PATRON SAINT OF MOTHERS

WITNESS

6-7-13

A MOTHER AND HER LOST CHILD

Do you know the story

Of Monica---and her lost child---Augustine

A Mother

With a lost grown-up child

Any mother---or any parent

For that matter

Knows the pain

Of having a child

Who has made some wrong decisions

And are on the road to destruction

They are unable to help themselves

And you their Mother ---their parent

Are unable to help them either

This is the story of two such people---Monica and Augustine

Monica was married to a pagan man

Or a nominal Christian at best

Her mother-in-law lived with them

And created further difficulties for her

Monica was the mother

Of 3 children

But it was her son, Augustine

Who brought her dismay

And ultimately great glory

Augustine was

Brought up a Christian by his mother

But was never baptized

Augustine completely turned away from God

And renounced the Christian faith

He became a notorious womanizer

And partier

He lived with a mistress

For 15 years

And even had a son

Monica was angry at him at first

Refused to even let him in to her house

But after awhile

Turned to God

With patience and prayer

For his conversion

She decided

To never ever give up on her child

I plead with you

As a mother

As a parent

To never ever give up

On your child

No matter

How much pain and suffering

They may be causing you

Augustine eventually

Returned to God

Became baptized

And went on to become

A Saint, and one of the great writers and thinkers

Of his time

And a Doctor of the church

ALL because

He had a mother---he had a parent

That refused

To give up on him

Saint Monica is seen

As the mother of ALL CHRISTIAN mothers

At her last illness, and death, she said,

“Nothing in this world

Now gives me pleasure

I so not know what there is left

For me to do

Or why I am still here

All my HOPES

In this world are now fulfilled”

Monica died a fulfilled mother---a fulfilled parent

I plead with you

To never ever give up on your child

To help them

With your patience and your prayers

AND TURN THEM OVER TO GOD

Robert P. Wallman

8-11-11

AUGUST 27^th is the feast day of Saint Monica

August 28^th-the feast day of Saint Augustine

Ps        WITNESS        6-7-13