"It is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost."

Saint Monica

"Thou in me, O Lord."

Saint Monica was 22 years old when she was given in marriage by her parents to Patricius a citizen of Tagaste.  Patricius was a pagan.  Monica knew that she would have to be strong for both of them.  She would have to strive and suffer to bring her husband's soul out of darkness into the light of truth.  Patricius's mother was bitterly jealous of Monica who had stolen her son's affections and she disliked her.  Monica liked to help the poor and always was kind to them.  She would spend hours in church praying with her eyes fixed on the altar.  St. Monica's greatest biographer says of her "she spoke little, preached not at all, loved much and prayed unceasingly".

Saint Monica bid the wives of her time who had difficult marriages to be patient, and love and pray and meet harshness with gentleness, and abuse with silence.  Brought up in peace and piety of a Christian family, Monica knew nothing of paganism. Now she had plenty of time to study the effects of unchecked selfishness and uncontrolled passions; to see how low human nature unrestrained by faith and love, could fall. "Thou in me O Lord," was the prayer she would make as she drew strength and courage at the Lord's feet.  Monica gave birth to three children.  Augustine, Navigius and Pepetua.  Navigius was delicate in health and was of a gentle and pious nature.  Both he and his sister pepetua married.  Pepetua's husband died and she entered a monastery.  Augustine who was the son of her sorrow and of her prayers was destined to be her glory and her joy.

Monica's son Augustine was a wayward son.  He had rejected the grace of God and turned to the pleasures of life.  Monica could no longer get through to him for he wandered in dark paths.  Her heart sank as she thought of graces wasted, of conscience trampled underfoot, of light rejected.  There was no hope anywhere but with God.  In him she would trust, and in Him alone.  He was infinite in mercy and strong to save. He had promised that he would never fail those who put their trust in Him.  Honour, success and friendship were all Augustine's and yet he was not content. There was something in his soul that none of these things could satisfy.  He continued to search for truth, eventually he found it in the Catholic Church.  In the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, the stains of the past were washed away forever in those cleansing waters, and at the Mass at daybreak on that blessed morning Augustine knelt at the altar to receive the Lord.  Monica was beside him; her tears and her prayers had been answered.  She and her son were one again in heart and soul.

How many mothers are in a similar situation to Saint Monica? How many young people have turned away from their faith and like Saint Augustine have wandered in dark paths? Lots of mothers have sleepless nights and cry rivers of tears silently for their children, just as Saint Monica did.

    

What can Saint Monica teach us today?

Monica was a woman of strong faith and she knew the importance of bringing her family to God by her loving example.

  

She placed all her hope and trust in God alone.

  

She suffered in silence for the love of God.

Monica gave great example of turning the other cheek, especially when treated badly by family  members.

She was kind and gentle and loved the poor.  She treated everyone with God's compassion  and love.

She did not crush the broken reed or blow out the smouldering wick, instead she encouraged with acts of love and she led by a holy example and not words.

Perhaps her most striking example was her constant reliance on God in each and every moment through her prayers.  Monica knew that with God, all things were possible and she persevered to the end.  Though it took years, God heard and answered her prayers in His time. Monica died a happy woman. 

May we take heart and courage from her life of grace and prayer.

Prayer to Saint Monica

Saint Monica, your devotion as a mother and wife

and your commitment to your family, especially

in your prayer for them, sets a powerful and timely example

for us all.  Please pray to the Blessed Trinity for me,

my family and all I hold dear so that we will be open to the

graces that Our Lord in His great mercy wants to shed upon us.

Help mothers and wives everywhere to know that Our Lord 
never turns his ear away from a mother's faithful prayers for her family.

Saint Monica, pray for us and for all who invoke your aid.

If it is in God's Holy will, please grant me

(Mention your request here).

Amen.

Our Lady of Tears, pray for mothers, children and young people.

Saint Monica, pray for mothers, children and young people.