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Post by Elizabeth on May 5, 2019 2:48:26 GMT
Saint Monica
Widow
(332-388)
Patron of Mothers
Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine, was born in 332 of a Christian family of the ancient city of Tagasta in northern Africa. After a girlhood of singular innocence and piety, she was given in marriage to Patricius, a pagan. She at once devoted herself to his conversion, praying for him always and winning his reverence and love by the holiness of her life and her affectionate forbearance. She was rewarded by seeing him baptized a year before his death. When her son Augustine went astray in faith and habits, her prayers and tears were incessant. She once begged a learned bishop that he would talk to her son, in order to bring him to a better disposition, but he declined, despairing of success with a young man at once so gifted and so headstrong. At the sight of her prayers and tears, he nonetheless bade her be of good courage, for it could not happen that the child of those tears should perish. Augustine, by going to Italy, was able for a time to free himself from his mother's importunities, but he could not escape from her prayers, which encompassed him like the providence of God. She followed him to Italy; and there, by his marvelous conversion, her sorrow was turned into joy. At Ostia, shortly before they were to re-embark for Africa, Augustine and his mother sat at a window conversing on the life of the blessed. She turned to him and said, My son, there is nothing now I care for in this life. What I shall now do, or why I remain on this earth, I know not. The one reason I had for wishing to linger in this life a little longer was that I might see you a Catholic Christian before I died. This grace God has granted me superabundantly, seeing you reject earthly happiness to become His servant. A few days afterwards she had an attack of fever and died at the age of fifty-six, in the year 388. |
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Post by Hildegard on May 5, 2019 3:09:06 GMT
The Litany of the Three Patrons:
OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION, ST. AUGUSTINE AND ST. MONICA
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Mary, our Mother and the Mother of Jesus,
Pray for us.
Mary, our Mother of Consolation,
Pray for us.
Mary, the source of our hope, etc.
Mary, the refuge of sinners,
Mary, the guiding star of our lives,
Mary, source of strength in our weakness,
Mary, source of light in our darkness,
Mary, source of consolation in our sorrows,
Mary, source of victory in our temptations,
Mary, who leads us to Jesus,
Mary, who keeps us with Jesus,
Mary, who redeems us through Jesus,
Mary, Mother of Consolation, our Patroness,
Saint Augustine, triumph of Divine grace,
Pray for us.
St. Augustine, so faithful to grace,
Pray for us.
St. Augustine, glowing with pure love of God, etc.
St. Augustine, filled with zeal for God's glory,
St. Augustine, bright star in the firmament of the Church,
St. Augustine, so great and so humble,
st. Augustine, dauntless defender of the Faith,
St. Augustine, vanquisher of heresy,
St. Augustine, prince of bishops and doctors,
St. Augustine, our father (and founder),
(St. Augustine, glorious Patron of the Confraternity),
Saint Monica, devout mother of St. Augustine,
Pray for us.
St. Monica, whose prayers won Augustine from sin,
Pray for us.
St. Monica, whose prayers gave Augustine to God, etc.
St. Monica, pattern for wives,
St. Monica, model of mothers and mother of Saints,
St. Monica, exemplar of widows,
St. Monica, devoted to prayer,
St. Monica, so patient in trials,
St. Monica, so resigned in sorrow,
St. Monica, so happy in death,
St. Monica, devoted child of Mary, Mother of Consolation,
(St. Monica, our Patroness in the Confraternity),
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of Consolation,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
V. Pray for us, O holy father, Saint Augustine,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
V. Pray for us, O holy mother, Saint Monica,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all consolation, grant propitiously to Thy servants that, joyfully venerating Thy most pure Mother Mary as Our Lady of Consolation (and wearing in her honor the holy Cincture), we may be consoled by her in our sorrows, fortified in our trials through life, and in dying, may merit the ineffable consolations of Heaven for all eternity. Amen.
St. Monica, Widow and Patroness of Married Women: St. Monica (c. 331-387) was one of the primary reasons her son, Augustine, became :a Christian and a great Saint, after spending years in wayward living and heresy. St. Monica had prayed for him for years. She also converted her husband and her mother-in-law. St. Monica is the Patroness of Married Women, and is also a model for Christian mothers. |
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