27/08/2020
Memorial of SAINT MONICA,
Holy Woman
August 27
PATRONAGE
Mothers and wives especially those having difficulties with husbands, in-laws and delinquent children
LIFE
Most of what we know about St. Monica is in her son Augustine's famous work, "The Confessions". She was born in 332 in Tagaste, Numidia, Roman Empire, now part of Algeria in Africa. Although a Christian, she was married in her young age to Patricius, a pagan, respectful of her piety, but was usually hot-tempered and uncooperative. He was like his mother who lived with them but Monica was very patient with them and she always prayed for their conversion. Her prayers were answered and Patricius was baptized a year before his death.
They have three children who survived infancy and the eldest of them was Augustine. At the age of 17, soon after the death of his father, while studying in Carthage, he fell into the heresy of Manichaenism which believes that all matter is evil. He also lived an immoral life, adding much sorrow to his mother. She frequently prayed and fasted for him, drew closer to him and she was consoled by the words of a bishop: "The son for whom those many tears were shed will never be lost." At the age of 29, Augustine decided to teach rhetoric in Rome and she followed him there, as well as in Milan where they met St. Ambrose, the bishop who was very instrumental in his growth in faith. There she offered food and wine for the saints as she petitioned for her son's conversion but soon humbly gave up this practice upon the suggestion of the bishop. Her sacrifices and supplications were rewarded at last when her son was baptized in the Easter Sunday of 387, and soon decided to go back to Africa. After nine days, she died in Ostia. She told her son: "Nothing in this world gave me much delight. All my hopes in this world is already fulfilled."
REFLECTION
According to Thomas Merton, the eighth capital sin must be the sin of "HASTE". We are always impatient, we loathe waiting and we want things to be done hurriedly. This must be very true as our world improves technologically, we create machines that will produce a lot of products in a short time, we want everything to be 'instant', we want immediate information that we have shortened our attention span like what we usually do in social media. If one does not catch our attention in a click, we simply scroll down and look for another. There is no problem with the sense of urgency, it is just that it becomes a 'sin' when we avoid PROCESSES that will bring us GROWTH. St. Monica was very patient in asking for her husband and son's conversion that it seemed a lifetime for her but she never gave up. She is like the widow in the Gospel whom the unjust judge finally granted justice because of her persistence. Monica waited for God's plans to unfold and she willingly allowed herself to go through the process. Like her, when it seems that God is very silent in our prayers, when hope seems to be out of sight, may we always hold on to our FAITH that God will never abandon those who love Him and those with the desire that His will be done.
PRAYER
O God, who console the sorrowful and who mercifully accepted the motherly tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine, grant us, through the intercession of them both, that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Collect Prayer for the Memorial of St. Monica)
