Monica, The Prayer Warrior

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters,

as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater. Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions you endure.

This is evidence of the just judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God for which you are suffering. We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Monica. Monica.  Monica was born to a Catholic family (there was only one choice back then) and was known to be pious and faithful to Christ and His Church. In spite of coming from a Catholic family, she was given in marriage to a pagan by the name of Patricius.  He was infamous for his temper and for being somewhat of a womanizer. Patricius loudly criticized Monica for her faith but on the other hand, he respected her piety. Monica for her part prayed for him as well as her three children the most famous of which was Augustine.  Drop the "e" when pronouncing his name (St. Aug us tin)  unless you are speaking about the city in Florida where, probably because it is infested with Protestants, it is known as St.  Aug us teen.   

Monica was a prayer warrior.  She prayed unceasingly for her family and her prayer paid off.  Her husband converted to the Catholic Church and her son Augustin, after a whole lot of prayer, also converted and became one of the Doctors of the Church.  Monica had her hands filled with Augustin, he had inherited the party gene from his father and liked nothing better than a good debauch.  He began to follow the teachings of a heretic and Monica demonstrated probably the first known example of tough love by throwing him out of the house.  More prayer followed and Augustin found his way back to the church and the rest of his story is history. 

Monica persevered in prayer even when things were seemingly going wrong in major ways.  She should be an example to us.  We may have children, brothers, sisters, friends, who have lost their way and have moved outside of the orbit of the Church.  For the most part, no amount of talking will bring them back until they have scratched the itch that made them leave. The cure for someone who has left the fold, therefore, is to remain in loving commune with them if you can, sometimes this is not possible, for example, if your loved one has been snared by a cult. But one thing is always proper and profitable is to lift your cause up to God in prayer.  Beg from Him that special graces be sent constantly to the one or ones who have walked away.  He will do this without question. Pray daily for them as Jesus told us to do, be persistent in prayer.  Then be patient.  The act of walking away took a long time to fester in your loved one. Coming home again will start with a single step.  Do not lecture, teach, preach, or cajole your loved one except through your example.  Accept their decision as something that they have to do and keep praying for them.  God will find a way to a heart that has built up the strongest defenses and He will use your example and your long-standing love to make the lost one find his or her home again. 

Remember the poor souls in Purgatory.  It pleases the Lord when you remember them in your prayers and it helps lessen the time they have to remain before attaining heaven. Today you pray for them, tomorrow someone will be praying for you!