The second Lazarus is the one behind San Lázaro, the figure on crutches with two dogs who is hugely popular in Cuba and across Latin America. Both are invoked for the sick, and the prayers below honour both.
Historical Context
The poor man of the parable is not a historical person but a story, and the Church does not formally list him as a saint. Popular devotion to him is old, though: medieval leper hospitals were called lazarettos after him. For Catholics, the clearest way to pray in this tradition is to ask Lazarus of Bethany, whom Jesus loved, and to pray for the sick and poor as the parable asks.
A Prayer to St Lazarus for Healing
St Lazarus, friend of Jesus,
your sisters sent him one line: “Lord, he whom you love is sick.”
I send him the same message now for the one I love.
Pray for their healing,
and if the illness goes on, pray that they are never without help or comfort.
Jesus, who wept at your friend’s tomb, have mercy on us.
Amen.
A Prayer in the Spirit of San Lázaro
Lord, remember the poor man at the gate,
covered in sores, whom no one helped but the dogs.
Remember all who are sick and poor and overlooked tonight.
Heal what can be healed, and let me be the one who stops at the gate.
Amen.
A Prayer for Someone Seriously Ill
Lord, you called Lazarus out of the tomb.
Call this person out of their illness, if it is your will.
Give them strength, relieve their pain,
and let them feel your love through the people caring for them.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- When someone you love is seriously or chronically ill.
- For those with skin disease or wounds that won’t heal.
- On 29 July, the feast of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
- On 17 December, the San Lázaro pilgrimage day.
- When volunteering with the sick or homeless.
Scripture Connection
“Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” — John 11:3
Martha and Mary did not tell Jesus what to do; they simply told him who was sick and reminded him he loved him. It is the simplest and perhaps the best prayer for the sick ever written.
Related prayers
For a sick family member, see the Healing Prayer for My Brother. For plague and contagious illness, the Saint Rocco Prayer, and for a sick pet, the Dog Prayer.