A Mother's Determination

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Doctor of the Church

 

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Matthew 23:27-32 ~~~ 

 

If you are a mother or have a mother, which pretty much includes everyone,

never underestimate the power of a mother's prayer.

 

Yesterday we honored Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine;

if it were not for his mother's constant prayers for her son;

Augustine might never have come into such favor with God.

 

Monica always believed that her son was wonderfully made.

Monica always believed that Augustine

would come back into the love and service of the Lord.

 

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

 

The message for us in Psalm 139 is so important

 the church gives it to us to pray for two days.

 

Finally Augustine comes to understand the ways of God.

He comes to a place on his journey

where he is given the grace to acknowledge

God's presence in his life.

Once he makes this connection there is no stopping him.

 

 

All the while back on the home front...

Monica has such a strong desire in her heart and in her prayers

 that Augustine had no chance of resisting forever.

She did her part as Paul says today...

 

...exhorting and encouraging you and insisting
that you walk in a manner worthy of the God
who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.

In those days Augustine could completely remove himself

from his mother's direct influence.

She did not have the phone, text messaging, or the internet

to reach her son. She did have her personal prayers and her faith.

 

It is a real challenge to pray for someone when you cannot see any results.

When Augustine finally opened his soul to the word of God

 he quickly made up for lost time.

He never tries to deny his inner 'wild child';

instead he moves forward with conviction

Even in his darkest moments of life God was with him.

 

For you darkness itself is not dark,
and night shines as the day.

 

The darkness of Augustine's life gives him a spiritual insight.

He can understand what it means to run away from God.

He can comprehend the desire to push God in another direction.

He can see how easy it is to take the wrong path in life.

 

Augustine writes...

" Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord,

and our heart is restless until it finds rest in thee."

 

"Too late came I to love you, O Beauty both so ancient and so new!

Too late came I to love you - and behold

you were with me all the time . . ." 

 

"...you, Lord, know everything

 about a human being because you have made him..."

 

Quotes taken from Confessions by Augustine of Hippo

 

Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

Here Jesus is telling the scribes and the Pharisees

 the way it really is with their deceitful ways and past practices.

 

Augustine fulfills the last part of the verse in becoming a saint.

His life was just the opposite of those whom Jesus was speaking to today.

For many years he was not concerned about his external appearance.

But all the while his mother prayed and God was at work

making his inside more beautiful and pleasing.

 

Both Saints Monica and Augustine were convicted

by the truth of the words of Psalm 139.

Monica knew her son was wonderfully made by God.

Augustine knew that there was no hiding from God;

even in the darkest hours.

 

Blessing in believing wherever you may go

you will find God there too.

Additional blessings in praying for your children...

it is never too late.