St Monica, the saint we celebrate, demonstrates for us the importance of prayer. Born in a Christian family in North Africa in 332, her life as a Christian became more complicated when she married Patricius, a pagan who disliked Christianity. Patricius had a violent temper and he was not tolerant of Monica’s faith. He refused to have their children baptized. She taught them about her faith by her example. Through her patience and strength, Patricius became more tolerant of his wife’s Christian faith. Her husband was baptized in 370, one year before his death. Her other two children embraced the faith as well, but her son Augustin lived a more worldly life. She never gave up praying for him. He was converted to Christianity, being baptized in Milan in 387. Soon after her son’s conversion, Monica died on August 27, 387. She is patron saint of married women, mothers whose children have strayed from the faith, and victims of domestic violence.
In the Gospel today, a continuation of yesterday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus continue to call out the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Monica and many of the saints give us good example of being constant in our faith, in persevering in our prayers, and in trying to live out the values of the Gospel in both big matters and small matters. We unite our prayers with St Monica today.
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