Which Catholic Saint and Prayer Against Illness?

In these times of recurring illness and general weakening levels of health, it can be good to pray.

Catholic churches around the world are closing their doors, with masses and other parish services canceled by many bishops. These are prudent and necessary measures put in place to keep people healthy.

But they come at a price: for many people, it means the removal of one of the most comforting moments of their week, and it further isolates them from the rest of the community at a time when they need support most..

What can we do instead?

Well, you can pray for yourself!

Reciting the prayers offered to you here helps you remember that we are all still part of one big Christian family. If you cannot attend a Mass in person, you still unite with God in prayer.

This is a very important message: you are still part of a community.

Carrying a Catholic medal or any other type of Christian lucky charm is a good way to remind yourself of this on a daily basis.

Contents :

Saint Anthony, patron saint of the elderly

Saint Jude, patron of lost causes and hospitals

Saint Raphael, patron saint of travelers and all those who suffer

Saint Roch, patron saint of the sick and disabled

Saint Rosalie, patron saint of travelers and all those suffering from physical ailments

Saint Bernardin, patron saint of respiratory diseases

Some personal advice

Medals featured in this article

1st saint against illness: Saint Anthony, patron saint of the elderly

Saint Anthony of Padua was a Franciscan monk who became a doctor of the Church.

Patron saint of the poor and the elderly, many Mediterranean cities claim his patronage.

In addition to his qualities as a miracle worker, he is also often invoked when we have misplaced objects.

The life of Saint Anthony

Saint Anthony was born into a rich family who made him grow up with respect for the Church.

He joined an Augustinian monastery in 1210 where he probably became a priest. (Historical sources are uncertain.)

Ten years later, he joined the Franciscan order, hoping to be able to preach to the Saracens (Muslims).

On his way to Morocco, he fell seriously ill and was forced to return home.

However, his ship was destroyed by a storm, forcing him to land in Sicily.

Due to poor general health, he was not allowed to continue his missionary work.

Instead, he taught theology in various French and Italian cities.

Aside from this, Saint Anthony was the most famous of the disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi, he also had the reputation of being a miracle worker.

Prayer to Saint Anthony for the healing of a loved one

Saint Anthony, you have always helped those who invoked you.

I pray fervently for a sick person who is so dear to me.

I ask you to obtain for him the gift of healing, or at least to relieve his pain and that he find within himself the strength to offer these tribulations to the Lord in union with the Passion of Christ.

You who, in your earthly life, experienced physical suffering and who made it surmountable thanks to your deep charity and your bond with Christ, be close to us.

By your protection, console our hearts and transform our physical and mental suffering into a source of merit for eternal life.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Anthony to fight cancer

Saint Anthony, you who recognized our Lord Jesus as the greatest of healers, please intercede for my dear one (specify the name of the person) who suffers from cancerous tumors.

God willing, help my friend to heal, may he be comforted in these times of trial and pain and may find peace and patience to endure this illness.

May God give my friend the happiness and joy of living a little longer here on earth with those who are dear to him and for whom he means so much.

Amen.

Interest in the Saint Anthony medal

The Saint Anthony medal is a special Catholic good luck charm.

Associated with the poor and the elderly, prayers to this miracle-working saint would have made it possible to heal many people in almost miraculous ways.

It would therefore perhaps not be stupid to use a Saint Anthony medal (of which you can find a copy here) if you wish to say a prayer against illness, and this for our elders in particular.

2nd Saint against illness: Saint Jude, patron of lost causes and hospitals

Not much is known about Saint Jude.

Indeed, his name is mentioned only a few times in the New Testament.

He is described by Matthew in the Gospels as one of Jesus' "brothers" (more likely his cousin).

Saint Jude was born with the name Judas. You must suspect, he is therefore often confused with Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus.

For this reason, some New Testament translators used the name Jude to distinguish him from Judas.

The life of Saint Jude

Saint Jude Thaddeus was born to a woman named Mary, cousin of Jesus' mother (who, you know, was also called Mary). His father Cleophas was the brother of Saint-Joseph.

Saint Jude was married and had at least one child. Some sources speak of some of his grandchildren living until 95 AD.

As one of Jesus' twelve apostles, Saint Jude preached the good news in Galilee, Samaria, and Judea.

In 60 AD, Saint Jude wrote a letter to the Christians of the Church of the East who were then suffering persecution.

In his letter, he warned them to be careful of the evil preachers of the day who were spreading false teachings about Christianity.

Faced with a situation that most would have found hopeless, he encouraged them to persevere and remain firm in their faith.

Prayer to Saint Jude to cope with illness

Most Holy Apostle, Saint Jude, patron saint of lost causes, I entrust myself to you.

With fervent confidence, I ask for your heavenly intercession.

Pray for me in these difficult times.

Help me realize each day that I am not alone in the face of illness, suffering or grief.

Help me now, dear Saint Jude, to ask Almighty God for the strength I need when I am in distress, the courage to overcome my anxieties and the gift of complete healing of mind and soul. body.

Ask our loving Lord to deepen my faith and unwavering belief in His healing power, and to bless me with the graces necessary to accept whatever may await me or my loved ones.

Thank you, Saint Jude, for the promise of hope that you offer to all who believe. Inspire me so that I can always give this gift of hope to others.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Jude for any urgent problem

O Saint Jude, apostle and martyr, great by your works and your miracles, kinsman of our Lord Jesus Christ, may you intercede on my behalf and for all those who are in need like me.

Today I have recourse to you to implore you with humility to please ask our Lord to come to my aid.

Ask Him to help me with my current problems which seem most urgent to me.

I will make your name and that of Christ known all around me.

Saint Jude, pray for us who implore your help.

Amen.

Interest in the Saint Jude medal

A great preacher and absolutely always hopeful, Saint Jude led an exemplary life.

Most of the time, when a Catholic lucky charm is associated with it, it carries this type of flame within it.

The medal of Saint Jude, of which you can find a copy here, is therefore associated with great hope, even in the most desperate situations.

Needless to say, the hope that this kind of Christian good luck charm offers us does not require you to “hit rock bottom” to be a part of your life.

From today, you can make this Saint Jude medal yours, and share it with those around you.

3rd Saint against illness: Saint Raphael, patron of travelers and all those who suffer

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there are “non-corporeal” spiritual beings that the Holy Scriptures call angels.

For Catholics, this is a certainty.

Saint Augustine says: “Angel is the name of their function, not of their nature. If you are looking for the name of their nature, spirit is the term you are looking for.

If you're looking for the name of their charge, it's angel. Spirit: what they are. Angel: what they do.

Saint-Raphaël is an example. He is one of the seven Archangels who stand before the throne of God.

The name Raphael actually means “God’s healing” in Hebrew.

Saint Raphael can therefore notably bring healing to the body and soul, charity and deliverance.

It is powerful and is known to be able to cure all forms of illness in humans and animals.

He therefore meets the necessary conditions to qualify as a saint miracle worker.

History of Saint Raphael

Most of our knowledge of the Archangel Raphael comes from the Book of Tobias.

Because of his mission as a wonderful healer and traveling companion, guide and advisor to young Tobias, Saint Raphael is invoked for travel and in general at critical moments in our existence.

Saint Raphael, the healer is in fact known to have helped Tobias to make balms and ointments from fish to cure the blindness of Tobit (Tobias' father).

Archangel Raphael also healed Abraham from the pain of circumcision, an operation the patriarch had avoided until late in his life.

He would also have healed Jacob's thigh.

Here is a true miracle worker!

Saint Raphael is often called "the Regent" or "the Angel of the Sun".

When he appears, his face is often bright and his features friendly.

Saint Raphael is actually considered the most sociable of the archangels.

He is also said to delight in being able to bring health and happiness wherever he goes.

Prayer to Saint Raphael to receive his help in general

Blessed Saint Raphael, Archangel, we beseech you to help us in all our needs and trials of this life, for you, by the power of God, restored sight and guided young Tobit.

We humbly seek your help and intercession, that our souls may be healed, our bodies protected from all evil, and that through divine grace we may be enabled to dwell in the eternal glory of God in heaven.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Raphael against suffering and pain

Glorious Archangel Raphael, great prince of the celestial court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace.

You are the guide of those who travel by land, sea or air, comforter of the afflicted and refuge of sinners.

I beg you, help me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as you once helped young Tobias in his travels.

I humbly pray that you heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ailments that afflict my body.

I ask you above all (mention your special intention here) and the great grace of purity in order to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Raphael before leaving on a trip

Dear Saint Raphael, your beautiful name means “God heals”.

The Lord has sent you to young Tobias to guide him through a great journey. When he returned, you taught him how to cure his father's blindness.

It is therefore natural for Christians to pray for your powerful help before a journey, that it may be safe and that the return may be good.

This is what we ask for ourselves and for all those who are far from home.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Raphael to protect yourself from all evil

Most Holy Mother, Queen of Angels and Archangels, send me your Champion, the Archangel Saint Raphael.

Let Him heal me of all my spiritual and physical illnesses in the glory of the holy name of Jesus Christ.

May he protect me from Satan and all evil spirits.

Saint Raphael will be my guide and protector in my journey through life.

O glorious Saint Raphael, the Archangel, herald of blessings, pray for us!

Amen.

Interest in the Saint Raphael medal

If you didn't know, you are now aware: we are talking here about a Saint among the most powerful in the Church, and an exceptional miracle worker.

Among those associated with him, you should without problem find a prayer against illness.

Having a Saint Raphael medal such as this one with you is therefore more than a way to protect yourself against illnesses that can affect both the body and the mind.

Attending her intercession in one's life also allows one to receive protection and precious help when faced with the most difficult choices.

More than a good luck charm, a Saint Raphael medal is a precious possession that deserves to be cherished.

4th Saint against illness: Saint Roch, patron of the sick and disabled

At his birth, Saint Roch was mysteriously marked with a red cross on his chest.

When his parents died, he inherited great wealth which he gave to the poor and then dedicated his life to helping the plague-stricken and the sick.

He was known for his miracles, including exceptional healings performed using the sign of the cross.

The life of Saint Roch

He joined the Franciscan Order and distributed all his wealth to the most deprived.

While living in Italy, he caught the plague while caring for the sick and was therefore expelled from the city.

Sick and hungry, Saint Roch was saved by a hunting dog who, after finding him, brought him bread every day.

After recovering, he decided to devote his life to the sick.

Saint Roch was renowned for performing many healing miracles throughout his life.

This miracle-working saint is generally depicted holding a staff and with a wound on his leg, as well as with his faithful dog.

Prayer to Saint Roch to relieve illnesses

O blessed Saint Roch, patron of the sick, have pity on those who, suffering, lie on a bed.

Your power was so great while you were in this world that, through the sign of the cross, many were healed of their illnesses.

Now that you are in heaven, your power is not less. Offer to God our sighs and our tears and obtain for us the physical and spiritual health that we seek:

(Share your request…)

This is what we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St Roch: Pray for us, that we may be relieved of all illnesses of body and soul.

Lord Jesus, your will be done.

Amen.

Interest in the Saint Roch medal

Due to its link with infectious diseases, wearing a Saint Roch medal is a good way to protect yourself against epidemics.

This type of Catholic lucky charm would also have the ability to reduce the convalescence time following an illness.

Hold your Saint Roch medal firmly, recite the prayer against epidemics that you have just read, and everything should be fine.

Don't forget: we are talking here about a first-rate miracle worker.

5th Saint against illness: Saint Rosalie, patroness of travelers and all those suffering from physical ailments

The Church knows little about the life of Saint Rosalie. The first traces we have of him date back 500 years after his death.

In 1625, the city of Palermo in Sicily, Italy, suffered a terrible scourge: the plague.

Saint Rosalie then appeared to a hunter, pointing out a cave where he could find her remains.

She asked him to bring these relics to the city.

Soon after, the plague miraculously ended.

Saint Rosalie then quite naturally became the patroness of Palermo.

A famous sanctuary also stands where the hunter is said to have found his remains.

The life of Saint Rosalie

Saint Rosalie is the daughter of Sinibald, an Italian lord, and Quisquina, a descendant of the great Charlemagne.

She was born in Palermo in Sicily.

During his youth, his heart quickly turned away from earthly vanities and looked toward God.

She left the family home and settled in a cave.

On the walls of which she wrote these words: "I, Rosalie, daughter of Sinibald, lord of Rosess and Quisquina, have resolved to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ."

She lived her entire life there hidden from the rest of the world.

By doing this, Saint Rosalie was in fact seeking to live in constant communion with God.

His death took place around 1160, thus putting an end to a solitary life far removed from the adventures of the world.

It was therefore only five centuries later that it appeared again, to protect Palermo from the epidemic.

Prayer to Saint Rosalie for meditation

Heavenly Father, we thank you for offering us, through the communion of saints, a chance to approach you through prayers to Saint Rosalie.

Through these prayers, help us to remember that our destiny is heaven.

As Saint Rosalie renounced all things in this world in the name of Your Kingdom, through her prayers, may we more fully love Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with You and the Holy Spirit, is one God forever and ever.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Rosalie for collective health

O God, our Father, look with mercy on your people who come to you, and grant us through the intercession of Saint Rosalie, who preferred to earthly delights the joys of contemplation, deliverance from all evil here on earth, and the chance to be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Saint Rosalie, confessor and virgin, we pray to God for our families and friends.

Through your powerful prayers, may we obtain health, life and eternal salvation.

I am also praying today for this particular need and intention (make your intention known).

O glorious virgin and confessor, Saint Rosalie, I promise from now on to remember you and to follow your example of faith and love.

Pray for me and everyone else.

Amen.

Interest in the medal of Saint Rosalie

Saint Rosalie decided to lead a hermit's life of austerity.

In certain respects, the isolation and exclusion imposed on us when we are affected by a contagious disease (even a mild one) resembles this way of life.

Wearing a Saint Rosalie medal can therefore easily give us the strength to overcome this type of ordeal with joy.

In addition, his life is marked by the saving of an entire city in the face of an epidemic. Obviously, such a saint can only be closely linked to health.

The prayer for collective health that we offer you here can therefore be a solution to the ills from which we all sometimes suffer.

^6th Saint against illness: Saint Bernardin, patron saint of respiratory diseases

Fearing neither death nor illness, he helped save an entire city from a plague epidemic.

With a weak constitution and a weak voice, nothing predisposed Saint Bernardin to be a great preacher. However, he also knew how to surpass himself to spread the name of Jesus Christ.

The life of Saint Bernardin

In the year 1400, a young man came to the door of the largest hospital in Siena.

The situation seemed hopeless. More and more people were getting sick and fewer and fewer people were there to help them.

The young man standing there had not come because he was sick but because he wanted to help.

Moreover, he was not bringing new patients, but a whole group of men also ready to help.

For four months, Saint Bernardin and his companions worked day and night.

He therefore clearly deserves his qualification as a miracle worker!

In short, it was only at the end of the epidemic that Bernardin himself fell ill… from exhaustion.

As soon as his convalescence was over, he returned to serving and caring.

In 1404 he was ordained a priest of the Franciscan order.

Bernardin did very little preaching because of poor breathing and a weak and hoarse voice.

One day, however, he washed to preach. His voice became mysteriously strong and dominant, and his words so convincing that the crowd would only let him go if he promised to return.

Thus began his life as a missionary.

Saint Bernardin then crisscrossed Italy on foot, preaching for hours, several times a day.

Prayer to Saint Bernardin to awaken kindness and honesty

Saint Bernardine of Siena, words were very important to you.

You have spent most of your life speaking the sacred words of mercy of Jesus and his Holy Father.

Pray for us that we will always choose to say the name of Jesus with respect and choose words of love over words of hate.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Bernardin to cure respiratory diseases

Saint Bernardine of Siena, you were healed of an illness and then preached God's love and mercy wherever you went.

I come to you now seeking your prayers for (person's name) and all those suffering from respiratory illnesses.

Plead their cases in unison with Mary, the Mother of God, and seek healing for them together if this is the holy will of God

Pray, dear saint, for those who suffer in joy, persevere in hope.

May they join their afflictions to those of Jesus for the salvation of souls.

I ask for your intercession for them in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Interest in the Saint Bernardin medal

Saint Bernardin has already helped stop an epidemic. .. why couldn't he do it again?

It’s true, a prayer against illness may, at first, not seem like much.

However, the life of Saint Bernardine teaches us a message: it is small individual efforts that, together, can change things.

This is the true message of this Catholic lucky charm.

Faced with the general weakening of health that our society is experiencing, everyone must take their responsibilities. Besides that, praying over a Saint Bernard medal can of course only bring positive things to you and others.

Some personal advice

Many people around the world are sick.

Unless the situation changes dramatically, many more will fall ill and die around the world.

Our modern world is in crisis and this raises serious medical, ethical and logistical questions... but also a whole host of others for people of faith.

Now that you know a (of course non-exhaustive) list of miracle worker saints…

Now that you can choose which prayer against illness will suit you best…

Now that you have discovered the uses of many Catholic medals…

Well I would like to offer you some additional advice from the Christian tradition and my own experience.

Resist panic

This is not to say that there is no reason for concern, or that we should ignore the advice of medical professionals and public health experts.

However, panic and fear are not feelings from God.

Take care of the sick

This pandemic can be long. Some of our friends and family may get sick and maybe even die.

So do what you can to help others, especially the elderly, disabled, poor and isolated.

Take necessary precautions, but also remember the fundamental duty of Christians to help others.

“I was sick and you came to visit me,” Jesus said (Mt 25).

Remember also that Jesus lived in a time when people did not have access to even the most rudimentary medical care. Visiting the sick was just as dangerous, if not more so, than it is today.

Don't close your heart to others

Particularly to the poor and those who have little or no health care.

The homeless, for example, will suffer even more than the general population.

Keep your heart open to all who need it.

So do not let any parasite infect your consciousness and your soul.

Medals featured in this article