Saint Monica and Saint Augustine
Today, August 27, is the Memorial of Saint Monica. Monica is most famous for being the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo. But she was also the wife of a temperamental, licentious husband, Patricius, and the daughter-in-law of his shrewish mother. Even still, she prayed for them both while she practiced her Catholic piety and generosity to the poor, both of which her husband respected. Eventually, she converted both her husband and her mother-in-law, a testament to her faith and patience.
Augustine was raised by his pagan father and Catholic mother, but rejected both faiths. Augustine became a Manichean, a faith that rejected the goodness of material objects, so believed that the flesh was evil. As is the case with most such faiths, they either become ascetic, rejecting anything that has to do with the flesh, or bacchinalian, living a life of revelry and sexual promiscuity, because nothing you do with the flesh as eternal consequences. Augustine belonged to the latter school. Monica was terribly distressed by her son’s direction in life, and she even refused for a time to have him under her roof. A vision she had convinced her, however, that he was to return to the faith. From that time on, she remained close to him and prayed for him constantly.
Monica followed Augustine to Rome, and then to Milan. While in Milan, Augustine met and became friends with the local bishop, Saint Ambrose. Monica became friends with Ambrose, as well, and when she was torn about whether to follow the devotional practices of the Catholics in Rome, or those of her home of north Africa, Ambrose advised her, “When in Rome, do as the Romans.”
Augustine was eventually converted to the faith by Ambrose and baptized on Easter in 387, along with his son, Adeodatus, and other friends. Monica’s prayers had been answered. Monica returned to north Africa with her son, though she knew her life was near its end. She 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 now being fulfilled.” She soon became ill and died shortly after. Everything we know about Monica we know from the writings of her son, Augustine.
Many of the Catholic families I know have experienced the disheartening reality of at least one child having rejected the faith. For a devout parent, this is the hardest news to bear, nearly as bad as the death of the child, except that while they live there is always the hope of the prodigal’s return. That hope is not wasted. Prayers and fasting have an impact. God knows the heart of every woman and man, of every child, even better than a parent. Who knows how the Holy Spirit will move in the lives of an errant child?
Bartolo Longo is an extreme case, even more than Augustine. Longo was the child of devout parents. His father hoped he would become a teacher, but he elected a career in law. After the death of his mother at an early age, he became disconsolate. He rejected the faith and, by his early twenties, became entranced with Spiritualism, which was popular in eighteenth-century Italy. He eventually embraced Satanism and was even ordained a satanic priest! Longo, not surprisingly, slipped into a deep depression. A devout Catholic friend encouraged him to leave Satanism and return to the Catholic faith. Under the instruction of a Dominican priest, much like Augustine’s instruction under Bishop Ambrose, Bartolo returned to the Catholic faith. He dedicated his life to evangelizing Catholics to pray the rosary and built a school for the children of prisoners. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1980 – a former satanic priest and now among the beati in heaven! Such is God’s amazing grace!
God of mercy, comfort of those in sorrow, the tears of Saint Monica moved you to convert her son Saint Augustine to the faith of Christ. By their prayers, help us to turn from our sins and to find your loving forgiveness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. from The Book of Christian Prayer
Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.
Sources: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-monica/
Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful 