A Litany for Surgery

Let us pray…

Almost two weeks ago, an almost 8-inch mass was found in my colon. Tomorrow, it will be removed.

Please, pray for me.

For 13 days, I have been poked and prodded, looking at scans with confusion, and met with several phenomenal doctors who unpacked and explained what was occurring within me.

With gratitude, I pray for those healers and helpers.

I spent some nights pondering the worse, being brought to tears in looking at the beauty of my beloved wife and two miraculous girls.

Please, pray for my wife and daughters.

In every unplanned conversation or unexpected text, I felt like I was sharing my pain. I saw the look of despair in the eyes of my family, and I heard the fear in the shaking voices of friends.

Pray for those who accompany me and remind me of how loved I am.

One of my immediate thoughts when this mass was found was how this was a spiritual invitation to grow deeper in love with God. A multitude of people, in all parts of the world, are praying for my healing. I feel these prayers and I am moved to joyful tears in remembering the many networks I belong. This unity brings me hope, not just in my own healing, but in the much-needed healing for our world and all creation.

Pray with gratitude for those who take the time to pray for my healing.

As I drove to the third doctor in eight days, I couldn’t help but recognize my privilege. Because Suzie works in the Medical School at NYU, we have access to the best of healthcare. In a matter of minutes, mountains were moved to schedule appointments and a surgery. So many do not have this access. There is no equity in health care, and too many, in this country and beyond, will not have the care that I am receiving.

Pray for those who seek healing and are being failed by our systems and policies.

Pray also for those with the power to open doors for access and equity.

I am not the only one waiting on test result and preparing for surgery. I am not the only one today unsure what is to come, if they will see their loved ones grow, and celebrate the simple moments of life. So many walk this path of waiting alone.

Pray for those who have no one to pray and care for them.

So many suffer this day. From war, violence, extreme weather, medical emergencies, and lack of access to human rights like vaccines, water and clean air. Find solidarity with them and ask God to guide you to accompany those close and far.

Pray that you can be a part of the solution by choosing love over apathy and indifference.

There are countless people who lost the battle with disease. They now are at peace with our God. Rightly so, their loved ones continue to grieve their loss, miss their presence, and recall simpler and brighter days.

Pray for those who mourn and grieve, and may they know who God is and trust their loved ones are united in love with them.

May we see every wound and bruise and be reminded of the wounds of Christ, and the wounds of the saints in all its forms. Let us approach one another with grace, never fully knowing their woundedness, and their knowing of ours.

Pray for the grace to embrace our wounds and to accept and welcome the wounded among us.

With every medical visit, disguised angels in nurse uniforms, tend to the needs of the suffering. We also find skilled cleaners, mechanics, and all who secure a safe place for healing to occur.

Pray for those who dedicate their life to helping and creating a space for healing.

I am sure there are more to name and I invite you to include them as your litany continues. Let your life be like these petitions, attentive to the needs of many, as well as their gifts that they provide for you and others.

See all that is given as gift, even if it feels like a punishment. Everything presents a lesson, a moment of healing, a connection to love. Rest your heart in this exploration, seeking God in all that is, especially when it seems most bleak, when your heart breaks, and when the pain is almost too much to bear.

Invite God in, and rest there. I will rest here, now.