John, our dear friend and brother, and gracious host here at ByzCath, has been laid low by a nasty bout of illness that has hung on for about a month now - keeping him homebound since early December. In the past few days, he's begun to finally feel a bit better, with the gradual return of appetite and energy.

As my prayers for his swift recovery haven't moved things along at the pace I'd have hoped, I got him to agree that I could post a prayer thread for him, something he would not have done for himself. Please keep John in your prayers, that he be fully restored to health in the next couple of weeks.

Prayers for John's steady recovery .

My heartfelt prayer for John's recovery...May the Lord God restore our friend John's health, so that he can continue working for His glory in all that he does...

Through the intercessions of the Blessed Mother of God, St. Nektarios the Wonderworker and healer of illness, of St. John the Baptist, and all the saints which John holds dear. Amen...

Alice

P.S. I will give your name John, for Wednesday evening's supplication service to the Theotokos at my parish...

Prayers for John's recovery.

My prayers are added for John's steady and full recovery...

Lord Jesus, extend Your Divine Healing Hand to touch Your servant, John, raising him from his illness and restoring him to his family and his work so that he may praise Your Holy Name and your Mercy all the days of his life. Amen.

Blessed Lord,
we ask your loving care and protection for John
and all those who are sick
in body, mind, or spirit and who desire our prayers.
Take from them all fears and help them put their trust in you,
that they may feel your strong arms around them.
Touch them with your renewing love,
that they may know wholeness in you and glorify your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever.
Amen.

O holy Father, Physician of souls and bodies, You sent Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal every infirmity and to deliver us from death. Heal Your servant John of every spiritual and bodily ill that afflicts him. Restore him by the grace of Your Christ through the prayers of our most holy Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, and of all Your saints. For You, our God, are the fountain of healing, and we glorify You together with Your only-begotten Son, and Your Consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and forever, Amen!

John, please get well soon! You are missed!

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on your servant, John.

Amen.
I add my prayers for John's healing, that he very soon will be completely well!
CS

John,
I will keep you in my prayers.

Adding mine to all those above.

AMEN!

Praying for John's healing and recovery.

Lord, have mercy,
Lord, come to his aid.

Lord, hear the prayers of those here as we all lift John up to you. Amen.

A note:

I'm guessing what John has is what I and many others have had this year, even when we've had a flu shot and a pneumonia shot. It's a thing that just hangs on. I met a woman this afternoon who said hers turned into pneumonia even after she'd had both shots.

Lord, grant to John and to all who suffer with the effects of this illness at this time Your Healing touch. Amen.

Some in the northeast call it "the crud"....and it can hang on six weeks or longer. Spared so far this year...once back in 2003 was enough.

Pastor Tom:

I'm starting into my fourth week and "six weeks or longer" isn't good news.

Bob

Please continue to keep John in prayer. The idea of returning to work in a week or so, even part-time, has gone by the wayside. He had seen some very minimal improvement this past week, but has had a really rough past 24 hrs. He's scheduled for further tests this week that will hopefully provide his doctors a clue as to what's going on and let them develop a successful treatment plan.

May the Holy Unmercenary Physicians, Cosmas and Damian, give wisdom to John's doctors and guide them in his diagnosis and care. May St John the Forerunner, whose Synaxis was celebrated yesterday, intercede for our brother and friend, his namesake, before the Holy Throne.

Prayers continue

He sent me a PM this morning to say that he has gone to the hospital--pain too great to wait even one day longer.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

We are grateful for the update, but saddened by update. We continue to pray for John's full and timely recuperation.

Lord, sustain your servant, John, and cure him of every illness of spirit and body. We ask this through the prayers and intercession of your most holy Mother and all the saints. Amen!

Prayers for our brother John.

Have they checked for lyme disease? It's prevalent here in Western PA and has many various symptoms, even looking like a stroke.

Mother of God, pray for and protect your son, John.

Prayers, may John feel the comforting and healing touch of our Lord and King...

Lord have mercy on our beloved brother in Christ and gracious Administrator, John V.!!!

Please, Lord God, we come to you together in hearts and soul, though not together physically, and pray that, by being in the midst of us ("where two or more are gathered together in my Name, I will be"), you will hear our prayer and help John in this struggle.

Please Lord, englighten the doctors to take the right tests to determine the cause of his illness. Please Lord, make clear the cure for his distress.

Let's all offer John's name to whatever Proskomide, Supplication service (parclisis/moleben), novena, or any other such commemoration that we can this week...

Humbly,
In Christ,
Alice

Aye,

Our Administrator had sent me a private message late last evening with an update (not the one shared in my previous post) which did allow me to mention him for informal prayers during our education time which precedes the Litury, as well as during the the Prayer of the Faithful in the Liturgy.

For us it is the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord: The Hymn which we sing at this feast has as its third verse one that addresses this situation very well:

"Songs of Thankfulness and Praise"
by Christopher Wordsworth, 1807-1885

1. Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David's stem,
In Thy birth at Bethlehem.
Anthems be to Thee addressed
God in flesh made manifest.

2. Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme,
And at Cana, Wedding-guest,
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine,
Changing water into wine.
Anthems be to Thee addressed
God in flesh made manifest.

3. Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill.
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in flesh made manifest.

4. Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in flesh made manifest.

5. Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Mirrored in Thy holy Word;
May we imitate Thee now
And be pure as pure art Thou
That we like to Thee may be
At Thy great Epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in flesh made manifest.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #134
Text: 1 Peter 1:20
Author: Christopher Wordsworth, 1862
Tune: Salzburg

Prayers!

Many prayers.

Prayers

Kolya

As I am assuming that John is still in hospital, my thoughts and prayers continue throughout each day on his behalf.

I am especially praying to St. Nektarios.

Please continue praying, dear friends.

In Christ our Hope,
Alice

Abundant prayers for the health of John Vernoski our beloved Administrator!

Alex

I spoke to John last week. He was home and resting, but looking to have more tests done.

His message to me Sunday (January 8) was that the pain grew too intense to wait for the scheduled tests so he went to the hospital. He apparently sent the message from the hospital.

I have not heard anything since then.

Do you know which hospital he is in?

Prayers for John!

No, I was hoping that you did.

I'm very glad to be able to report that John is back home and taking it easy, hopefully. He's grateful to everyone for all of the prayers that have been offered for him. Please keep him in your prayers, as he recuperates.

Glory to God!! I will certainly keep him in prayer for his recuperation!

Kyrie Eleison! Lord God have mercy on your servant John, and through the prayers of the Theotokos. St. John the Baptist, and St. Nektarios, please bring him back to complete and total health. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on your servant John, through the intercession of the Saints may his health be restored.

As we start the new week, I pray that the healing hand of our Lord, through the loving intercessions of His Saints and most Holy Mother, as well as those here, will help our Administrator, John in his illness.

Also, wishing a blessed, safe, healthy, and good week to all...

Humbly,
Alice

I continue to pray for his recovery.

My prayers for our brother, John.

Does anyone have an update of John's condition?

We continue to pray for his health!

Joe,

Thanks for asking. I had intended to post something last night, but got waylaid. I spoke with John on Friday in PM. He's feeling a bit better, taking somewhat more in the way of nourishment - though his diet continues to be restricted by what his system is able to tolerate, and he's still needing a lot of rest, as his energy level really got sapped over that month plus.

Bottom line, he's improving but it remains a slow recovery process that won't/can't be rushed. Continued prayers for his full return to health are still most welcomed.

Many years,

Neil

Good news indeed, and much, much better than that of a fortnight ago.

Prayers continue!

Good news! Prayers continuing for John!

Chris

John is still in our prayers. We lit a newly blessed candle for him last week. Any update on his condition?

Prayers for John. May the Lord quickly restore him to health and to administrating this Forum as he has done so faithfully and wonderfully these last many (becoming very many!) years. I've been so busy I have completely missed this news until now.

Yes, Neil, what in the way of an update?

Alexis

I exchange PMs w/ John every couple of days, but usually wait until there's something worth saying. Timing is everything in the asking, Joe and Alexis, and you timed your queries well

I had a PM from John today. He saw his specialist a few days ago and started tonight on a medication that will ease some of the burden on his system (essentially it will assist the pancreas - making up for its own reduced natural efficiency while it's otherwise busy healing itself).

More watching and waiting until he sees how well this approach works. He also has some additional testing to be done, but that isn't scheduled yet.

John is extremely grateful for the prayers and concern that all of you have offered here, as well as those that have been offered on other sites where some of our members also post. Your continued prayers are very much welcomed.

My unworthy prayers continue for our beloved friend and Administrator, John...his name will be commemorated again tonight to the Holy Mother of God.

Thanks for the update. Will pray for John.

Please dear brothers and sisters in Christ--do not forget to keep John V. in your holy thoughts and prayers, as recovery is taking a very long time and more tests are to come...

May St. Nektarios intercede for his recovery to full health. AMEN.

In Christ,
Alice

Have your prayer rise up to God for John (and/or whatever other intention you may have) while you are online by opening a new window and lighting a candle on Mt. Athos!:

click here

Prayers are offered.


Unworthy
Kolya

Prayers for our admin., John, for his return to health and well being,
CS

Lord Jesus Christ, during your life you were surrounded by suffering and you eliminated it whenever you could. Look down on Your suffering servant, John Vernoski, our forum administrator, and ease his suffering. Help John and all the sick in body, especially those terminally ill, and the sick at heart who are weary of life. Come to John's aid with the touch of Your Divine Healing Hand. Encourage John and all those who suffer today in soul, mind, or body. Free John and all those who are suffering that they might rise to praise Your Holy and All-Venerable Name all the days of their earthly pilgrimage. Through the prayers of the Holy Mother of God, of St. Nektarios, and of the Holy Unmercenary Physicians, Cosmas and Damien, Lord hear and answer our prayers. Amen.

Will continue to keep John in my prayers, for his health and recovery.

John didn't do very well with the first few days on the medication that was intended to take over some of the pancreatic function and allow it time to heal. However, his physician suspects that the discomfort might have been the result of a flare-up, rather than an adverse effect of the medication - so, the med may still be a viable option. He's seeing another specialist mid-week. Hopefully, he'll get some good news from that visit. Bottom line, he's improving but slowly; it's going to take time yet to regain his energy level and recover from the weight loss. He remains very grateful for your prayers.

John is having a special ultrasound test today.

Please pray that they uncover that which is the cause of all this, for the benefit of his recovery.

St. Nektarios, great healer of those who are ill, please come to John's aid today in hospital and make way the path for a proper diagnosis and recovery.

*The offspring of Selyvria and the guardian of Aegina,
the true friend of virtue who appeared in the last days,
we faithful honour thee as a Godly servant of Christ,
for thou pourest forth healings of all kinds for those who piously cry out:

Glory to God who glorified thee
Glory to HIM who made thee wonderous
Glory to Him who worketh healings for all through thee. AMEN.


Kyrie Eleison.

John will be continually in our prayers, even beyond his recovery for which we now pray!

O holy Father, Physician of souls and bodies, You sent Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal every infirmity and to deliver us from death. Heal Your servant of every spiritual and bodily ill which afflicts our faithful forum administrator. Restore Your servant John by the grace of Your Christ through the prayers of our most holy Lady, the Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary, and of all Your Saints, especially St. Michael the Archangel, St. Luke, St. Jude and Sts. Cosmas and Damian. For You, our God, are the Fountain of healing, and we glorify You together with Your only-begotten Son +, and Your Consubstantial Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Thank you Curious Joe--I am hoping by 'bumping' this, more posters will see it and pray for his test *today*...

Many thanks to all for the powerful prayers!

Special thanks to Alice for sending me some St. Nektarios oil.

I am doing a bit better, but the docs are still trying to figure out the cause of the pancreatitis, and why it keeps reoccuring.

Thanks be to God, Who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love!

Glory to God! This is such good news, John!

Alice

Give thanks to the Lord, all the earth! Sing praises to His Name! Give to Him glorious praise!

(somehow appropriate when one thinks of John ...)

John - great to see a post from you! Please know that prayers were abundantly offered for you on many forums and not just here. Truly remarkable, and a testament to what has been accomplished in your ministry here on byzcath.org !

Glory to God! Thank you Jesus for you are our healer and the lifter of our heads. in this case thank you for being the lifter of John's hands so he was able to say hi! Praise God, glad you are better!