St. Monica is known for being St. Augustine’s mother and the chief source of his faith conversion. As a mother of two boys, I understand Monica’s anguish over her son’s wayward beliefs and her pain at watching him fall in with the wrong crowd. Being a mom is the hardest job I have had! And while I am sure she is proud of the man her son became and the wealth of contributions he made to Christianity; she also has reason to be proud of her own contributions to the faith.
She was a leader of the Christian community wherever she went and sought the best spiritual advisors she could find to help develop her own faith. She is a wonderful example of lifelong faith formation and of how important it is to continue to pursue your faith journey throughout your entire life. Her faith was central to her life, and she lived it out every hour of every day.
She also used her knowledge of the faith to bring others to Christ. A consummate evangelizer, she worked with women and their families to spread the Good News and convert so many people as she traveled. She used the gifts she was given to do what she could to help bring the joy of faith to others. She believed in the power of the domestic church long before Pope St. Paul VI started using the phrase.
Most importantly, St. Monica understood where her role ended, and the Holy Spirit’s began. She recognized that she could only introduce people to the faith. Once they heard the Good News, it was then the job of the Holy Spirit to cause a true conversion. Her best and most effective tool for evangelization was not the words she spoke to others; it was the prayers she spoke to the Lord.
Her intercession as a mother and sister were powerful enough to covert so many faithful during her time on earth and her intercession in her new life continues to bring light into the darkness. She is a powerful witness to the role that we can all play as we work behind the scenes to accompany people on their faith journeys.
St. Monica, pray for us!
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