St Monica: Model of Perseverance in Prayer

St Monica: Model of Perseverance in Prayer

The life of saints is an example for us to live a life of holiness and great commitment to God in this world. As we turn the pages of lives of saints we realize that thy have not only lived for God, but lived in God. They were people whose love for God rose to such heights as to illumine all of created reality in its true light. In everything they saw God's reflection: the least, the last and the lost in their world. Some saints had an extraordinary faith in God that they teach us how to persevere in prayer. St Monica is one of the greatest saints who is a model of persistent prayer.

Born in the year 321, Monica grew up in a family that was devoutly Christian. As a child she was baptized a Christian and was raised to be a dutiful wife. Unfortunately she was given in marriage to a bad tempered, adulterous non-Catholic official, by the name of Patricius.

As we glance through her family life Monica we are struck by the extent of the abuse she had to endure throughout her marriage. Under the laws of the time Monica’s husband could physically and emotionally abuse his wife. Compounding the problem was the fact that Patricius’ mother also lived with them and she, like her son, ridiculed his young wife. Monica had three children with this man and, of course the most famous was her oldest, the man that history now knows as Saint Augustine.

Monica was an extraordinary woman with par excellence. How did she deal with all the stress that she had in her life?-  family relations that mistreated her, children that ignored her model of conduct and faith, a culture that looked the other way when her husband abused her. These horrendous circumstances of Monica’s life could easily have made her a miserable woman, a sour daughter-in-law, and a depressed parent. None of these became true in her life; instead, she became a saint. A saint that is known for two major personal qualities: her love of Jesus Christ and her prayerful persistence in bringing her physical family into the family of God.

Monica was terribly upset to learn that Augustine had accepted the Manichean heresy and was also living an immoral life. Manichaeism strongly hold for a view that there is no all-knowing good power, so there is neither lord nor savior. Augustine alwys contradicted his mother in terms of faith and beliefs. She was so despondent that she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house and became enraged when he explained to her that his belief trumped her faith in Jesus Christ. She threw him out of the house, but later pursued him and attempted to reason with him.

Once Monica dreamt that Augustine would come to faith. She took great comfort in this fact. From that moment on she vowed to continually pray and fast for her son and to remain close to him so that she would have the opportunity to discuss her faith with him. The histories tell us that she in fact stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.

Monica followed wherever Augustine embarked.  Augustine sailed for Rome without any intimation to his mother. Monica was stunned when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she booked passage on the next boat. When she arrived in Rome, she learned that he had left to travel to the city of Milan in northern Italy where he hoped to obtain a teaching post. Monica pursued him to Milan, and it is in Milan that both mother and son came under the influence of the great saint Ambrose who was bishop of Milan.

Bishop Ambrose became Monica’s spiritual director who understood a mother’s heart for her son. He commended her persistence and directed her to keep the faith, and in humility, accept her circumstances. Monica did exactly that, and in Milan, became a leader of devout women, some of whom were also being abused by their husbands.

Ultimately, Saint Monica won the day; her abusive husband, mother in law, and her youngest son and daughter were all baptized into the faith. Augustine, too, eventually saw the logic of his mother’s faith, became a catechumen, and took religious instruction from Ambrose. In the year 387, Bishop Ambrose baptized Augustine into the Catholic faith in Milan’s cathedral.

What do we learn from St Monica?

It is very hard to love someone who is an addict of drugs, alcohol or any other evil. It immensely costs countless tears, sleepless nights, infinite prayer requests, and the sacrifice of setting aside one’s own desires for the good of the other. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Monica teaches us the importance of persevering in prayer in every situation of our life.

Monica is an icon of patience. She had to face lot of rage and irrational thought and action of her husband. In all these odd circumstances Monica remained patient hoping for a great day of consolation. It must have taken a great deal of grace and interior discipline for Monica to show this much patience towards her husband in situations of such great injustice. Certainly this came as a result of her own devotion to God and trust in a power great than herself.

Monica, from her early childhood was taught that making small sacrifices would ultimately help her achieve greater sacrifices. In every moment of her life, Monica sacrificed her will to God and in that offering she gained not only her son, but the entire family to God.

Let us turn to her and say,

Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine,

You perseveringly pursued your wayward son,

not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven.

Intercede for us in our day

so that we may learn to draw all those who are lost in this world.

Enable us to persevere in faith

Help us to be the channels of God and His love

To all those who have sadly gone astray. Amen.