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Mother of Saint Augustine of
Hippo, whose writings about her are the primary source of our information.
A Christian from birth, she was given in marriage to a bad-tempered,
adulterous pagan named Patricius. Prayed constantly for the conversion of
her husband (who converted on his death bed), and of her son (who
converted after a wild life). Spiritual student of Saint Ambrose of Milan.
Reformed alcoholic.
Born: 322 at Tagaste (Souk Ahrus), Algeria
Died: 387 at Ostia, Italy
Canonized: Pre-Congregation
Patronage
abuse victims, alcoholics, alcoholism, difficult marriages, disappointing
children, homemakers, housewives, married women, mothers, victims of
adultery, victims of unfaithfulness, victims of verbal abuse, widows,
wives
Representation: girdle; tears
Readings
Nothing is far from God.
- Saint Monica
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Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what
there is now for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this
world being now fulfilled.
- Saint Monica, about the conversion of Augustine
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The day was now approaching when my mother Monica would depart from this
life; you know that day, Lord, though we did not. She and I happened to be
standing by ourselves at a window that overlooked the garden in the
courtyard of the house. At the time we were in Ostia on the Tiber. And so
the two of us, all alone, were enjoying a very pleasant conversation,
"forgetting the past and pushing on to what is ahead.." We were asking one
another in the presence of the Truth - for you are the Truth - what it
would be like to share the eternal life enjoyed by the saints, which "eye
has not seen, nor ear heard, which has not even entered into the heart of
man." We desired with all our hearts to drink from the streams of your
heavenly fountain, the fountain of life.
That was the substance of our talk, though not the exact words. But you
know, O Lord, that in the course of our conversation that day, the world
and its pleasures lost all their attraction for us. My mother said, "Son,
as far as I am concerned, nothing in this life now gives me any pleasure.
I do not know why I am still here, since I have no further hopes in this
world. I did have one reason for wanting to live a little longer: to see
you become a Catholic Christian before I died. God has lavished his gifts
on me in that respect, for I know that you have even renounced earthly
happiness to be his servant. So what am I doing here?"
I do not really remember how I answered her. Shortly, within five days or
thereabouts, she fell sick with a fever. Then one day during the course of
her illness she became unconscious and for a while she was unaware of her
surroundings. My brother and I rushed to her side, but she regained
consciousness quickly. She looked at us as we stood there and asked in a
puzzled voice: "Where was I?"
We were overwhelmed with grief, but she held her stare steadily upon
us, and spoke further: "Here you shall bury your mother." I remained
silent as I held back my tears. However, my brother haltingly expressed
his hope that she might not die in a strange country but in her own land,
since her end would be happier there. When she heard this, her face was
filled with anxiety, and she reproached him with a glance because he had
entertained such earthly thoughts. Then she looked at me and spoke: "Look
what he is saying." Thereupon she said to both of us, "Bury my body
wherever you will; let not care of it cause you any concern. One thing
only I ask you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you
may be." Once our mother had expressed this desire as best she could, she
fell silent as the pain of her illness increased.
- from the Confessions of Saint Augustine of Hippo
source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintm04.htm
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