The St John of God Hospitaller Family will be celebrating the solemnity of its Founder, St John of God, on March 8. As its name indicates, St John of God is the beacon and the central figure in our Family.

John of God was born in 1495 at Montemor-o-Novo, a small town in Portugal, and after a very adventurous life he was touched by our Lord and thereafter devoted himself body and soul to serving the sick. In 1539 he founded a hospital in Granada in Spain and began gathering around him a group of followers from which the Hospitaller Order of St John of God would subsequently emerge. The distinctive feature of the Saint and the Order is their radical dedication to the sick and the poor. John of God died on March 8 1550 in Granada and was proclaimed Blessed by Pope Urban VIII in 1630, and was canonised in 1690 by Alexander VIII. In 1886, Leo XIII proclaimed him the heavenly patron of hospitals and the sick, and in 1930 Pius XI proclaimed him the patron saint of nurses and their associations.

From a letter of St John of God

“If we were to consider the greatness of God's mercy we would never cease doing good as long as we were able to “ (1st Letter to the Duchess of Sessa, 13).

Prayer

“Most merciful God, driven by love for you, our Holy Founder, John of God, identified with the sick by bringing them help and comfort. Inspire us to act as John of God did, and enable us to participate in your Kingdom.

We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end.”

From the First Reading, Is 58,6 ff

“(This is the fast that I choose): to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke …share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, cover him, and do not hide yourself from your own flesh...“

From the Second Reading 1 Jn 3,13-18

… “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

From the Gospel, Lk 10,25-37

… A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’