Something is wrong. Something is happening. A loved one is missing. I can’t find him. He vanished or was taken and I am screaming.
I wake up with a gasp. My heart is pumping so hard it’s all I can hear in my ears, and it’s painful in my chest. I’m relieved it’s over, but somehow I still feel scared and alone.
My wife sleeps soundly, I can’t wake her, but I need comfort. I need to feel safe.
And so I pray.
It may sound strange, but praying after a nightmare is a huge reason why I came back so passionately to my faith.
I realized that there in the dark, in my most vulnerable state, I instinctively turn to God for help. He’s always there with open arms. Without Him I am alone and fearful until morning.
Cancer is a nightmare.
It attacks without limit, unfairly assaulting the healthy, the frail, the old, and the young. It creeps in slowly or strikes swiftly. It invades for reasons unknown.
How do you battle something so evil which exists internally? How do you strike the head of the serpent of cancer?
You listen to your doctor and you pray.
You pray your ass off.
Because where there is prayer there is hope and where there is hope there is salvation. To live without prayer is to live without miracles.
If you or someone you know is battling cancer I offer the prayer below. It is a prayer to St. Peregrine, a man who turned to Jesus when he himself had cancer. I hope, in some way, it helps:
O, St. Peregrine during your lifetime you bravely endured the pain of cancer and turned to Jesus for assistance. Today you continue to turn to Him on behalf of others stricken with this devastating disease. We ask for your intercession on their behalf (list names), that they may find strength and, God willing, a miraculous healing. Please also pray that a cure for cancer might soon be found, too relieve future generations of this suffering. https://franciscanmissionassoc.org/prayer-requests/devotional-saints/st-peregrine/
-Mike Sposito
Owner Spowerks LLC
Spowerks LLC 