The
words of the psalm refrains have really been calling out to me in recent
days. Perhaps it is because I am paying
more attention to them. “Blessed are those who fear the Lord.” I
don’t think we appreciate the way the Jewish people would have perceived
fear. It was not as much being afraid of
punishment or retribution from God, but rather having a healthy respect for him
and standing in his presence with awe and wonder.
St Monica
certainly respected God, so much so that she prayed unceasingly that her son
Augustine truly would accept the faith. We
celebrate St Monica’s feast day today.
We celebrate the feast day of her son St Augustine tomorrow. Perhaps
it is through learning about Monica and her journey that we are able to
appreciate St Augustine all the more. In
seminary, it seems like St Augustine and Thomas Aquinas are the two
philosophers and theologians that stand out amongst all the rest. Many
mothers can relate to Monica in that they pray that their children return to
the faith that they hold dear. Let
our prayers join with Monica’s today in praying for all those who have strayed
from the Church to hear her beckoning them back. May
Monica’s devotion and faith, both to the Church and to her children, be a
witness to us all.
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