St Monica

"We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling." 2 Thess 1:11

Although we only know about Monica from St. Augustine's Confessions, she is a remarkable woman. Tricked by Augustine when he told her he wanted to say good by to a friend and then left for Rome, she followed him. When she couldn't find him in Rome, she pursued him to Milan, and that is where her holiness became apparent. Encouraged in North Africa to fast on Saturdays, she was able to let go of her spiritual practices in order to follow St. Ambrose's advice and adapt herself to a new environment.

Monica's willingness to change for the sake of the Gospel is a lesson for all of us. Although she was committed to Augustine's conversion, she was able to listen to St. Ambrose who assured her that Augustine's acceptance of the faith would be accomplished by God and that her role was to live in such a way that Augustine could not deny the power of God in his mother's life. Her openness to Ambrose's instruction made Augustine stop. He, too, respected Ambrose and eventually could not deny his mother's persistence and holiness.

Today, pray for someone who seems lost to you.

Has anyone's persistence and prayer been a factor in your ongoing conversion?