Committed to improving others (HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II (ST. MONICA - AUGUST 27, 2024)

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (ST. MONICA - AUGUST 27, 2024)

1Thess.2:1-8; Ps.139; Matthew 23:23-26

Committed to improving others

Today, we celebrate the memorial of a virtuous woman, St. Monica. She is virtuous because all her life was committed to improving others; first her husband and then her son (Augustine). At 20, she was married to Patricius, a pagan official at Tagaste (North Africa) who had a violent temper and dissolute pagan habits. He caused Monica great suffering and made it difficult for their three children to be given Christian education. Monica believed that he can be better and so she remained committed to prayer and admonitions. After 18 years of marriage, Patricus finally embraced the faith and died shortly.

Augustine, the eldest son, was a harder nut to crack. He was ensnared by the Manichaean heresy and lived an immoral life. Monica prayerfully cried and cried for the conversion of her son. It was only after 15 years of ardent prayers that her prayers bore the desired fruits. Because God does not just answer prayers but also reward perseverance, Augustine not only became a Christian but also a priest, a bishop and above all, a saint (whom we shall celebrate tomorrow).

Beloved, you cannot be empty and unhappy if you are the reason why someone gives gratitude to God. St. Augustine is noted to have confessed “If I am your child, oh my God, it is because you did give me such a mother”. If we are faithful to building authentic Christian families, we would have succeeded in giving the world to God. Instead of gossiping others do something about improving them.