Frontline worker

by Sister Benedict OSB

During the pandemic I have been reflecting on the lives of our Pandemic Heroes and I am praying today especially for one of them, let’s call him Luke:

As a frontline worker in a hospital, Luke is risking his life daily to help others who are suffering as a result of another illness, just as potentially deadly as Covid 19.

I marvel at his kind, generous, warm and outgoing nature. One day in conversation about the intercession of Saints  to heal, knowing that I was a Catholic, he shared the following with me:

‘As a young child I was very withdrawn and so was very difficult for my mother to cope with. Although our background was Hindu, my mother used to visit a Catholic Church. A statue of St Jude was in a  little niche there. On discovering that he was known as the ‘Patron Saint for hopeless cases’ she decided to bring me to this shrine. She lifted up my little body to touch the statue and from then on my personality changed dramatically. As you can see!  So I believe in miracles.’

St Jude had never been part of my life until that day. I pray that this Saint will help us to come through these difficult days with a renewed faith and greater love for the whole of creation. 

I think of the words of the song by Lennon and McCartney
‘Hey Jude, take a sad song and make it better...’

Let us pray to him for all frontline workers:

Merciful Lord through the intercession of St Jude,
Be with all frontline workers and those they care for.
Be with their families and loved ones.
We pray especially for those who feel that their situation is hopeless.
With you there is always hope.
Your mercy never fails and your compassion is without bounds
We make our prayer thought Christ Our Lord.   Amen

Sister Benedict OSB is a Benedictine Nun of St Mildred’s Priory, Minster Abbey, Kent