Life of Saints - St. Monica
Although Monica was a Christian, she was given in marriage by her parents to a pagan official in North Africa, who was much older than she. He was a good and generous person to the society while being a violent tempered husband at home. He was constantly angry with her because of her charity and piety. Monica’s mother-in-law who lived with them, equally a difficult person, made the life of Monica a more challenging one.
She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua who survived infancy. The two daughters, inspired by their mother, entered the religious life while her son Augustine brought her additional troubles. Although, through her prayers, Monica was able to win her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity just one year before the death of her husband, her son who accepted the Manichean heresy (all flesh is evil), was living an immoral life. Monica, who did not give up on her son, followed him wherever he went and continued to pray for his conversion. After 17 years of continuous prayer and a few months before her death, Monica was not only able to win her son back to the Christian faith but her prayers and faith were strong enough to make him a bishop and pillar of the Church on whose teachings the Church is still being guided.
The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. She was another saint who proved by her life that anything could be achieved through prayers in faith to God who is always ready to help us handle our problems.
The Church who appointed St. Monica as a model for wives and abuse victims, celebrates her feast on August 27.
Prayer for Mothers
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Hail Mary
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