Memorial of St. Monica, Holy Woman

August 27, 2021

A day before we celebrate the feast of an Early Church Father and one of the Church’s greatest theologians — St. Augustine of Hippo, we celebrate the feast of his mother, who had a significant role in his conversion from being a very sinful man to a Catholic bishop and theologian.

St. Monica was married to Patricius, a pagan and a man of loose morals, and they had three children, one of whom is Augustine. Her husband had a violent temper and engaged in a vicious lifestyle. Through this suffering with her husband, she learned patience, kindness, and sympathy, which she would, later on, practice with her son for several years. She was also able to obtain her husband’s conversion prior to his death.

At that time, her son Augustine started to engage in a sinful and vicious lifestyle and even had a son out of wedlock. Moreover, he became a follower of Manichaeism, a religion founded by Mani in the 3rd century, who claimed to be a prophet next to Zoroaster, Buddha, and Jesus Christ. For several years St. Monica wept over her son and patiently prayed for his conversion, until one day, Augustine was baptized into the Church, was ordained a priest, and became one of the greatest bishops the Church ever had.

Days before her death she told Augustine these words:

“Son, for myself I have no longer any pleasure in anything in this life. Now that my hopes in this world are satisfied, I do not know what more I want here or why I am here. There was indeed one thing for which I wished to tarry a little in this life, and that was that I might see you a Catholic Christian before I died. My God hath answered this more than abundantly, so that I see you now made his servant and spurning all earthly happiness. What more am I to do here?”

Today, where several mothers weep for their children who reject God and His Church and participate in the oversexualized lifestyle of this era, let us invoke the prayers of St. Monica that these mothers may have the virtues she possessed in order to obtain the conversion of their children.

COLLECT 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, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

NB: This story was originally published at www.facebook.com/dcfvanguardsoftruth