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Summary
- The 1888 Catholic Manual of Prayers has a parents’ prayer asking God to teach “when to reprove and when to forbear” and to deliver the parent “from the weakness of indulgence, and the excess of severity.”
- The 1928 Book of Common Prayer’s Confirmation blessing, “Defend, O Lord, this thy Child with thy heavenly grace,” and the Manual‘s prayer before study are quoted in full.
- Short prayers cover identity, friends, exams, learning to drive, phones and the internet, purity, peer pressure, a first job, a faith of his own, his future and a son who has stopped talking.
- Luke 2:41–52, the only Gospel story of Jesus’ youth, records Mary’s words, “thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing,” and that Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature.”
- Pius XI confirmed St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568–1591) as heavenly patron of all Christian youth in 1926.
- A son who talks of self-harm, turns violent or uses drugs needs help as well as prayer: 988 in the US, Samaritans (116 123) in the UK and Ireland, and 8 800 2000 122 in Russia.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (1611), text of Project Gutenberg eBook no. 10 (Joshua 1:9; 1 Samuel 3:10; Psalm 119:9; Proverbs 4:23; 27:17; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Daniel 1:17; Luke 2:41–52; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:21; 1 Timothy 4:12). https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10
- A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity, prepared and published by order of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. New York: Catholic Publication Society, 1888. “A Prayer before Study or Instructions,” pp. 171–172; “Prayers of Parents, for themselves and for their Children,” pp. 172–173; calendar, June 21. https://archive.org/details/AManualOfPrayers1888
- The Book of Common Prayer (Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S.A.), Standard Book of 1928. Confirmation, p. 297; The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth, p. 307. PDF facsimile: https://www.artisticdailyprayers.org/uploads/3/0/1/6/30164961/bcp1928std.pdf
- O’Conor, John Francis Xavier. “St. Aloysius Gonzaga.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01331c.htm
- Pius XI. Singulare illud, apostolic letter, 13 June 1926. https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/la/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-xi_apl_19260613_singulare-illud.html
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. “Help Someone Else.” https://988lifeline.org/help-someone-else/
- Samaritans. “Contact a Samaritan.” https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
- Fund for Support of Children in Difficult Life Situations (Фонд поддержки детей, находящихся в трудной жизненной ситуации). Helpline for children, teenagers and parents, 8 800 2000 122. https://fond-detyam.ru/
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