Saint Monica

Order of Saint Augustine ^ | 2000 | John Rotelle,Book of Augustinian Saints

[Lady In Blue]

From the Confessions of Saint Augustine, bishop

Let us gain eternal wisdom

The day was now approaching when my mother Monica would depart from this life; you knew that day,Lord,though we did not. She and I happened to be standing byourselves at a window that overlooked the garden in the courtyard of the house. At the time we were in Ostia on the Tiber. We had gone there after a long and wearisome journey to get away from the noisy crowd, and to rest and prepare for our sea voyage. I believe that you, Lord, caused all this to happen in your own mysterious ways. And so the two of us, all alone, were enjoying a very pleasant conversation,for getting the past and pushing on the what is ahead. We were asking one another in the presence of the Truth-for you are the Truth-What it would be like to share the eternal life enjoyed by the saints, which eye has not seen,nor ear heard, which has not even entered into the heart of man. We desired with all our hearts to drink from the streams of your heavenly fountain, the fountain of life.

That was the substnace of our talk, though not the exact words. But you know, O Lord, that in the course of our conversation that day, the world and its pleasures lost all their attraction for us. My mother said: "Son, as far as I am concerned, nothin in this life now gives me any pleasure. I do not know why I am still here, since I have no further hopes in this world. I did have one reason for wanting to live a little longer: to see you become a Catholic Christian before I died. God has lavished his gifts on me in that respect, for I know that you have even renounced earthly happiness to be his servant. So what am I doing here?"

I do not remember how I answered her. Shortly, within five days or thereabouts, she fell sick with a fever. Then one day during the course of her illness she became unconscious and for a while she was unaware of her surroundings.My brother and I rushed to her side but she regained conscousness quickly. She looked at us as we stood there and asked in a puzzled voice: "Where was I?"

We were overwhelmed with grief, but she held her gase steadily upon us and spoke further:"Here you shall bury your mother." I remained silent as I held back my tears.However, my brother haltingly expressed his hope that she might not die in a strange country but in her own land, since her end would be happier there. When she heard this, her face was filled with anxiety, and she reproached him with a glance because he had entertained such earthly thoughts. Then she looked at me and spoke:"Look what he is saying."Thereupon she said to both of us:"Bury my body wherever you will;let not care of it cause you any concern. One thing only I ask you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be." Once our mother had expressed this desire as best she could, she fell silent as the pain of her illness increased.

Liturgy of the Hours-August 27.

Saint Monica, Patron Saint of mothers and widows, pray for us.

[Lady In Blue]

ping.

[NYer]

nica did not plead for a miracle; she prayed and sacrificed for the conversion of her son.

Another saint for our days!! Lady In Blue, you are on a roll! That's two for two.

I pray to St. Monica constantly, to watch over my teenage daughter, who, like many others, shuns anything to do with the church and religion. Deep in my heart, I know that she will be okay. I began bringing her to mass the week she was born. She's been through catholic school and will make her confirmation next Spring. I draw on the patience of St. Monica to keep me going through this phase of her life.

[JMJ333]

Thank you. Lovely post as always. Thank you for all you do. =)

[Lady In Blue]

Thank you,NYer.Bless your heart,your daughter,not wanting to go to Church must be so heartbreaking for you.Does she still go to mass with you,even though she doesn't want to? I know when I was about her age,I stopped going to Church for about 13 years! But I came back.Take heart, the fruit does not fall far from the tree!

[JMJ333]

She is a powerful advocate for conversions. I will pray for your daughter also! God Bless you!

[big'ol_freeper]

St. Monica is one of my favorite saints because of her example of perserverance and trust.

[NYer]

I will pray for your daughter also! God Bless you!

Thank you both for your prayers. My daughter is adopted. She is the answer to a prayer that lasted 20 years. Recognizing that, she is named for Christ and St. Francis of Assisi (the prayer to Christ was answered in the Porziuncola of St. Francis).

As a young child, she would ALWAYS stop at the statue of Mary, just outside our parish church, and look up at her. It was as if they were having a conversation. She would bring Mary flowers from her garden or a rock she found along the way. In 2nd grade, the class prepared for First Holy Communion; she was so impatient. One Sunday morning, I found her in the kitchen with a slice of bread on the cutting board. She cut out small circles and made a cross on each. She then packed these into her pocket book to take to church. When we went up for communion, she would retrieve the homemade "hosts" and take one in church.

Please pray for her godfather, as well. He was raised and educated in the catholic faith, attended Francis Xavier Academy for Boys (run by the Jesuits) and is also a lost soul. He hasn't been to mass in years but my daughter thinks the world of him and he has agreed to be her sponsor.

I am keeping St. Monica quite busy right now! LOL.

[Wrigley]

I almost fell out of my chair. I thought this was about Monica Lewinsky.

[JMJ333]

I will pray for him to. St. Monica truly is an inspiration because she was persistant for so many many years before her husbands conversion. I need some of her patience!

[Lady In Blue]

You're welcome,JMJ333.My pleasure.

[Lady In Blue]

She's definitely a very great saint!

[Lady In Blue]

I prayed for your child this afternoon and I'll keep her in my prayers.Does she like to read about the Faith,at all?

There's a great new book that Tan Books just put out.

I've just started reading it this week.It's very readable and understandable without being dry.It's a great refresher book.We all need to be refreshed about the Faith from time to time.

Now it's my time to ask your prayers - for my brother.I just mailed him a copy of this book this week.I'm hoping and praying that he'll read it.You know how guys are generally about reading books on religion,but like I said,I'm hoping and praying that he'll read it.It's also a great book for folks who are interested in the Catholic Church and who respects it enough to ask questions about it.

[Salvation]

She had previously told Augustine and his brother Navigius: "Lay this body anywhere, and take no trouble over it. One thing only do I ask of you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be." Such consummate trust in God's providence was a characteristic virtue of this great fourth century lady. St. Monica's remains are venerated in the church of St. Augustine, Rome, Italy.

Very wise words from St. Monica.

Once again, Lady in Blue, you have done a splendid job! Thanks and God bless!

[Salvation]

And I love that first picture with all the mothers and children and St. Monica.

[Salvation]

i think out priest said that she prayed for her husband's conversion for 27 years also.

[Lady In Blue]

She was a woman of great faith and perservance,that's for sure.She didn't care about where her body was placed,just that St.Augustine remember her at the altar of God!Beautiful! I've thought about the last part of that statement this afternoon.

[Lady In Blue]

I've always heard that she prayed for him 30 years,but this morning at mass,the priest said that she had prayed for him for 20 years.

[nickcarraway]

Thanks for the great post. Think of St. Monica, and all the years she prayed. Think of how great her faith and patience must have been. She prayed for years, when it seemed her prayers weren't being answered. But, eventually, she got more than she asked for.

[Lady In Blue]

You're welcome. She's such an inspiration! When we get discouraged when we pray for somebody,just think of how long she prayed and how in the end God answered her prayers.