My dear friends,
Sometimes praying for one person to come to know Jesus is the most powerful prayer there is.
On Thursday we will celebrate the life and work of St. Monica. She is one of the lesser know saints – which is a huge shame because the example of her life and her prayers are vital to our understanding of what being a christian is all about.
She was born in Africa to a Christian family and married quite young to non-Christian family. She retained her faith and had several children. One of those children was called Augustine.
Augustine was a very intelligent child, but as he grew his morals came more from his father than his mother. He was… shall we say… wayward.
Monica watched her son and cried for him. Through those tears she prayed that her son would come to know Jesus and would leave his wayward life behind.
She didn’t just pray for a short while. She didn’t pray for him during lent or advent. She didn’t offer a novena for him. She prayed for him each and every day, several times a day every day of his life.
Shortly before she died Augustine came to her and offered himself to Jesus. He converted to Christianity on her deathbed and in that moment her prayers were answered.
Thanks to her unceasing prayer for the conversion of one man The Church was given one of its greatest thinkers, theologians and apologists. Without her love for her son and her faith in prayer we would be so much poorer.
Who are you praying for?
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Download The Sunday Message & Sundays Readings
23rd August 2020 Sunday Message.pdf
With all my love & prayers,
Fr. Matthew