AKA: Diabetics
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by elevated levels of blood sugar (glucose) in the body. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to a lack of insulin, which is crucial for regulating blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is often linked to lifestyle influences such as poor diet and lack of physical activity, resulting in the body's inability to use insulin effectively.
Living with diabetes can be challenging. For those with type 1, managing their condition requires a delicate balance of insulin injections or pump usage, monitoring blood sugar levels regularly, and making dietary adjustments. Type 2 diabetics typically need to focus on lifestyle changes, including healthier eating habits and increased physical activity, along with medication or insulin therapy as prescribed by their Doctor. Both types of diabetes demand constant vigilance to avoid complications like heart disease, kidney problems, and nerve damage.
Diabetics can benefit from our prayers for several reasons. First, the daily management of diabetes is a significant physical and emotional burden. The discipline required to monitor blood sugar, take medications, and make healthy choices can be mentally taxing. Secondly, the risk of complications can be daunting, and prayers can provide them with strength and resilience as well as comfort and hope. Those suffering from diabetes should also be reminded about the importance of spiritual well-being alongside physical healing. The saints are great intercessors for those who need prayers of healing and support.
Who is the Patron Saint of Diabetes
There are two key saints for diabetics, one male and one female. Their names are St. Josemaria Escriva and St. Pauline Visintainer. These two Patron Saints of diabetes both suffered from diabetes in their life, so they know how to carry the cross of the illness.
St. Josemaria Escriva, was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and the founder of Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church. He was born on January 9, 1902, and died on June 26, 1975. St. Josemaria is known for his teachings on the sanctification of everyday life, emphasizing that ordinary activities could be a path to holiness. He believed that one could find God and serve Him in the midst of their daily work, whether it be professional, family, or social activities. His teachings on finding spiritual meaning in everyday struggles, including dealing with health issues like diabetes, have resonated with those who face similar challenges.
St. Josemaria Escriva was diagnosed with diabetes during his lifetime, and he managed his condition while continuing his religious and pastoral work. On April 27, 1954, he was cured of diabetes, after a severe allergic reaction from insulin which brought him to the point of death. Before this, he had been suffering from diabetes for about ten years. He never had any relapse; and he was no longer under any dietary restriction. His doctor stated "it was a case of a scientifically inexplicable cure.”
St. Josemaria's teachings on finding spiritual meaning in everyday struggles, including dealing with health issues like diabetes, have resonated with those who face similar challenges. His example of faith and perseverance in the face of adversity as well as his miraculous healing from it has led some people with diabetes to turn to him as a source of spiritual support and a role model for living a fulfilling and meaningful life.
St. Pauline Visintainer, also known as Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, was an Italian-born nun who later moved to Brazil, where she dedicated her life to caring for the sick and needy. She is known for her deep faith and compassion for those who suffered from various illnesses, including diabetes.
St. Pauline's connection to diabetes stems from her own experience. In her later years, she developed diabetes, which she managed with great patience and resilience. Despite her own health challenges, she continued to serve the poor and the sick, particularly those afflicted with diabetes.
Her life of selflessness and her ability to find strength in her faith while dealing with diabetes have made her an inspirational figure for those who have this condition. She is venerated as a Patron Saint of diabetics because of her personal experience with the disease and her unwavering commitment to helping others, even in the face of her own health struggles. Many diabetics and their families turn to her in prayer, seeking her intercession for strength, healing, and perseverance in managing this chronic health condition.
Click here for our list of Patron Saints.
Prayers for Diabetics
Prayer of Diabetics
Jesus, on the cross, be my strength to carry my cross daily. If it is Your holy will, heal me of this disease. Be my inspiration to live fully amidst my diabetes. Be my hope to love deeply, even in my weakness. Amen.
Prayer to St. Josemaria Escriva
O miraculous Saint Josemaria Escriva, I come before you to seek your inspiration and strength in carrying this heavy burden of mine: my diabetes. If God allows it, I hope to be healed from this sickness through your powerful intercession. May you always lead me towards perseverance and fidelity in doing God’s work every day. Let my weakness hinder me not from following God’s footsteps. May I soon realize that the cross that I am carrying allows me to share in the sufferings of Christ. And in hope, I may also share His glory, together with you, in heaven.
Saint Josemaria Escriva, you yourself suffered from diabetes. You endured the tribulations and sacrifices of being diagnosed with this disease like mine. You bore it patiently and even embraced it as you continued on with your priestly ministry. Through God’s intervention, you were miraculously healed from diabetes, for He had seen your unwavering faith in Him through Jesus on the cross and through your generous love and care for the poor. You embraced your cross, and it never hindered you in continuing to be an instrument of God’s love and mercy on earth. I hope to obtain the necessary graces to lead a life like yours, o Saint Josemaria Escriva. Help me to embrace my cross fully in leading a life worthy before the eyes of God.
Allow my prayer for diabetics to console those who are carrying this sickness. May my prayer accompany them in their journey in life. May it inspire them to see their sufferings as sharing with the sufferings of Christ on the cross. Through your intercession, may you also grant them the graces they need to fully embrace the cross of their sickness. May they also lead a life worthy of God at the service of His people.
Saint Josemaria Escriva, Patron Saint of diabetic patients, pray for us. Amen.
Prayer to St. Pauline
O gracious St. Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, I turn to you seeking your prayers on behalf of all those who suffer with diabetes, especially (name person). Go before the Lord and ask that He grant them the ability to manage their diabetes, and if it is His holy will, that He heal them of it completely. You know well the progression of this disease. Pray that those who have it pay close attention to their blood sugar levels, their diet and their exercise routines. Intercede for them that they live long, full and healthful lives without the complications that can come from diabetes. Thank you, St. Pauline for your prayers and intercession. Amen.
Related Patron Saint Jewelry and Rosaries
Buy some beautiful St. Josemaria Escriva or St. Pauline Visintainer jewelry to keep you or your loved one close to the Patron saint of diabetes and be a symbol of your faith.
