Pray for Sick

CHURCH OF ST. JOHN NEUMANN
A ROMAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY CENTERED IN PRAYER AND EUCHARIST

16271 Pearl Road Strongsville, OH 44136
(440) 238-1770
Fax: (440) 238-2030

Question: Can lay people pray for the sick?

Answer: Sure! Lay men and women can pray for anybody about anything and are encouraged to do so by both the Church and the Bible. St. Paul tells us, "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). "Everything" includes our sick neighbor's troubles. That is why the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us (#2647) "Prayer of intercession consists in asking on behalf of another. It knows no boundaries and extends to one's enemies." And so, all the various ways in which Christians prefer to pray, ranging from charismatic "laying on of hands" to private intercessory prayer to rosaries to other forms of individual or group prayer (including prayer to the saints on behalf of the sick) are perfectly wonderful, so long as we "do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17). The only thing laypeople can't do is administer the sacrament of anointing since, as James says, that is for the elders (i.e. ordained ministers) of the Church to do (James 5:14-16). But that most certainly does not mean laypeople can't pray. They can and they should. "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects."