Tears of a Mother

Details: 15 March 2013

I often recall the words of the great St. Ambrose, spoken to a tearful St. Monica so many years ago concerning her wayward son St. Augustine, "God does not ignore the tears of a mother."

Recently, as I was passing through the reception area of one of our offices, a woman with a worried look on her face greeted me. She asked only for prayers for her son who was suffering the effects of an automobile accident.

I immediately invited her into our St. Joseph Chapel and knelt down to pray for her and her son. It quickly became apparent she was Catholic, as she knew the Our Father and the Hail Mary, after making the sign of the cross. After some further prayers of intercession by yours truly, she kept on praying with noticeable fervor and intensity with her eyes tightly closed.

After this she shared how hard it was getting by since her husband was sent to prison. In between jobs, she has fallen behind in her rent. She was in desperate straits. Because of our generous donors, we were able to help her with rent, and gave her some gift cards to a local store and gas station.

Before leaving the office, she thanked God and us. I write this story not only to relay her gratitude but also to ask for your prayers because what she really needs is a job. I am confident that with our prayers, she will find something and find it soon. Oh, the power of prayer! Just ask St. Monica!

Just minutes before visiting with the woman mentioned above, I had an extensive discussion with one of our volunteers about prayer. She stated that the most intimate thing husbands and wives can do is to pray together. Once on a Marriage Encounter weekend, she recalled a woman who shared her story about wanting to initiate prayer between herself and her husband. While in bed she said, "Honey, lets pray together!" "OK," he replied. After a long period of silence, she asked him why he was so quiet. "Because, I’m praying like you said!" He replied.

Since the two conversations were so close together, I could only imagine if this other couple would have spent time each day in prayer, she most likely would not have been in our office. But, as the saying goes, it is never too late.

As we continue our Lenten journey toward the Easter Triduum, perhaps we can meditate on the seven last ‘words’ of Jesus Christ as He hung on the cross for our salvation. They are:

 "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34),

 "Lord, remember me, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom" (Lk 23:42),

 "Woman, behold thy son … Behold thy mother" (Jn 19:26-27),

 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" (Mt 27:46),

 "I thirst" (Jn 19:28),

 "It is consummated" (Jn 19:30), and

 "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Lk 23:46).

Thank you all for helping us at Catholic Social Services love Jesus present in those in need. Please be assured of our continued prayers for all of you, your families and intentions.