By Rion E. Margate
On August 27, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church.
It is said that what made St. Monica a saint were her tears shed for the conversation of his son Augustine, who was once a womanizer and a heretic. St. Monica’s motherhood was her path to sainthood.
As the mother of Saint Augustine—who would later become one of the greatest Doctors of the Church—her life reminds us that the journey of a parent is often marked by both suffering and hope. Monica’s motherhood was not easy. She endured a difficult marriage with a pagan husband and bore the heavy sorrow of watching her son Augustine drift into worldly pleasures and heresies. Yet, she never abandoned her mission as a mother. Her tears and prayers became the language of her love, and her unwavering trust in God gave her strength to remain patient through many years of waiting. She did not impose faith on Augustine but interceded for him unceasingly, believing that God’s grace would, in time, transform his restless heart.
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