27 August 2020
Memorial of Saint Monica
Is there anything more powerful than a mother who prays? Indeed, a mother’s prayers are immensely powerful, like the prayers of St. Monica for her son St. Augustine. I also notice that many moms pray for what they think will be for the best for their children. They do not always pray for what God thinks is best for their children. I value the prayers of my own mother and my mother’s prayers have shaped me in more ways than I will ever know, especially in my vocation journey to priesthood. There are times when she prays for me, however, and she merely thinks about the best for me based on her opinion instead of what God wants for me. When I was about to enter the Jesuit Novitiate, my mother was opposing my decision. At that time, I was stranded in my home country because of a visa issue. I could not go back to the US to start my Novitiate. My mom did not want to pray for me to get a visa. Instead, she prayed that I not be able to return to the US to start my Novitiate. In the end, God’s will prevailed. I obtained a visa to return to the US and I entered the Novitiate. Recently, my mom has been worried because I need to start my new mission in Rome. She thinks that the world is not safe because of the coronavirus. In her view, I should not travel to Rome. Instead of praying for me to be able to leave for Rome soon, she is praying for me to stay safe where I am now. At this moment, I am still waiting for the travel ban to the European Union to be lifted. If it is God’s will for me to serve Him in Rome, then I am sure that he will open the way for me to go to the Eternal City.