St. Monica

Objective

• Its important to KEEP praying • The love of a mother

Memory Verse

• “Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:7-8)

Introduction

• St. Monica gave the church a double gift:– She gave birth to St. Augustine the great

teacher– She was God’s instrument in St. Augustine’s

spiritual birth

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About St. Monica

• She was born in 332 AD in North Africa at Tagaste near Carthage to Christian parents.

• From the day of her baptism she lived a life of obedience and love for God and His church.

About St. Monica

• She grew to be a beautiful lady, and her parents married her to a citizen of Tagaste called Patricius.

• He was a generous man– but he was pagan = not a Christian

• Monica prayed many nights and God answered her prayer and both her husband and his mom became Christians

About St. Augustine

• Monica and Patricius had 3 kids.– Two sons and a daughter

• Her oldest son: Augustine – Clever = loved to read and learn why?

• His mom and dad wanted to give him the best education

– Was very naughty• Loved pleasure= play and no work

• In 371 when Augustine was 17 years old His father Patricius died a holy death– a year after his baptism !!

• Augustine was a student at Carthage – He was studying Rhetoric and Philosophy

• Rhetoric= the art of using language as a means to persuade.

• 2 years later Augustine meet with a bad group of friends and lead a wicked life: – He went away from the church– He watched too many movies– He drank – He was successful = proud of how smart he is

• Wanted to always be 1st – even in evil– He lost his purity

• Had a son without marriage.

– And took up the Manichean heresy• A false religion by Persian Mani (215-276)

– Two gods (one for good and one for evil)

• Claimed it could give a scientific explanation of nature.

• When his mom heard of this = she cried – She even refused to let him live / eat in her

house because he wouldn’t stop talking about his wrong way of thinking.

• St. Monica kept praying with tears day and night for her son.

• She fasted, watched, and directed when she could.

• She asked Abounas and Bishops to talk to him.

• But Augustine’s heart was very stubborn• One Abouna said: “The heart of the young

man is at present too stubborn, but God’s time will come”

• And another Bishop said: “Go now, I beg you: it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish”

• Augustine = 29 years old– Wanted to go to Rome to teach rhetoric

• Monica did not want him to go, but since he was disobedient and stubborn she decided to at least go with him.

• He tricked his mom and went alone

• Monica was deeply hurt !! Her oldest son lied to her and left her alone.

• But she did not give up and went to Rome– When she got there she found out that he left

Rome and went to Milan • In Milan, God had planned for Augustine to meet

the great bishop St. Ambrose, who slowly got Augustine to see his sins.

• Finally Monica tracked Augustine down and learned from him that he was no longer a Manichean– August 386: Augustine

announced his full acceptance of the Christian faith at age 31

– Easter 387: St. Ambrose baptized Augustine

St. Monica’s final words• She said to 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 being fulfilled. All I wished to live for was that I might see you a Christian and a child of heaven. God has granted me more than this in making you despise earthly things and consecrate yourself to HIS service.”

• St. Monica died at 55 years old• St. Augustine cried over her alone and wrote: “if

any one thinks its wrong that I wept for my mother some small part of an hour – a mother who for many years had wept for me that I might live to You, O Lord – let him not ridicule me. But if his love is great, let him weep also for my sins before You.”

• St. Augustine became a great saint and a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• He wrote a book called “Confessions” where he wrote all his sins and how he found the love of Jesus Christ as his Savior.

• In this book he wrote: “ I deceived her with a lie while she was weeping and praying over me”

Confessions

Conclusion

• St. Monica is a patron saint for married women and all Christian mothers

• Let us learn from her patience – To pray with faith that no matter how long it

takes for God to respond it is always at the right time.

• God hears the voice of the faithful and His ears are open to their prayers.

Memory Verse

• “Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:7-8)

St. Monica & St. Augustine