 The Chaplaincy Service at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is committed to caring for the special spiritual needs of families and children. Chaplains are available to help patients and families of all faith traditions explore spiritual questions that may arise. We are committed to providing resources from an individual's own faith or spiritual tradition, helping you to explore the confort and hope these traditions provide.Blessing for Expectant Parents and Their BabiesFor many mothers and fathers the experience of pregnancy is a time of spiritual awakening and a recognition that creation is divine and spiritual. For those reasons we invite you to join in a service of blessing for expectant parents and their babies.Welcome and Invocation: God our Maker, we praise you for your creation, and especially for life new and renewed. We rejoice and thank you for the lives of these children given in love to their parents. We pray that these parents will, in the loving, guiding and nurturing of their child, be strengthened and aided by Your power and presence. AMEN Parent's Litany I knew at once that something new had happened - an intuitive awareness. I am now not I, but we; someone’s deep within me, part of me but not me. O Sacred Source of all, I am in awe at this new life within me,and I pray for the grace to carry it well, to honor the rhythms and seasons of the birthing cycle. May I celebrate this season of change and find the energy to provide for the needs of this growing life that these changes make possible. Teach me the art of patient waiting, especially at those times when I wish that I could just take a peek inside to find out who this little person is - who is tap dancing on my ribs while I try to sleep. I want so much to be a good mother/father, to care for and nourish this new life. Help me to gift this child with all the love I can, now during this time of pregnancy and also at each stage of life when I am called to set my baby free into fuller life. O Holy Womb of Life, help me, for I am frightened; I do not feel ready for this awesome task. Free me from my fear of a painful delivery; may it be a holy, harmonious experience for us both. Free me from my fear of inadequacy about raising this child into maturity and holiness. Please help me, Holy Parent, to protect my child who’s yours as well; bring this baby safely through this birthing and the many other birthings in life. Leader: (To all others present) Will you who form the community of love in which these children will grow, keep these children and their parents in your hearts and prayers, and give an example of faith, hope and love to children all with God’s help? All: We will. The Blessing: Lord and Giver of Life, receive our prayer for (mother) and for the child she has conceived, that they may happily come to the time of birth, and serving you in all things may rejoice in your loving presence. We ask this in Your Holy Name. The Prayers: Blessed are you, Our God. You have blessed the union of (parent) and (parent). AMEN Blessed are you, Our God. May your blessings be upon (mother) and the child she carries. AMEN Blessed are you, Our God. May this time of pregnancy be months of drawing nearer to you and to one another. AMEN Blessed are you, Our God. May (parent) and (parent)’s experience of birth be one of awe and wonder and the joy of sharing in your creation. AMEN Blessed are you, Lord God. Let the fullness of your blessing be upon those whom we bless in your name, Creator and Giver of Life. AMEN For further information, or to receive a copy of the service in Spanish or English, please call (650) 497-8538. Back to top Blessing of the Hands
May the work of these hands bring healing to all the people they touch. Guide these hands to bring the human touch of life and bless them to be instruments of healing. Blessings and appreciation for the many tasks these hands do. |
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