THE BLESSING OF SICK CHILDREN
Sick children who have come to the use of reason, and therefore may be anointed, are to be helped in the way described in the visitation of the sick with due regard to their age and mental development.
For younger children, the following prayers may be used.
The priest enters the sick-room and says:
V. Peace be upon this house.
R. And upon all who dwell herein.
In silence he sprinkles the sick child and the bed and the whole room with holy water.
Psalm 112
Praise the Lord, you that are his servants, praise the name of the Lord together.
Blessed be the Lord's name at all times, from this day to all eternity;
From the sun's rise to the sun's setting let the Lord's name be praised continually.
The Lord is sovereign king of all nations; his glory is high above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, so high above us,
That stoops to regard both heaven and earth,
Lifting up the poor from the dust he lay in, raising the beggar out of his dung-hill,
To find him a place among the princes, the princes that rule over his people?
He gives the barren woman a home to dwell in, a mother rejoicing in her children.
Glory be to the Father.
Ant: Praise the Lord, you who are children; praise the name of the Lord.
Afterwards he says:
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Our Father, as far as:
V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil.
V. Our God is a God of mercy.
R. A Lord who keeps watch over little ones.
V. Suffer little children to come to me.
R. For such is the kingdom of heaven.
V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
LET US PRAY: Under thy care, O God, all things grow up and when they are fully grown they are by thee established. Stretch out thy hand, therefore, to this young servant of thine, stricken with sickness at such a tender age. Let sturdy health be given back to (him). May (he) live out (his) full span of years. And may (he) never cease to do thee loyal and grateful service all the days of (his) life. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
LET US PRAY: Father of mercy, God of all consolation, who showest in so many ways thy loving care of what thou hast created, and in thy goodness pourest thy healing grace not alone into the soul of man but into (his) very body: raise this child we beg of thee from (his) bed of sickness and restore (him) to thy holy Church, and to his parents, that thus (he) may grow in grace and wisdom in thy sight and in the sight of men throughout all the days of a long life. May (he) serve thee in justice and holiness, and may (he) ever render thanks to thee for thy mercy to (him). Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
LET US PRAY: O God, thou dost give to angels and men in a wonderful way each their own work to do. Grant in thy mercy that the life of this child may be supported and strengthened by those who in heaven are ever near thy throne. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Having said the last prayer, the priest lays his right hand on the head of the child and says:
They shall lay their hands upon the sick and they shall be healed. May Jesus, son of Mary, Savior and Lord of the World, through the merits and intercession of his holy Apostles Peter and Paul and of all the Saints, be kind to you and show you his favor.
R. Amen.
The Gospel which follows may be recited if time allows and if the parents of the child desire it.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
V. The beginning of the holy Gospel according to John.
R. Glory be to thee, O Lord.
Making the sign of the Cross, in the usual way, on forehead, lips, and breast, and also on the sick child, if the latter cannot do so himself:
John 1, 1-14
At the beginning of time the Word already was; and God had the Word abiding with him, and the Word was God, He abode, at the beginning of time, with God. It was through him that all things came into being, and without him came nothing that has come to be. In him there was life, that life which was the light of men. And the light shone in darkness, a darkness which was not able to master it. A man appeared, sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, so that through him all men might learn to believe. He was not the Light; he was sent to bear witness to the light. There was one who enlightens every soul born into the world; he was the true Light. He, through whom the world was made, was in the world, and the world treated him as a stranger. He came to what was his own, and they who were his own gave him no welcome. But all those who did welcome him he empowered to become the children of God, all those who believe in his name; their birth came, not from human stock, not from nature's will or man's, but from God. (Here all kneel) And the Word was made flesh, and came to dwell among us; and we had sight of his glory, glory such as belongs to the Father's only begotten Son, full of grace and truth.
R.Thanks be to God.
Afterwards, the priest blesses the sick child, saying:
The blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, † and the Holy Spirit, come down upon you, and ever remain with you.
R. Amen.
Then he sprinkles the child with holy water.
BENEDICTIO PUERORUM ÆGROTANTIUM
Sick children who have come to the use of reason, and therefore may be anointed, are to be helped in the way described in the visitation of the sick with due regard to their age and mental development. For younger children, the following prayers may be used. The priest enters the sick-room and says:
V. Pax huic dómui.
R. Et ómnibus habitántibus in ea.
In silence he sprinkles the sick child and the bed and the whole room with holy water.
Psalmus 112
Laudáte, púeri, Dóminum, * laudáte nomen Dómini.
Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum, * ex hoc nunc, et usque in sǽculum.
A solis ortu usque ad occásum, * laudábile nomen Dómini.
Excélsus super omnes Gentes Dóminus, * et super cælos glória ejus.
Quis sicut Dóminus Deus noster, qui in altis hábitat,* et humília réspicit in cælo et in terra?
Súscitans a terra ínopem: * et de stércore érigens páuperem;
Ut cóllocet eum cum princípibus, * cum princípibus pópuli sui.
Qui habitáre facit stérilem in domo, * matrem filiórum lætántem.
Glória Patri.
Postea dicit:
Kýrie, éleison. Christe, éleison. Kýrie, éleison.
Pater noster
secreto usque ad
V. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem.
R. Sed líbera nos a malo.
V. Deus noster miserátur.
R. Custódiens párvulos Dóminus.
V. Sínite párvulos veníre ad me.
R. Tálium est enim regnum cælórum.
V. Dómine exáudi oratiónem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te véniat.
V. Dóminus vobíscum.
R. Et cum spíritu tuo.
Orémus.
Deus, cui cuncta adoléscunt, et per quem adúlta firmántur: exténde déxteram tuam super hunc fámulum tuum (hanc fámulam tuam), in ténera ætáte languéntem: quátenus, vigóre sanitátis recépto, ad annórum pervéniat plenitúdinem, et tibi fidéle gratúmque obséquium indesinénter præstet ómnibus diébus vitæ suæ. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.
Orémus.
Pater misericordiárum et Deus totíus consolatiónis, qui, creatúræ tuæ multíplici pietáte cónsulens, non solum ánimæ, sed ipsi córpori curatiónis grátiam benígnus infúndis: hunc párvulum infírmum (hanc párvulam infírmam) a lecto ægritúdinis erígere, et Ecclésiæ tuæ sanctæ, suísque paréntibus incólumem restitúere dignéris; ut, cunctis prolongátæ sibi vitæ diébus, grátia et sapiéntia coram te et homínibus profíciens, in justítia et sanctitáte tibi sérviat, et débitas misericórdiæ tuæ réferat gratiárum actiónes. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R. Amen.
Orémus.
Deus, qui miro órdine Angelórum ministéria hominúmque dispénsas: concéde propítius; ut, a quibus tibi ministrántibus in cælo semper assístitur, ab his in terra vita hujus púeri (puéllæ) muniátur. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R. Amen.
Having said the last prayer, the priest lays his right hand on the head of the child and says:
Super ægros manus impónent, et bene habébunt. Jesus, Maríæ Fílius, mundi salus et Dóminus, méritis et intercessióne sanctórum Apostolórum suórum Petri et Pauli,et ómnium Sanctórum, sit tibi clemens et propítius.
R. Amen.
The Gospel which follows may be recited if time allows and if the parents of the child desire it.
V. Dóminus vobíscum.
R. Et cum spíritu tuo.
V. † Inítium sancti Evangélii secúndum Joánnem.
R. Glória tibi, Dómine.
Dum Sacerdos dicit
Making the sign of the Cross, in the usual way, on forehead, lips, and breast, and also on the sick child, if the latter cannot do so himself:
Joann. 1, 1-14
In princípio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in princípio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est; in ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hóminum:et lux in ténebris lucet,et ténebræ eam non comprehendérunt. Fuit homo missus a Deo,cui nomen erat Joánnes. Hic venit in testimónium, ut testimónium perhibéret de lúmine, ut omnes créderent per ilium. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimónium perhibéret de lúmine. Erat lux vera, quæ illúminat omnem hóminem veniéntem in hunc mundum. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non cognóvit. In própria venit et sui eum non recepérunt. Quotquot autem recepérunt eum, dedit eis potestátem fílios Dei fíeri, his, qui credunt in nómine ejus: qui non ex sanguínibus, neque ex voluntáte carnis, neque ex voluntáte viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt.
(Hic genuflectitur.)
Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitávit in nobis: et vídimus glóriam ejus, glóriam quasi Unigéniti a Patre, plenum grátiæ et veritátis.
R. Deo grátias.
Afterwards, the priest blesses the sick child, saying:
Benedíctio Dei ommpoténtis, Patris, et Fílii, † et Spíritus Sancti, descéndat super te, et máneat semper.
R. Amen.
Then he sprinkles the child with holy water.
Si sint plures infirmi in eodem cubiculo vel loco, Preces et Orationes prædictæ dicuntur super eos in numero plurali.