The Power Of The Praying Parent - 1595 Words

Justine Clarke | April 10, 2017 The Power of the Praying Parent Saint Augustine’s Praise Song to His Mother Choose you this day whom ye will serve;... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. - Josh 24:2, Around the year 354 in Tagaste, arose a child who fulfilled the prophecy in his name’s meaning and grew to become â€Å"great, and venerable†. The child, later regarded by theologists as the â€Å"Doctor of the Church† was Saint Augustine of Hippo. In his book, â€Å"The Confessions,† Saint Augustine recounts his spiritual journey to becoming a devout Christian. The purpose of his narrative is to convey that throughout his challenging journey, one specific spiritual figure remained a constant, his mother Saint Monica of Hippo. Although†¦show more content†¦(Augustine, Confess. 1.2) During his spiritual journey, Augustine’s path to enlightenment is hindered by sinful obstacles when he seeks for â€Å"pleasures, sublimities... and [falls] headlong into sorrows, confusions, errors.† (Confess. 1.31) He realizes that because of the weak and sinful nature of man, humans can not hope to find salvation without God s assistance and â€Å"faithful mercy†. (Augustine, Confess. 3.5) Augustine views his prayerful mother as this assistance. Monica prays in order to prevent harm from coming to Augustine while ignorant to the truth of salvation. Her pious and gentle ways guide Augustine away from his secular lifestyle with â€Å"wrong notions of God† and towards a lifestyle more pleasing to God. It is Monica’s fervent prayers, that leads Augustine to salvation and later fuels his dedication to the church. Moreover, in the process of interceding, Monica lets an important opportunity to save and and baptized Augustine slip away. He falls ill at a young age, and begs to be baptised, in case the illness became worse. Monica denies him because she â€Å"foresees; that the defilements of sin would, after that washing, bring...more perilous guilt.† (Augustine, Confess. 1.17) Although this is the only time Monica lets the opportunity slip away, Augustine laments over her decision to â€Å"let him alone, and let him do as he will†Show MoreRelatedReflection Paper on Parenting Principles1712 Words   |  7 PagesArts in Education Dr. Teody M. Pajaron Dr. Evelyn R. Pajaron ES621: Parenting, Schools and Achievement International Graduate School of Leadership Quezon City, Philippines Submitted June 30, 2012 â€Å"What makes an effective parent?† â€Å"How can one be effective in his or her parenting?† Answers to these questions are very much needed by a father or a mother who truly loves his or her children and has deep concern for them. These are simple questions which may be answered rightRead MoreDaniel And The Lion s Den933 Words   |  4 Pagesclass. Through reading Daniel chapter 6 the reputation that Daniel had for serving the God leaped off the pages. Daniel’s adversaries knew what kind of character Daniel had. They also realized he was a man who placed God’s Law above all other powers. They knew Daniel dedicated himself to pray God and no matter what and that he would not discontinue his commitment. Daniel was committed. He was the marathon runner who does a 12 miler in the sleet. Daniel was the season ticket holder that hasRead MorePsychology, Theology, And Spirituality Essay1665 Words   |  7 Pagesthat counselors should stay away from including spirituality in counseling. (McMinn, 2011 p.77) McMinn states that there are seven different types of prayer Christian counselors can implement while counseling clients. McMinn (2011) concludes that praying silently or outside counseling sessions is not harmful to the client. He moves on to his second concept which is using the Scripture in counseling clients. Although the use of scripture is controversial among some people, McMinn (2011) stresses thatRead MoreSeven Keys And Effective Prayer1014 Words   |  5 Pagesindigenous shamans have taught that we need to pray the results and not the problem. They exhorted people to focus on the outcome as if it is already a reality: to pray healing instead of praying for healing; to pray rain instead of praying for rain. Praying for something reinforces our perceived lack; praying the desired outcome visualizes it from a place of inner faith as if it is already there. Our abundant universe always contains sufficient peace, health and happiness in some form. EffectiveRead MoreBuilding Faith Community From Day One924 Words   |  4 Pagesfaith. Our relationship with Mary and Jesus is strengthened through praying the rosary and graces are earned as well. The rosary is a †popular piety† that is â€Å"vital element in a Catholic life.† (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005, p. 152) Rosary Devotion In setting the tone for the year, the rosary will symbolize the school’s mission to service through the making of rosaries, the mission of love through the praying and emerging students in xxx, and the faith community connectionsRead MoreMy Prayer Time With God1224 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieving in Mary, Jesus mother. Until, my parents sent me to a Christian school which wasn’t something I agree with. I would always ask myself why did my parents send me to a Christian school instead of a Catholic school. But over the years I was interested in knowing more about the bible and God. I finally decided to be saved back in 2009 when I finally understood the meaning of living for eternity in heaven. Although, I’ve always had problems with praying because I was afraid of not saying the rightRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Left Of Tell By Immaculee Ilibagiza Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesof Rwanda, located in Central Africa. She was brought up with in a middle-cl ass home which consisted of her three siblings, all male, and both her parents. In their household, education and religion where two values of great importance. Ilibagiza’s parents were both educators, and brought up their children a strong catholic faith, and belief in the power of God, and compassion for others. During her childhood, she never experienced racism because of her ethnic group, she always felt safe, and as thoughRead MoreHistory And Traditions Of Ancient Egypt886 Words   |  4 PagesBeauty, a common-man is travelling to his lover but encounters Mehy, a well-known and fearsome warrior. Mehy is representative of ancient Egyptian traditions and obligations and so, upon his encounter, the lover attempts to avoid the warrior. The power and influence that Mehy retains, as illustrated by him being â€Å"in his chariot,† causes the boy to want to hide his wanton desires. This reflects the social stigma attached to being in love in ancient Egyptian society. Whi le in self-conflict, he considersRead MorePrayer In Schools Has Been A Much Talked About Debate In1434 Words   |  6 Pagesis and has always been legal, try to keep the balance between church-state separation as it is. This has kept the political issue of religion at a boil and confused many people on the actual issue of coercive school prayer. The banning of school praying is a major assurance of individual freedom and must be cultivated. The United States has long been divided on the issue of prayer in school. From the very beginning our Founding Fathers wanted to keep religion out of governmental affairs andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Women And Alcohol A Highland Maya Town 1748 Words   |  7 PagesHowever, some men oppose this switching role as they think true men do not depend on their women for food. Though the Pedranos men respect their wives, women are still be placed in an inferior position compared to that of their husbands. Men, with their power and authority, are the ones to make most decisions in the family. Though â€Å"romantic love is not a part of Pedranos marriages† (75), the elderly teach their sons and daughters how to become good partners, maintaining happiness in their marriage life