A little prayer book for Catholic Mothers

I have spoken of this little book before, but I want to focus on it for the Catholic Carnival this week.

I first received the Mothers’ Manual by A. Francis Commes, S.J. from a friend of mine right after the stillbirth of my son Raphael. This friend of mine had also lost her own precious daughter at three months of age from Trisomy 18. I am currently on my third copy of this little treasure having worn out the binding and losing pages in my previous two books.

For me at that time of my life, the prayers on pages 89 to 92 were the most important. Those were the prayers of Resignation for the mother of an infant lost at birth, prayers of petition to an infant in heaven, and prayers to a child in heaven. Those prayers were so soothing to me and I said them many times in church and at the cemetery. When visiting our son’s gravesite together, I could not say the words without weeping, and so my husband would read them. They helped us to grieve and to heal.

As I recovered from that grief I started reading other parts of the book. Father Coomes starts off with a beautiful morning prayer and prayer for a happy married life.

Lord, bless and preserve my cherished husband, whom you have given to me. Let his life be long and blessed, comfortable and holy; let me ever be a blessing and a comfort to him, a sharer in his sorrows, a onsoluation in all the accidents and trials of life. Make me forever lovable in his eyes and forever dear to him.

Then little book takes us through the seasons of a mother’s life.
Prayer waiting to conceive
Thanksgiving for conception
Thanksgiving for motherhood
For an Expectant Mother
Thoughts for an Expectant Mother
To Nurse a Child
Prayers for a Safe Delivery

even a prayer for the Mother’s Doctor! (which we changed a few times to make suitable for a midwife.)

There is another section on married life including:
Prayers for fidelity.
For One’s Husband.
For Unity of Faith
For a Growing Infant
For Protection of the Children
Thanksgiving for a Happy Family.

Later inthe book are specific prayers for specific circumstances:
For the Religious Education of One’s Child
For a Child’s Success in Studies
For a Married Child
For a Handicapped Child.
For a Widowed Mother.

The back of the book has directions for an emergency baptism and also for explaining the facts of life to your children.

I have given this book away to other grieving mothers. I have also suggested it during PreCana as a nice goodybag stuffer. It truly has blessed me and if you have a chance to pick it up for yourself or a loved one I highly recommend it.

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