For everyone who has friends and family, or knows someone in their life who is older and/or is presently suffering from ill health of one form or another, this prayer is for you and for those you know:

Lord, every day we grow older,
some lose strength, for some, our health;
our youth withers away,
so we pray to you this day
do not let our spirit follow the path of our flesh.
Grant us, through the power of your Holy Spirit, a seed of hope,
with hope, you strengthen our minds, our souls and our bodies;
allow us to be genuinely alive, bring out our youth within us
and permit us to bathe but for a moment in your love,
for in that fraction of time you fortify our souls
and give us strength beyond strength.

By your will, we live,
and by your will, we act,
enable us to do so every day,
with youthfulness,
with health,
with wisdom.

Amen.