Saint Monica

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Monica. She was born in 331 to a Christian family in Africa. As a young maiden she married Patricius. They had children and among them was Saint Augustine. As a mother she poured forth many prayers for the conversion of her son Augustine. Saint Monica is called "a model of the virtuous mother." She nourished her faith by prayers and witnessed to it by her deeds. She died in 387 (Magnificat, 365-66). When I think of Saint Monica, I think about her praying for her son, Augustine, and his conversion to the faith. It reminds me that God does answer our prayers. One of the most powerful comments I have heard is being an answer to someone's prayer. We may not know it at the time but God does work in mysterious ways and He uses us to be His instruments of love, mercy, healing, compassion, etc. We are called to pray and to touch peoples lives in a special way. Let us thank God for the blessings that He bestows in our lives and may we always follow the example that the holy men and women, who have gone before, have set before us. Have a blessed day!!!