There is a holy relic of St. Monica at my parish. I know she hears the pleas of many, begging for her intercession in the conversion of their loved ones who have left the Faith or who have never known Christ. She is a powerful intercessor because she spent long years praying, sacrificing, and suffering for the conversion of her son St. Augustine and her husband Patricius. Like many others, I have knelt before her holy relic, imploring her aid for the conversion of souls.
St. Monica’s life is a tremendous example of perseverance, faith, and hope. She was born in Tagaste in 331 A.D., which is known today as Souk Ahras, Algeria, and is believed to be of Berber origin. At a very young age, she married Patricius who was a Roman pagan and official in Tagaste. She lived with her husband, his mother, and their three children.
Patricius was known to have a violent temper. St. Monica suffered at the hands of both her husband and mother-in-law, as well as from the waywardness of her children. Her husband did not understand her Catholic faith, and he was ill-tempered towards her prayers and alms. Yet, in what could have easily been a source of bitterness, Monica persisted in her faith despite his treatment of her.
St. Monica was greatly devoted to fervent prayer and spiritual sacrifices for the conversion of her husband, mother-in-law, and son, Augustine. One bishop responded to St. Monica’s tears: “The child of those tears shall never perish.” The same is true for those of us who shed tears for our lost loved ones.
St. Augustine’s description of his mother’s prayers, sacrifices, and almsgiving is an example to us:
In place of a basket filled with fruits of the earth, she had learned to bring to the oratories of the martyrs a heart full of purer petitions, and to give all that she could to the poor—so that the communion of the Lord’s body might be rightly celebrated in those places where, after the example of his passion, the martyrs had been sacrificed and crowned. (Confessions, 6.2.2)
We must bring our “pure petitions” before the Lord on behalf of our lost loved ones. We must be willing to persevere for as long as it takes, while trusting in the Lord’s plan and timing.
While St. Monica’s fervent prayers and sacrifices paved the way at the spiritual level for the conversion of St. Augustine, it was the intervention and guidance of another who would ultimately lead to his conversion. St. Monica had to relinquish control and trust God’s providence in the life of her son. She remained open to whatever His plan was for her son’s life.
It was St. Ambrose who helped St. Augustine come into the Catholic Church and who was the answer to St. Monica’s prayers. Oftentimes, we are incapable of reaching those we love, so as I heard from a wise woman, “we have to pray for the St. Ambroses” to come into the lives of our loved ones. When things seem darkest, we must trust that the Lord will provide the spiritual guides our loved ones need to find Christ and His Church through our prayers and sacrifices.
Through the dedication and perseverance of St. Monica, St. Augustine, Patricius, and his mother all came to the Faith. Monica’s husband converted a year before his death. After spending six months together at Rus Cassiciacum (Cassago Brianza), Augustine was baptized into the Church at St. John the Baptist in Milan. Eventually, St. Augustine and St. Monica tried to return to Africa, but Monica died a short while later in 387 A.D. She was buried at Ostia but now rests at the Augustinian Basilica of Sant’ Agostino in Rome. A fragment from her epitaph reads:
Here the most virtuous mother of a young man set her ashes, a second light to your merits, Augustine. As a priest, serving the heavenly laws of peace, you taught the people entrusted to you with your character. A glory greater than the praise of your accomplishments crowns you both—Mother of the Virtues, more fortunate because of her offspring.
St. Augustine eventually came to hold his mother’s prayers and sacrifices on his behalf in highest regard. He knew it was her unfailing love and dedication that allowed the Lord to open his heart to the truth of the Gospel.
It can be difficult in an age when so many fall away from the Faith and choose lifestyles diametrically opposed to the Gospel to trust that our prayers are doing any good. St. Monica prayed for 17 years, and the Lord answered her in abundance. Her family was converted, and her son is a Doctor of the Church. By His grace, we must persevere in never losing hope that He will one day answer our prayers in ways we never expected. He is not done with any of our loved ones yet.
For those who are shedding tears for lost souls, turn to St. Monica as a guide and friend to keep you firmly in the hope of Christ.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
