Today, 27th August, we celebrate our second anniversary - happy feast day of St Monica.
Our Pray for Children prayer group is going on a retreat today with our Spiritual Director Fr David and we will remember you all in our prayers. We will pray especially for your dear children.
St. Monica shed many a tear over her son, St Augustine's unsettled life. As we know St. Monica persisted constantly with her prayers. She pleaded with the Lord to help her son. Can you imagine her joy when her prayers were finally answered.
Saint Augustine as a young man led an unsettled life both in the philosophy he professed and in his moral behaviour, but later, in the year 387, he converted and received baptism at Milan from the bishop Saint Ambrose. He came back to his own country and led the life of an ascetic. Elected Bishop of Hippo, for thirty four years he was an exemlary bishop to his flock, teaching his people by his sermons and writings, striving to combat the errors of the time and to make the faith understood. He died in the year 430.
Our Pray for Children prayer group is going on a retreat today with our Spiritual Director Fr David and we will remember you all in our prayers. We will pray especially for your dear children.
St. Monica shed many a tear over her son, St Augustine's unsettled life. As we know St. Monica persisted constantly with her prayers. She pleaded with the Lord to help her son. Can you imagine her joy when her prayers were finally answered.
Saint Augustine as a young man led an unsettled life both in the philosophy he professed and in his moral behaviour, but later, in the year 387, he converted and received baptism at Milan from the bishop Saint Ambrose. He came back to his own country and led the life of an ascetic. Elected Bishop of Hippo, for thirty four years he was an exemlary bishop to his flock, teaching his people by his sermons and writings, striving to combat the errors of the time and to make the faith understood. He died in the year 430.
Saint Monica's prayers obtained the grace of a conversion for her son. So live in hope and learn from her wonderful example. When the problem is too big for us to handle give it to God in prayer as St. Monica did.
"Nothing is impossible to God".
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Annual Novena to Saint Monica
18th to 26th August
Daily Prayer
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.
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
favourably hear my plea for (mention your petitions 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.
First Day 18th August
Remember dear
St. Monica, the joy that flooded your heart when Augustine, the son of your
prayers and tears, turned his life over to the Lord. Please present our novena
petitions before God in whose presence you stand. Obtain for us, if it be his
holy will, the graces we request through your intercessory power, that we may
experience the happiness of answered prayer. Amen.
Daily Prayer
(3) Hail Mary and
(3) Glory Be
St. Monica, pray
for us.
Second Day 19th August
Great St.
Monica, patroness of fathers and mothers, please take our children, especially
those who have turned from the ways of God and his Church, under your
protection. Let them always remain faithful to their baptismal vows. Give them
strength to walk always in the ways of the Lord, despite the temptations and
false values they find in the world today. Grant that they may share with you
in the joys of eternal life in God. Amen.
Daily Prayer
(3) Hail Mary and
(3) Glory Be
St. Monica, pray
for us.
Third Day 20th August
O glorious St. Monica, after a lifetime
of tearful prayers, fasting, and sacrifice, you were at last granted the
happiness of witnessing both your husband's and son's conversion. After your
son Augustine returned to the faith, you said: "God has granted this to me
in more than abundance. What am I still doing here?" A few days later, you
died happily at peace with God and his world. Grant us that same peace, faith,
and acceptance of God's will that we may live all our years in serenity and go
joyfully to our heavenly home, secure in the knowledge of eternal salvation.
Amen.
Daily Prayer
(3) Hail Mary and
(3) Glory Be
St. Monica, pray
for us.
Fourth Day 21st August
O
glorious
St. Monica, you see in our world today mothers and wives who are suffering a
lot for their husbands and children. You know how they feel because you
yourself underwent this same torture but you managed to breeze through all this
because you believed that your problematic husband and child were challenges
that God gave you. You suffered, and you prayed for them without ceasing. God
touched the hearts of your husband and child, Augustine. Grant us the same
perseverance and faith so that we, too, may be able to convince God. Amen.
Daily Prayer
(3) Hail Mary and
(3) Glory Be
St. Monica, pray
for us.
Fifth Day 22nd August
O glorious
St. Monica, we present to you the stories of many mothers who are working
abroad in search for a better life for their families. They sleep daily
remembering their husbands and children, wishing to be near their loved ones.
But they have to sacrifice in order that their children may go to school and
have a better future. We ask you to protect these mothers and inspire their
children to study hard. We ask your intercession that the husbands and children
of these women may learn to communicate with each other and bridge the distance
among them. May the physical distance that they suffer need not become a
hindrance for a happy family life. Amen.
Daily
Prayer
(3)
Hail Mary and (3) Glory Be
St.
Monica, pray for us.
Sixth Day 23rd August
O glorious
St. Monica, you worked hard for the conversion of your husband and son because
you wanted them to enter eternal life. Heaven was your obsession and you travelled
big distances in search of your son and prayed long hours because you desired
that your family may have a grand reunion in heaven. Earthly success did not at
all attract you as Augustine your son became famous for his eloquence and
intelligence. You wanted him to spend the rest of his life preparing for
heaven, and that was precisely what you and your son did. Hearken then to our
petition that the thought of heaven may pervade our life. Let not earthly
success blind us. Guide us to Jesus and prepare us to our grand reunion with
him. Amen.
Daily
Prayer
(3)
Hail Mary and (3) Glory Be
St.
Monica, pray for us.
Seventh Day 24th August
O glorious
St. Monica, your son Augustine on recalling his steps towards his conversion
could not forget your tears and prayers. He saw you awake during nights as you
prayed to God to touch his heart and repent of his sins. He described his
conversion as your work because even God could not withstand your fidelity and
patience in praying for his sake. Now in heaven, we know that Jesus listens to
you and would not be able to resist your prayers. Intercede for us and listen
to our petitions. May we also be converted and change our bad habits into good.
Amen.
Daily
Prayer
(3)
Hail Mary and (3) Glory Be
St.
Monica, pray for us.
Eighth Day 25th August
O glorious
St. Monica, you accompanied Augustine when he was beginning a monastic life
with some friends. You delighted in a life dedicated to prayer, and you were
happy because you knew that your son made a good decision. You, too, wanted to
spend the rest of your life praying, in close contact with Jesus. Guide us so
that we may also be led to a deeper life of prayer and make prayer our life.
The path to this type of life begins when we start to simplify our needs. When
our hearts are calm because desires for material riches have died, then we open
ourselves to a deeper life of prayer which you and your son started. Lead us to
this path. Amen.
Daily
Prayer
(3)
Hail Mary and (3) Glory Be
St.
Monica, pray for us.
Ninth Day 26th August
O glorious
St. Monica, on this last day of our novena, we bring to you the concerns of
many young mothers, teenage mothers who are not yet prepared for the
motherhood. Unwanted pregnancies are a big problem in our time. Many young
people have to stop their schooling and assume responsibilities that they could
not tackle because of this problem. Enlighten our young people and give them
teachers that will make them understand that sex outside of marriage is
dangerous and sinful. Inspire them to enjoy their youth without sinning and
lead them to the joy of spiritual things. Amen.
Daily
Prayer
(3)
Hail Mary and (3) Glory Be
St.
Monica, pray for us.