This month we mark the Feast of St. Monica whose life was plagued with family tensions and criticism. Monica's prayers and charity finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. The oldest and most famous of Monica's children, Augustine, was a rhetoric student living an immoral life. His mother was deeply distressed to learn he had embraced the Manichean heresy-"all flesh is evil." She fervently prayed and fasted for him until his conversion.
On Easter 387, then Bishop (now Saint) Ambrose baptized Augustine. Nearing the end of her life, Monica told Augustine, "Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled." She became ill shortly after and went home to our Lord. Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of her son, Saint Augustine.
Like St. Monica, let us remember that a commitment to prayer is our best recourse in the face of challenging, seemingly insurmountable, circumstances.
Excited to virtually see you all on Aug. 8!
