Mother’s Prayers Group - entrusting our children into God’s hands 

By Felicity

Kraainem (04 September 2006).- There are moments in every parent’s life when a bit of respite is needed to remind us that in fact our children are gifts from God. We forget sometimes that the Lord has placed them in our care, and that he does not abandon us; that we must look to him for comfort and guidance. We also forget sometimes to constantly place our children in his care so that they might be guided and comforted by him as well. Mother’s prayers began in England in November 1995 to address the desire of mothers to place themselves and their children in the Lord’s hands. It is a desire to unite with other mothers and together take the time to focus on entrusting our children into God’s hands and trusting that the Lord knows what is best for them

At St. Anthony’s, our Mother’s Prayers group meets on Fridays from 10 to 10:50 am. There is Friday mass at 11 as an option for those who can attend. If you are a new mother or a grandmother or simply wish to pray for our children within a comfortable setting, please consider joining our Mothers prayer group. We meet in the room behind the kitchen, and children are welcome. It is a time for prayer and reflection in the prescence of God, but the children around are a reminder of our purpose at the meeting and the vocation that the Lord has provided for us.
Although our group is small, we are mindful that there are thousands of mothers all over the world that are joining us and supporting us in prayer, as we use our prayer booklet we all share in common.

The meetings are beneficial in many ways. During the prayer meeting, we may speak freely about matters of concern for our children, our homes, our world. We become acquainted with one another and develop strong bonds of friendship and spirit. It is not always easy to speak in public about our faith and the faith we pray our children develop. One of the prayers addresses this difficulty: 

“Lord, they live in a troubled world - a world that does not always acknowledge you, - a world that may sometimes cause them to be laughed at if they admit to belief in you.” Mothers Prayers

In communion with each other and the Lord, we find a strenght htat can help us with the conflicts in our daily lives as parents. We can speak to each other about the Lord and how he moves us and props us up when we need it the most. The prayers offer us an avenue in which to speak as one about our concerns and fears regarding our children. We gather aound a table on which is placed:

A Cross to remind us that Jesus is our Redeemer. 
A Candle to remind us that He is the Light of the World.
A Bible to remind us that He is the Living Word. (Excerpted from www.mothersprayers.org)

We also have A small Basket to place the names of the children for whom we pray, and who we place into God’s loving care. It is a physical reminder for us that we must bring our cares to him and leave our worries at the foot of the cross. Although we follow our Mothers prayers booklet, we also welcome individual prayers that individuals are moved to express. As we are mothers that support each other and others in prayer, we also offer practical support to mothers in our area who need assistance in supporting their own children. We place a basket near the entrance of the room, in order for those who wish to make an offering to do so.

We invite anyone to come join us for Mother’s Prayers. If you would like more information about mother’s prayers, please contact Felicity at felicity@celesteandclarissa.com 

▲up