Prayer & Hymn

A Prayer of Dedication for a Physician
      Attributed to Moses Maimonades, a twelfth-century Jewish physician in Egypt, but probably written by Marcus Herz, a German physician, pupil of Immanuel Kant, and physician to Moses Mendelssohn. First appeared in print in 1793.

Almighty God, Thou hast created the human body with infinite wisdom. Thou hast blest Thine earth, Thy rivers and Thy mountains with healing substances; they enable Thy creatures to alleviate their sufferings and to heal their illnesses. Thou hast endowed man with the wisdom to relieve the sufferings of his brother, to recognize his disorders, to extract the healing substances, to discover their powers and to prepare and to apply them to suit every ill. In Thine Eternal Providence, Thou hast chosen me to watch over the life and health of Thy creatures. I am now about to apply myself to the duties of my profession. Support me, Almighty God, in these great labours that they may benefit mankind, for without Thy help not even the least thing will succeed. Inspire me with love for my Art and for Thy creatures. Do not allow thirst for profit, ambition for renown and admiration, to interfere with my profession, for these are the enemies of truth and of love for mankind and they can lead astray in the great task of attending to the welfare of thy creatures. Preserve the strength of my body and of my soul that they ever be ready cheerfully to help and support rich and poor, good and bad, enemy as well as friend. In the sufferer let me see only the human being. Illumine my mind that it may recognize what presents itself and that it may comprehend what is absent or hidden. Should those who are wiser than I wish to improve and instruct me, let my soul gratefully follow their guidance. Imbue my soul with gentleness and calmness. Let me be contented in everything except the great science of my profession. Never allow the thought to arise in me that I have attained to sufficient knowledge, but vouchsafe to me the strength, the leisure, and the ambition ever to extend my knowledge. For Art is great, but the mind of man is ever expanding. Almighty God! Thou hast chosen me in Thy mercy to watch over the life and death of Thy creatures. I now apply myself to my profession. Support me in this great task so that it may benefit mankind, for without Thy help not even the least thing will succeed.

                                                                                                Amen.             

Hymn for Health Service

                                    (Charles Kingsley, 1819 – 75)

From Thee all skill and science flow,

All pity, care and love,

All calm and courage, faith and hope-

O, pour them from above!

And part them, Lord, to each and all,

As each and all shall need

To rise like incense, each to Thee,

In noble thought and deed.

And hasten, Lord, that perfect day

When pain and death shall cease;

And Thy just rule shall fill the earth

With health, and light and peace;

When ever blue the sky shall gleam,

And ever green the sod,

And man’s rude work deface no more

The Paradise of God.

James 5 ¹⁴Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: ¹⁵And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. ¹⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Ecclesiasticus 38 ¹ Honour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him: for the Lord hath created him. ² For of the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive honour of the king. ³ The skill of the physician shall lift up his head: and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration. ⁴ The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them. ⁵ Was not the water made sweet with wood, that the virtue thereof might be known? ⁶ And he hath given men skill, that he might be honoured in his marvellous works. ⁷ With such doth he heal [men,] and taketh away their pains. ⁸ Of such doth the apothecary make a confection; and of his works there is no end; and from him is peace over all the earth,

⁹ My son, in thy sickness be not negligent: but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole. ¹⁰ Leave off from sin, and order thine hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wickedness. ¹¹ Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour; and make a fat offering, as not being. ¹² Then give place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him: let him not go from thee, for thou hast need of him. ¹³ There is a time when in their hands there is good success. ¹⁴ For they shall also pray unto the Lord, that he would prosper that, which they give for ease and remedy to prolong life. ¹⁵ He that sinneth before his Maker, let him fall into the hand of the physician.