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Facing Cancer in Faith

A Pause for Hope
Address by Professor Ray Donnelly

It is now four years ago since I first organized in Liverpool an afternoon of prayer for those affected by cancer. We called it A Pause for Hope and involved all the cancer charities on Merseyside. It was very well received and each year since then the numbers attending have grown substantially.

It seems to me that there is a great need for us all to be much more united in prayer with those of you who have or have had cancer, with your families and those who care for you, with doctors and nurses and those with special skills involved in the investigation and treatment of cancer, with those in authority who have responsibility for providing resources and with our scientists in their search for a cure.

I would like to see a national and even an international Day of Prayer for these intentions and, in fact, services are now beginning to be organized in various parts of the United Kingdom and abroad.

It is wonderful to be here this afternoon at this service arranged by Glasgow Churches Together in St Aloysius Church which I used to attend when I was a young boy soon after my father died of stomach cancer.

If you really think about it, the most practical thing to do when faced with any difficult situation is first of all to pray about it. This advice has stood me and many others in good stead when facing the trials and tribulations that life can throw at us.

Allied to that and inseparable from it is the idea, which I have gradually understood and experienced better and better as life has gone by, that God is our Father, that we are his children, that He truly loves us and that He wants nothing but our good and happiness and watches over each one of us every minute of our lives.

Because God loves us so much - more than all the fathers and mothers in the world love their children, as Josemaria Escriva put it - and because He is aware of everything that happens to us and wants us to be happy, it makes sense to tell Him about our problems and anxieties.

The power of prayer should never be underestimated. Our prayers are always answered even though sometimes not in the way or at the time we expect - we must leave that to God in his wisdom.

We also have to be aware of the opportunities for good that cancer can bring us. God did not invent cancer or suffering. God is good and only good things can come from God.

There is nothing good about suffering and everyone affected by cancer suffers to a lesser or sometimes very great degree. An immense amount can be done nowadays to relieve that suffering and this is what God wants and expects us to do.

Whilst it is present, however, it is consoling to know that suffering, both physical and mental, can be turned into something of great value. If anyone doubts the potential value of suffering just let them look at the Cross and what was achieved by the sufferings of Christ.

Our suffering, too, can have great value if it is accepted for love of God and united to the sufferings of Christ. In this way our suffering becomes a prayer which is very pleasing to our Father God and which will bring down untold blessings on ourselves and those for whom we offer it.

The prayers of the sick and those who look after them have great power with God and, in today's world, there is so much to pray for. Let us not lose these wonderful opportunities, big and small, to call down God's favour on our families, our friends and anyone else for whom we want to pray.

Amongst all our prayers let us pray for the day when there is no more cancer, when we can prevent cancer by getting rid of all the causes, when our scientists come to a full understanding of the ways in which cancer develops in the body and can cure it.

We can already do this for many cancers but not for all although that day is not too far away - I am sure that the younger ones here today will see it in their lifetimes. There is real cause for hope but we must ask God to bring that day here as soon as possible. The more we pray, the quicker it will come.

And so, here in Glasgow, in St Aloysius' church, I would encourage you all - whatever your involvement with cancer - those who are suffering and those who are caring, those who are professionals and those who are volunteers, those in authority and those in the labs… I would encourage you all to continue to support one another in your love, your service and your prayers, especially in your prayers.