PRAYER TO NOVENA TO SAINT MONICA

Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine,
You perserveringly 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. 

Dear St Monica, troubled wife and mother, 
Many sorrows pierced your heart
During your lifetime. 
Yet you never despaired or lost faith. 
With confidence, persistence and profound faith, 
You prayed daily for the conversion
Of your beloved husband, Patricius 
And your beloved son, Augustine. 

Grant me that same fortitude, 
Patience and trust in the Lord. 
Intercede for me, dear St. Monica, 
That God may favorably hear my plea 
For 

[State your petition here.) 

And grant me the grace 
To accept his will in all things, 
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, 
In the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
One God forever and ever.

Amen.

SAINT MONICA

St. Monica was born into a Christian family in Tagaste, Algeria, across the Mediterranean Sea from Rome, in 332 AD. She married a pagan, a minor Roman government official named Patricius.  Christians were few and far between in those days. The marriage was blessed with three children, the oldest and most famous was Augustine.

Patricius was not a model husband  yet Monica prayed ceaselessly for his conversion. Her sweet piety, patience, and persistence paid off. One day, Patricius accepted baptism but he died a year after.

Her son Augustine was a constant concern for Monica. Brilliant and likable, Augustine followed the example of his father.  He refused to accept baptism and lived a passionate life with his mistress. For years Monica prayed, fasted, and cried silently for Augustine.

God was listening. He heard and finally answered these prayers of this faithful mother. Augustine, abandoning his sinful ways, accepted  baptism from St. Ambrose of Milan, on Easter Sunday, 387 AD.
Augustine's mother, St. Monica, died shortly after at the age of 55, secure in the knowledge that her son had heard God's call and her work on earth was finished.

St. Monica is the patroness of troubled parents, battered wives, despondent mothers, widows, and alcoholics. Her feast is celebrated on August 27.

St. Monica

It seems that nothing is improving on my hubby's situation. He is getting more pain and the worse is that he is already losing hope that God will help him. Sometimes I am thinking that this is already very impossible that he will change for the better, I mean that he will stop complaining and just believe in You Lord is what I want to happen but I have not seen any changes yet. It is you Lord that helping and lifting me that nothing is impossible with you. Lord, there are times I lost hope that he still gonna change but why is that You always reminded me that nothing is impossible and I remember St. Monica's story and I feel I'm in the same situation like her. I read tonight St. Monica's biography and it inspired me to pray harder and be more patient in dealing with my hubby. Lord, sometimes I feel that this is too much and I will just cry inside but I know Lord you are there always, thank you Father.

This is the story of St. Monica - I also write my prayer request there to St. Monica. St. Monica please pray for us especially my hubby. Thank you St. Monica.
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1

Thy will be done Lord

I attended the prayer meeting last Friday. It was my first time to attend this year and I was grateful and blessed because the message of the speaker really inspired me, thank you Lord. I owe so many things from You Lord. I supposed to give my testimony but when I arrived it was already 8:30 and they had the testimony first and the prayer meeting just started. The speaker shared about his wife recent death and I was really inspired by his story and the faith he has. Lord, please help me to understand your will. We have been praying for his healing Lord but he is always in pain until now. He wanted the pain to go away so bad. Please give him the patient and understanding to know Your will and also me Lord. Thank you Father for this problem we are having for it brings us more closer to You and acknowledge You as the source of all good things.

TGIS

Thanks God its Sunday.. Hubby and I went to church at 12 noon. The priest has very wonderful message in his homily, it is about leaving our old self to have a new life -he said, something must die so that something new or good will happen. Something must die means our pride, hatred, bad habits must die or removed so that transformation will happen which is for our own good. It is very hard to do this as the priest said which is really true based from experience and from what I have seen on my hubby but I believe with the help of our Lord, nothing is impossible. Lord, please continue to transform my hubby the way You wanted him to be. He is willing to change for the better Lord and sometimes he runs out of patience. I'm praying He will going to have the patience he needs Lord and understanding of Your will.
After Church, we went to the mall and had our grocery. While having our grocery, my hubby said he is in pain in the head with numbness and tingling and I said something that made him mad. The bad thing is that he said something not good to me and I was hurting inside. I couldn't help but tears falling from my eyes but I went away from him so he would not know. While on our way home riding our motorcycle,I was riding behind him, I really cried in silent and said Lord this is so hard for me but I know You are there always for me/us. Lord, please continue to be with us and thanks for your patience and guidance always. I love you Lord and I will put my hope and trust in You knowing that you died to set us free.

Woman's Prayer

The greatest thing a man can do to a woman is to lead her closer to God than himself. - When I was still single, my prayer always to God is to give me a man who will lead me closer to Him. Maybe God answered my prayer, my hubby is not really that close to God but he is making me challenge my faith. God knows what we are going through right now. Lord, sometimes I feel it's too much but I believe Lord that everything happens for a reason and You allow things to happen because you have a reason, I may not be able to understand it now but in Your own time, I will.
My hubby has been complaining why God is not answering his/our prayers yet. I will give him answer according to what I believe and what's in the Bible but hard for him to understand. Lord, please take care of my hubby, give him understanding, patience and wisdom to know Your will. Thank you Father for without You I won't be able to be this strong.

A Blessed Sunday!

Me and hubby attended the 8:15 mass this morning.