Memorial Day Prayer

Oh Lord,
Bless those men and women who served in our military,
who have given the full measure of their devotion.
Grant them eternal rest with you in heaven.

Bless their families,
who mourn the loss of their loved one across time.
Grant them peace in their hearts.

Guide the thoughts and actions of our leaders,
Whose decisions directly affect military action.
Grant them wisdom and courage to do what is right.

Touch the hearts of those who do not serve,
That we will never take for granted the enormity of another’s sacrifice.
Grant us the means to honor and serve military families with respect.

Thank you Lord for this Memorial Day.
May we never forget that the freedoms we so casually enjoy,
Were purchased with the blood and sacrifice of others.

Amen.

A Saint for Modern Mothers

It’s not uncommon that many women, particularly mothers, look to Mary as their role model for motherhood. While I love and honor Mary, there are times I have trouble relating to her.  After all, in addition to raising God’s own son, Jesus, Mary herself was without sin. When I’m in the midst of household chaos and discipline problems, I have difficulty picturing Mary in the trenches alongside me.

St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica
(1855) by Ary Scheffer 

Lately, my go to Saint for Modern Mothers is St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, a Bishop and early Dr. of the Church.  Raised a devout, pious Catholic woman in Africa during the 3^rd century, Monica married a pagan, struggled in her marriage, and raised a son who embraced an immoral, hedonistic lifestyle before dedicating his life to God.  I myself married a non-Catholic and am raising strong willed, spirited children with an undetermined future. Through these similarities, I can vividly picture Monica deep in the trenches of everyday life.  

St. Monica did not raise the perfect family.  Faced with a life full of turmoil and difficulty, she didn’t flee, despair or give up.  She persisted in prayer for the conversion of her son, husband, and family. Struggling to do what was best for those around her, Monica modeled the Catholic faith for them by sincerely living it. Through trusting in the will of God she persevered and succeeded as her husband and children each found their path to know and love God during their lives.  Her most challenging son, Augustine, eventually repented from his immoral life, received baptism, and dedicated his life to God in such a way that we now know him as St. Augustine.

As modern mothers, we can read about Monica’s frequent prayerful weeping over her son and recognize the emotion. We understand the temptations and distractions offered by society - first to Augustine and now to our own children. How many times do we weep through our prayers for our children and husband?  Attempting to do what is right or best for those in our care can weigh heavily, so we cry out to the Lord for help with our faith and family as St. Monica did for hers.  

“Monica is a shining example for families today, bringing them courage and hope by guaranteeing that with the grace of God, good will, and perseverance, any difficulty can be overcome in building a true Christian family founding upon the values of the Gospel.”  From St. Monica: The Power of a Mother’s Love by Giovanni Falbo

In motherhood St. Monica dedicated herself to constant prayer and devotion for her husband and children to grow closer to God.  All mothers share this desire for their children to know and love God.  Most of us, like Monica, do not have a smooth path leading to heaven, but one filled with temptation and distraction that threatens our goal of eternal life for our loved ones. St. Monica shows us that through incessant prayer for our families and trust in the Lord, we may through the grace of God achieve success.

These days, when I struggle as a wife and mother, I turn to Jesus through the intercession of St. Monica and pray for the same patience, persistence and dedication to motherhood, marriage, and family that she modeled for us.  

Lisa Jones

Mary in the Front Seat

Rosary hanging from car rearview mirror.

After returning from maternity leave, I surprised everyone –including myself – by changing careers and taking on a new role with the family business. Instead of having a five minute commute, I now drive 45-minutes each way. Faced with the reality of being in the car daily for ninety minutes, I am taking advantage of the time to do things I haven’t had time to do before, like listen to audio books, podcasts, and audio CDs of lectures delivered at church.

I also started a new habit. After loading up my smartphone with the Rosary Army podcast, I committed to praying the rosary daily either on my way to work, or on the drive home. Using the RosaryCast MP3 to first lead and now guide me, I’ve learned some of the prayers I’m less familiar with, particularly Hail Holy Queen. I’m also learning the mysteries and trying to really reflect on them during the prayer. 

There are days when I pray the words cheerfully.

There are days when it feels like a real chore.

There are days when it feels routine and my mind wanders.

There are days when I can barely choke out the words through my tears.

There are days when the words are a very real and physical comfort to me.

There are days when the rhythmic repetition soothes me.

When I pray the Rosary, I imagine Mary riding with me in the front seat, someone to talk with during the drive. I tell her my thoughts, whatever weighs on my mind, particularly people I'm praying for. Sometimes I have specific requests, and other times I allow the Holy Spirit to inspire me. Someone I know expecting a baby, the victims of a tragic traffic accident that happened outside the office building last week, or just an unknown woman walking down the street with two young boys and a baby in her arms.

I envision Mary taking these petitions up to our Christ Jesus, her being in His presence, just a Mother spending time with her son. This May, as we honor our mothers, make a point to pray with Mary for special intentions.