“Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” St. Monica 

These words reflect the inner desires of a person who has seen the one thing she prayed for the most answered. She wanted her son, Augustine, to finally be baptized and commit his life and energy to serving God.  Once her son took that step, there was nothing left for her to do here on earth. Shouldn’t this be the most important desire of any Christian parent? For when, a parent dies and goes before the Lord, I believe God will ask this one of several questions. “Where are your children in relationship to me because of you? Are they closer to me because of you or farther away because of you?” A child is a gift from God to be returned to God as a saint. That should be the prayer of every parent.