me to grow in faith in order to always increase my love of the sick and to be ready to help them like a loving mother cares for her only sick child. Make an effort to have more faith. Read John 5:1-18. SIXTH DAY: Dear St Camillus, in a moment of great difficulty, you heard from the open-armed crucifix: “Courage, do not become downhearted, this work is not for you, but for me.” Give me always the strength not to become disheartened before the problems of my life and that of others. May everything I suffer convince me of the immense power of God in my favour. Never desist of doing good. Read John 9:1-41. SEVENTH DAY: Dear St Camillus, you had great devotion to the Mother of Jesus. May I have greater trust in the power of intercession of Mary with God and be able to imitate her virtues. Help me understand the meaning of suffering and not consider it a punishment. Lord, You helped Camillus in his struggles, help me in the difficulties I face to remain at peace and not get disheartened. Peace must be worked at every day. Read John 2:1-12. EIGHTH DAY: Dear St Camillus, even in the most difficult situations, you always trusted entirely in Divine Providence. Increase my faith in the goodness and power of God in favour of His creatures. May I always put myself in His hands in order to be strong in trials and suffering. Help me remember the last words of Jesus: “I will be with you until the end of time.” Never lose hope. God is there. Read Matthew 6:25-34. NINTH DAY: Dear St Camillus, inspired by the words of Jesus (“I was sick and you visited me”), you dedicated your life and all your strength to help the sick, and to improve hospitals and health conditions in the most difficult circumstances. Arouse everyone’s conscience to be more interested in health problems and to diminish the suffering of the people. Commit yourself to doing good and being with the good. Read John 13:1-17. PRAYER OF THE SICK: Lord, I come before You in prayer. I know that You hear me, You know me. I know that I am in You and that Your strength is in me. Look at my body racked with infirmity. You know, Lord, how much it hurts me to suffer. I know that You are not pleased with the suffering of Your children. Give me, Lord, the strength and courage to overcome moments of desperation and exhaustion. Make me patient and understanding. I offer up my worries, anxiety and suffering to be more worthy of You. Let me, Lord, unite my sufferings with those of Your Son Jesus who for love of humanity gave His life on the Cross. Furthermore, I ask You, Lord: Help doctors and nurses take care of the sick with the same dedication and love that St Camillus had. AMEN.

Dear Lord, You are the Just judge, Holy and True. You are the Most High God. You give us life. You hold all power in your hands. You are the Mighty one from God who carries the world, and is ruler over all the earth. You Oh Most Blessed One are the giver of life. In you are only good things. In you is mercy and love. In you is healing of the nations. In you is freedom of worry and freedom of pain. Lord Almighty, You loved us so much. You were sent from your Father, sent to save us from destruction. We truly can never make it to Heaven without the help of Jesus the Son, Who was sent to earth to help us. You, Lord are full of mercy and grace, please forgive us for our faults. Lord Jesus, in you all healing is performed. You Lord are the miracle worker. In your Spirit, your gift of healing is alive. In you Lord we can put our trust that you can heal us, and protect us from the enemy, and death of our soul. You, Lord are miracle worker for the sick, and for the lost souls. You, Lord forgive us and save us from condemnation. You cleanse us and make us born again new. You give us a clean heart full of peace. You Lord are the Light. In You is all truth. Your way Lord is the way to Heavenly Hope. Your hands Lord created the universe. You Lord are the True giver of Life. Every child is a miracle of Life. Life rests in Your Hands. Wrap us as a close knit family, draw us near to you Lord, and bind us with your Loving Hands. Let us be drawn closer to You. You are the Vine, dear Lord and we are the branches. You carry all knowledge and all power. You Lord are our medicine. Your Words Lord are Truth and Life. Help us put our trust in You. You Lord are the greatest physician. You heal, You protect, You care, You love, You are kind, You are patient, You are thoughtful, You are strength. You Lord are our Creator. You know our thoughts, our sighings and our cryings and every hair on our head. You are Wonderful and make all good things for us. Heal us Lord, if it be Your will. Amen.

Heavenly Father I call on you right now in a special way. It is through your power that I was created. Every breath I take, every morning I wake, And every moment of every hour, I live under Your power. Father, I ask you now to touch me with that same power. For if you created me from nothing, You can certainly recreate me. Fill me with the healing power of Your spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken. Root out any unproductive cells. Open any blocked arteries or veins And rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection. Let the warmth of your healing love Pass through my body To make new any unhealthy areas So that my body will function The way You created it to function. And Father, restore me to full health In mind and body so that I may serve you The rest of my life. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.