St. Monica: Conquering Through Perseverance
one
St. Monica’s life was not what we often think a saint’s life should be, and nor was her son’s, Augustine. Monica’s husband Patricius was as Roman nobleman, not a Christian, focusing on worldly things. Monica was often neglected and abused and suffered the immeasurable wounds of repeated infidelities. Her pain was further complicated when her talented but mischievous son ended up living with his girlfriend, even having a son out of wedlock, and joined a strange anti-Christian sect known as the Manicheans. This is a saint’s life? I used to think that saints were born that way—born as saints—and that they didn’t’ have the problems or temptations I had. This ridiculous notion was banished when I discovered saints like Monica (which is why I have a daughter named for her!) Despite her difficulties, she never gave up on besieging God through prayer. She became a great saint because she chose forgiveness, not resentment, and perseverance, not self-pity. Lord, grant us the confidence to conquer through perseverance, like St. Monica, and may we recommit our lives according to your plan.
two
Monica had every reason to be filled with resentment, but because of her faith, hope, and love, both her husband and son eventually converted to Christianity. In Augustine’s case, he became one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church. Her faith in Christ overcame her temptations to resentment and discouragement. She knew that Christ rose again in this life to show us that we too will rise again in the next life and what does this resurrection mean but reconciliation, restoration, and new life, to include those who remain in our prayers. Monica’s prayers were granted in this life, but ours may not be. The saints show us that God will not let our prayers be ineffective when said with the persevering faith of a Monica. But He may ask us to wait until Judgment Day when the fulfillment of our prayers are revealed. Maybe some of you tried to be St. Monica for a loved one but this loved one hasn’t yet converted. If we can learn anything from God’s response to Monica it’s to NOT lose hope! God gives us witnesses in this life so that we know that He will keep his promises in the next. How can I trust even though I don’t see God answering my prayers for my loved ones? Lord I believe; help my unbelief!
three
Sts. Monica and Augustine whose feast day is tomorrow are the temporal signs of the parent and child relationship that gives us hope that there will be eternal fulfillment for the return of a child or loved one with God in heaven. Our Lady showed the children of Fatima Hell not to terrify them (or us,) but to motivate us to pray for and save poor sinners otherwise destined to go there, especially those in our own family! St. Monica understood this well. She eventually followed St. Augustine from North Africa to North Italy, Milan to be precise, to get him some help from the well-known and holy preacher, St. Ambrose. It worked, but only after 30 years of tears and anguish for her son! St. Ambrose said of her, “It cannot be that the son of so many tears should perish!” Like St. Monica, we can offer up our pains, struggles, and sacrifices along with our prayers, for the conversion for our loved ones, trusting that they will be answered, even if not in this lifetime. Am I offering daily my sacrifices, prayers, works, joys, and sufferings, including Mass intentions, for my family members, even those who seem not to need them?
four
If God doesn’t answer my prayers right away there’s a reason for it: He’s working on me. How else can I grow in patience but to experience contradictions to my will and be detached. How else can I grow in trust but to fail to see with my eyes what I hope for in my heart but trust Him anyway. St. Monica waited 30 years for her son’s conversion, even longer for her husband’s. Through her struggles and patient perseverance God wore away her own stubborn self-reliance. She had to detach from her own confidence in her self-will, her attachment to her plan done her way in her time for His plan to be fulfilled. Her willingness to pray and trust in Jesus transformed her into a great saint. Lord, I AM called to be a great saint! What expectations do I need to change in my heart so that I become more pliable in your loving hands?
five
Our Lord teaches us, “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.” (Mt 24:13.) Look how much importance He attaches to this virtue of perseverance, for He connects it with salvation. Interesting thing about this virtue—we can’t grow in it without struggle and even failure! If our life is easy, if our journey is one where we can hit cruise control and coast, why do we need to persevere? If Christ did all of the suffering so that I don’t have to, why endure till the end? We only have to persevere if we are subject to failures, tribulations, persecutions, sufferings, contradictions, temptations and sins, and the like. We persevere in our prayer and spiritual journey because Our Lord uses our failures and struggles to purify us, make us grown in dependence upon Him, and become holy, like St. Monica.