What he saw there changed his life. When he was released, he rented a house and filled it with the sick and poor, begging in the streets at night to pay for their care. He washed them, fed them and treated each patient individually, which was unusual at the time. The Brothers Hospitallers who followed him now run hospitals in more than fifty countries.
Historical Context
He died on his birthday, 8 March 1550, worn out after jumping into a flooded river to save a young man from drowning. He was found kneeling, dead, before a crucifix.
A Prayer to St John of God
St John of God, you saw Christ in every sick and poor person.
Pray for me (or name the person) in this illness.
Ask God to give healing, comfort and patience.
Bless the doctors, nurses and carers,
and let them see their patients as you did.
Amen.
For Nurses and Healthcare Workers
Lord, through the prayers of St John of God,
strengthen nurses and carers on long shifts.
Give them compassion that doesn’t burn out.
Amen.
For Those with Mental Illness
St John of God, you were called mad and locked away.
Pray for everyone suffering in mind,
and for those who treat them with dignity.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- On 8 March, his feast.
- When you or someone you love is in hospital.
- Before a nursing shift.
Scripture Connection
“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” — Matthew 25:40
John of God built his whole life on this verse. Every patient he carried in from the street was, to him, Christ himself.
Related prayers
For other healing saints, see the Prayer to St Luke, Sts Cosmas and Damian Prayer and St Rocco Prayer.