> [[js-cm-17|← Devotions for Every Day in the Week]] | [[the-carmelite-manual-toc|TOC]] | [[js-cm-19|Novenas →]] # Instructions and Devotions for the Sick 1\. If you are attacked by any considerable illness, let your first care be to send for your spiritual physician, and settle the state of your soul. This is much better done in the beginning of sickness than afterwards, when the strength of the disease, or the quality of the remedies, may render a person absolutely unfit for so great a work. Sickness is often sent for a punishment of sin, and, therefore, a sincere repentance and confession of sins is often a more effectual means of recovery than any other. 2\. If you have not your will already made, as 'in prudence you ought, let this also be done in the beginning of your sickness, that so having settled your temporal affairs, you may apply your soul, without disturbance, to the spiritual. 3\. Engage your best friends to give you timely notice, if your distemper be dangerous, and not to flatter you with hopes of life, when there are little or no grounds for hope. Make the best use you can of that time, which perhaps is to be your last. Admit but of few visits, nor of any other discourses, but such as may be for your soul's profit. 4\. Take proper care for the discharge of your debts, and all other obligations incumbent upon you; and this as much as may be in the beginning also of your sickness. Forgive all those who have any way injured you, and ask pardon of those you have injured. 5\. Receive your sickness from the hand of God, with a perfect resignation to his holy will, as a just punishment of your offences: frequently offer yourself up to him, and beg that he would give you patience, and sanctify your sufferings, and that he would accept of all your pains and uneasiness in union with the sufferings of your Saviour Jesus Christ, and in mitigation of the punishment due to your sins. 6\. Often procure some friend to read to you such prayers as are most affective, and most proper for your present condition; especially the Penitential Psalms, the Litanies, Acts of the love of God, of Patience and Resignation, &c. 7\. Have the crucifix, or a picture of Christ crucified, always before your eyes. Think often upon his passion, hide yourself in spirit in his wounds, and embrace his feet with all the affection of your soul. 8\. Aim as much as you can at a penitential spirit during your sickness; often cry to God for mercy, and make frequent acts of contrition for your sins. St. Augustin used to say, that "no Christian, however innocent his life may have been, ought to venture to die in any other state than that of a penitent." ## A Prayer Proper to Be Repeated Daily in Time of Sickness LORD Jesus Christ, behold I receive this sickness with which thou art pleased to visit me, as coming from thy fatherly hand. It is thy will it should be thus with me, and therefore I submit; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. May this sickness be to the honour of thy holy name, and for the good of my soul. For this end, I here offer myself, with an entire submission to all thy appointments, to suffer whatever thou pleasest, as long as thou pleasest, and in what manner thou pleasest; for I am thy creature, O Lord, who have most ungratefully offended thee; and since my sins have a long time cried aloud to heaven for justice, why should I now complain if I feel thy hand upon me? No, my God, thou art just in all thy ways; I have truly deserved thy punishment, and therefore I have no reason to complain of thee, but enly of my own wickedness. But rebuke me not, O Lord, in thy fury, nor chastise me in thy wrath; have regard to my weakness. Thou knowest how frail I am; that I am nothing but dust and ashes; deal not with me, therefore, according to my sins, neither punish me according to my iniquities; but according to the multitude of thy most tender mercies, have compassion on me. Oh! let thy justice be tempered with mercy, and let thy heavenly grace come to my assistance, to support me under this my illness. Confirm my soul with strength from above, that I may bear, with a true Christian patience, all the uneasiness, pains, disquiets, and difficulties of my sickness; and that I may cheerfully accept them as the just punishment of my offences; preserve me from all temptations, and be thou my defence against all the assaults of the enemy, that in this illness I may no way offend thee; and if this is to be my last, I beg of thee so to direct me by thy grace, that I may no ways neglect or be deprived of those helps, which thou hast in thy mercy ordained for the good of my soul, to prepare it for its passage into eternity, that being perfectly cleansed from all my sins, I may believe in thee, put my whole trust in thee, love thee above all things, and through the merits of thy death and passion, be admitted into the company of the blessed, where I may praise thee for ever and ever. Amen. ## Short Acts of the Most Necessary Virtues Proper to Be Inculcated in the Time of Sickness LORD, I accept this sickness from thy hand, and entirely resign myself to thy blessed will, whether it be for life or death. Not my will, but thine be done; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Lord, I submit to all the pains and uneasiness of this my illness: my sins have deserved infinitely more. Thou art just, O Lord, and thy judgment is right. Lord, I offer up to thee all that I now suffer, or may have yet to suffer, to be united to the sufferings of my Redeemer, and sanctified by his passion. I adore thee, Omy God and my all, as my first beginning and last end; and I desire to pay thee the best homage I am able, and to bow down all the powers of my soul to thee. Lord, I desire to praise thee for ever, in sickness as well as in health. I desire to join my heart and voice with the whole church of heaven and earth, in blessing thee for ever. I give thee thanks from the bottom of my heart, for all thy mercies and blessings bestowed upon me and thy whole church, through Jesus Christ, thy Son; and above all, for having loved me from all eternity, and redeemed me with his precious blood. Oh! let not that blood be shed for me in vain. Lord, I believe all those heavenly truths which thou hast revealed, and which thy holy Catholic church believes and teaches. Thou art the sovereign truth, who neither canst deceive nor be deceived; and thou hast promised the Spirit of Truth, to guide thy church in all truth. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, &c. In this faith I resolve, through thy grace, to live and die. O Lord, strengthen and increase this my faith. O my God, all my hopes are in thee, and through Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, and through his passion and death, I hope for mercy, grace, and salvation from thee. In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust, Oh! let me never be confounded. O sweet Jesus, receive me into thy arms in this day of my distress; hide me in thy wounds; bathe my soul in thy precious blood. I love thee, O my God, with my whole heart and soul, and above all things; at least I desire so to love thee. Oh! come now and take full possession of my soul, and teach me to love thee for ever. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Oh! when will thy kingdom come? O Lord, when wilt thou perfectly reign in all hearts? When shall sin be no more? Queen of martyrs, pray for us. Mother and queen of Carmel, pray for us. Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. Hymn p. 410; prayer, p. 453. --- ![[maps/bibliography#^biblio-spratt]] > [[js-cm-17|← Devotions for Every Day in the Week]] | [[the-carmelite-manual-toc|TOC]] | [[js-cm-19|Novenas →]]