So, I entered parenthood, feeling fairly confident in the common sense arena, though nervous in the day-to-day things a new parent has to learn how to do (cleaning a healing belly button, how to soothe colic, etc.). After many years of being a parent now, everything is under fire and questioned and "wrong" according to the world.
Being able to stand against the world pushing things on our kids that go against the teachings of us parents would be very doable, except for the world is simultaneously teaching our children that their parents are not to be listened to or trusted. Who in the world cares more for children than their own parents??? Who in the world will have children's best interests at heart??? Who will protect them and nurture them without ulterior motive and without any kind of gain, other than their parents??? (Yes, tragically, there are exceptions to this, because there are parents out there that do not care for their children, but I hope that this is the exception rather than the rule, and hopefully, these children do have other trustworthy loving people in their lives that do care for them.)
Every day I send my kids out, I pray for them. I pray for them throughout the day, I pray for them at night, I make the sign of the Cross over them when they leave the house, and at night when it's bedtime. I ask God to bless their comings and goings. Prior generations of parents took for granted that their children would be safe when sent to school for the day; parents today have no such luxury. Our children are not even safe at school. I almost feel a sense of dread when they leave the house, because it seems the world wants to chew my kids to bits and spit them out again, destroying them, taking away all that is good and pure and lovely in them. This breaks my heart in ways I cannot even express adequately in words.
There are many Orthodox Christian prayers for children, but I came across these short prayers over the years that seem really relevant, especially as children get older and are finding their own way as they approach adulthood. Perhaps they will help someone else out there.
May our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ and His most holy Mother bless, save, protect, and help our children, and preserve them unspotted from the world!
And may our tears and prayers of us parents--as the tears and prayers of St. Monica accomplished--reach God's ears, and help our children.
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“Lord Jesus Christ, give
Your light to my children. I entrust
them to You. You gave them to me, but I
am weak and unable to guide them, so, please, illuminate them.” – St. Porphyrios the Kapsokalivite (…1991)
“My Lord, my children won’t
listen to me. I can’t do anything to
help them. Please, take care of them.” – St. Paisios of Mount Athos (…1994)
“Lord, look upon my
children even when they do not remember Thee.” –
Sister Magdalen from the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, England
“O Lord God, only Thou
knowest this, Thy child…his heart, his needs, his future. Help me not to make a mistake in my dealings
with him today.” – Sister Magdalen
from the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, England
