|
Devotion To Saint Monica Patroness of Christian Mothers
This devotion is based on the first and most natural personal bond: that between a mother and her child. St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, was described in his Confessions as "the mother of many tears" because of her continuing love and concern for him, even when he went astray. What mother cannot identify with the maternal concern of Monica for her child? What mother is not worried and anxious when her child is in danger because of illness, accident, serious problem, or destructive habits? In their need Christian mothers can call on St. Monica for her intercession that her child or children as well as those of others may be protected from all harm, delivered from evil, and strengthened in faith. It is recommended that mothers who wish to entrust their children to the care of St. Monica gather together in small communities for the recitation of the following prayers. They may also be recited in private. MOTHERS: CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE FAITH OF YOUR CHILDREN? Yes ... something very important. Make sure that your husband shares your concern for the faith of your children; that every day or on specific days he may join you in a prayer for the faith of your children. We have prepared these prayers of petition so that you may both pray together. It will strengthen the love that unites you, and the result of shared prayer will be greater. We ask you to do something else: within your family, within your social circle, and among your friends, you are in contact with many mothers who can be drawn into a praying community, strengthening in them their love for their children and their responsibility before God as mothers with faith. If you do not have an application blank to form a community or, if you wish to have more information, please write to us or write to of call one of the following addresses: Communities of Christian Mothers Of St. Monica OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR CHURCH OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH ST. BENEDICT'S CHURCH The Prayer of the Mother for The Faith of Her Children Lord, we are Christian mothers. With your cooperation and that of our husbands, we have conceived our children for this temporal life. But our hopes do not end here. We also want to conceive them for eternal life. To accomplish this we pray with the perseverance and constancy of St. Monica using the following petitions: After each petition answer: "Help us, O Lord!" That we, like St. Monica, may guide our children toward You through the example of our lives, helping them to become better Christians each day. (R) That we may strive to gain the full cooperation of our husbands in sowing, strengthening, and defending the faith of our children. (R) That like St. Monica, we may always control our tempers when speaking with our children, and always treat them with gentleness, respect, and love. (R) That we may strive to understand the changes taking place in the lives of our children and support them in times of challenge and difficulty. (R) That we may transmit our faith to our children in such a way that they will choose to live the faith, to defend it, and to share it with others. (R) That, if God desires to sow the seed of a religious or priestly vocation in our sons or daughters, we may be whole-heartedly generous and cooperative in their vocations. (R) That we may endow our children with an appreciation for the diocese and the parish in which we live and be an example for them in participating in the ministries of the local church. (R) That if one of our children should falter in their faith, or sway from it, we, as parents, may know how to enfold them in love, understanding, prayer, and counsel until we see their safe return to the faith, where we will be eagerly waiting for them. (R) That in our contact with other mothers, we may awaken in them their responsibility as Christian mothers and be able to attract them to our community so that they may be united in our hope and prayers. (R) PRAYER O Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation, who comforted St. Monica by giving her the immense joy of seeing grace triumph in the mind and heart of her son Augustine, be our consolation as well. Give us the joy of seeing our children firmly committed to the faith that you have planted in their hearts. And if one of our children has strayed, give us the joy of experiencing his or her return to the faith to be united to us once again in the security and peace of your love. O Lord, in imitation of St. Monica, may we live our faith
in all its fullness, and, like her, may we influence the faith our children
in such a way that some day we may know the immense joy of seeing them
with us in your glory for all eternity. back to Augustinian Devotions |
