Those Tears

The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. I always liked her and she has been my inspiration in my struggle to fulfill the vision of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari that was revealed to me on that morning of one of Lent Sundays in 1991... Her example was a source of strength to me whenever I ran ashore in my hopes and drive to push my limits to achieve something and hit the wall hard... Since I read Augustine's 'Confessions' in the seminary years, she was always with me, reminding me of my Mum and Grandma, who shared the same values as St. Monica...

She was once told by a bishop whose name is not given in 'Confessions' that "the child of those tears shall never perish." This prophecy has been my strength and source of hope too, as God and my pillow know best the whole truth about those past twenty years...

Nothing is impossible to God. We have known these words of Archangel Gabriel spoken on behalf of God himself to Our Lady in Nazareth for years, but do we really believe in the message they convey to us? I doubt, if we lose heart and despair or stop pursuing our dreams once we stumble upon an obstacle... It is easy to console someone else, it is easy to help someone else to raise up and stand firm on her/his feet, yet it is so difficult sometimes to do the same with ourselves...

Today is Friday, the recollection day in the shrine in Kiabakari. I will pray in  a special way to St. Monica for all my friends who are going through hard times and cry helplessly, unable to get up and sort their lives out, asking for help, feeling hurt and abandoned... St. Monica understands them best and will not let those tears perish... I believe so strongly...

I believe in the power of a woman's tear in prayer... I have witnessed this power so many times in my life... My Mum's tears in prayer... My Grandma's tears in prayer... So many amazing women I met in my life who crushed the rock of the impossible with a silent waves of their relentless tears in prayer... Its power fortified by a strong will to achieve a noble goal and a perseverance can crush everything on its way... It is just a matter of time and determination...