Dear Friends
Pope Francis on Palliative Care;
2018 Caregiver Prayers of
Intercession; and Happy Thanksgiving!
Week of November 20, 2017
Prayer Requests
Dear Friends,
Earlier this month Pope Francis told participants at the European regional meeting of the World Medical Association:
It could be said that the categorical imperative is to never abandon
the sick.
The anguish associated with conditions that bring us to
the threshold of human mortality, and the difficulty of the decision
we have to make, may tempt us to step back from the patient.
Yet
this is where, more than anything else, we are called to show love
and closeness, recognizing the limit that we all share and showing
our solidarity.
Let each of us give love in his or her own way—as a
father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother or sister, a doctor
or a nurse. But give it!
And even if we know that we cannot always
guarantee healing or a cure, we can and must always care for the
living, without ourselves shortening their life, but also without
futilely resisting their death.
This approach is reflected in
palliative care, which is proving most important in our culture, as
it opposes what makes death most terrifying and unwelcome—pain and
loneliness.
You can find a Catholic News Service article ("Care for the dying does not mean obstinately resisting death, pope says") on the pontiff's message here, and the text of it here.
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Happy (Liturgical) New Year! Over at CatholicCaregivers.com we've posted "Prayers of Intercession for Family Caregivers" for 2018 Sunday Masses. You can find them here.
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And...
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This week we're so pleased to welcome Betty M. of North Dakota,
Daniel O. and Sharae M. of Texas, and Linda H. of Kentucky, as the newest members of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver. Please keep
them and their intentions in your
prayers. They have promised to pray for you and yours. And again this week we cordially invite
you to join the
Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include
YourAgingParent.com and
CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a
member
here. No meetings, no dues. All we ask is
that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members
include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both
(including quite a few former caregivers). You can:
sign up on-line here
God bless you!
Bill
or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
or
print and mail an application form.