Today happens to be the feast day of St. Augustine. I love St. Augustine because he was so human. Prior to his conversion to Christianity, he was quite the party animal who enjoyed all types of worldly pleasures. However, the saint who has my complete admiration is his mother, St. Monica, because she prayed her son into holiness!
I am sure St. Monica had many days when she considered disowning her son, since his wicked, sinful behavior, was a poor reflection on her. But instead, she stayed close to the Lord and trusted that he would one day answer her prayers. Just as we need to stay connected to the Vine to bear fruit, so too our children need to stay connected to us, the branches, even when we feel like cutting them off. For through our connection to the Vine they will be given life. Parents and family become the lattice. The Divine Gardener will redirect their wayward shoots, and in time, will prune them so that they may produce fruit of their own.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. John 15:3-5,9.
Spend some extra time today and throughout the 3-day weekend in prayer for families. Lord, give parents the strength to get down on their knees to pray for their children. Teach them to love their children unconditionally, as you have always loved us. Give them the fortitude and courage to persevere, especially when in their weakness and exhaustion, they feel they can’t.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet
