Friday, October 18, 2019

St. Porphyrios on Prayer for Children

An Orthodox Family (source)
  
St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia once gave advice to a mother regarding her child:
"Your child has an internal problem, that's why he is acting this way. The child is good, he doesn't want what he is doing but he is being forced, he is bound by something. He is not corrected with logic, and you can't force him with advice, nor with threats. This will work the opposite.
  
He may get worse, he may remain as he is, or he may be changed for the better. But for him to change, his mother must be sanctified. For him to be freed, he wants a holy person to be near him, who, with much love, will teach him, not to strike fear in him, but to live with holiness, and the child that sees him will be zealous to imitate him.
  
More than anything, the child needs near him a person of much and fervent prayer. Prayer works wonders. The mother is not sufficient with her physical caress of her child, but should struggle to spiritually caress him with prayer.
  
When a mother goes to caress without prayer, the child reacts and pushes away the hand of his mother. When, however, without caressing him, she mystically does so with her prayer, then his soul senses something unexplainable, and this spiritual caress attracts him to his mother.
  
The mother in her prayer for her child must melt like a candle. She should pray silently and with her hands lifted up high to Christ, so that she might mystically embrace her child.
(source)
 
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

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