Patience, Endurance, Charity, Prayer and Conversion
These five words where so much lived out in the life of St. Monica.
Patience - The waiting must have been terrible for St. Monica who watched her son, St. Augustine
Charity - She had been taught to love the poor and the suffering, and to serve them at her own expense and inconvenience, and the service of others makes one unselfish. She showed this charity to her servants and to her aging mother-in-law who was a very controlling woman.
Prayer - The unceasing prayers of St. Monica helped many including her husband, Patricius; his mother, her children - Navigius, Perpetua and her eldest son, Augustine; who came back to the faith and was baptized at the age of 33 by St. Ambrose. Never underestimate the power of prayer.
To these five words we need to add Obedience and Trust. Without obedience to God's will and trust in His most infinite mercy St. Monica would never have been able to remain faithful in patience, endurance, charity, prayer and conversion.
Prayers Of St. Monica
To you I fly for aid and for instructions, St. Monica, wondrous exemplar of unswerving prayer for children. Into your loving arms I place my children, that through your powerful intercession they may obtain the graces for genuine conversion to Christ Our Lord. To you I also humbly appeal, matron of matrons, to ask our Lord to grant me the same spirit of ceaseless prayer He granted to you. All this I ask through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. ++
O God, Who observed the devout tears and pleading of St. Monica and granted to her prayers the conversion of her husband and the penitential return of her son, Augustine, grant us the grace to implore Thee also with earnest zeal, so that we may obtain, as she did, the salvation of our own soul and the souls of those belonging to us. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen. + +
O holy Monica, by your patience and prayers you obtained from God the conversion of your husband and the grace to live in peace with him; obtain for us, we beseech you, the blessing of Almighty God, so that true harmony and peace may reign also in our homes, and that all the members of our families may attain eternal life. Amen. ++
O holy Monica, by your burning tears and unceasing prayers you saved your son from eternal damnation. Obtain for us the grace ever to comprehend what is most conducive to the salvation of our children, so that we may effectively restrain them from sin and lead them by virtue and piety to Heaven! Amen. ++
In your mercy, Lord, you received the tears of St. Monica as she wept for hers on. At the intercession of both mother and son, give us grace to weep for sin and to obtain Your Forgiveness. Amen. ++
Exemplary Mother of the great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray. Amen. ++
2 comments:
Thank you for the post. I often ask for St. Monica's intercession for 2 of my family members. One seems to be coming back to the Lord, but my brother is far, far, away from Him and this post was very helpful.
Patty--thanks so much for this post and this blog!! My son is an atheist and I need to remember to pray for him more.
I have a blog called The Apostolate of St. Augustine for the purpose of praying and sacrificing for those who have lost their faith. Sadly, that is many people that I know and love.
You can scroll down on my sidebar and light a candle for your intentions.
Here is the url:
http://augustineapostolate.blogspot.com/
God bless!
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