Tomorrow, August 28, the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Augustine. Augustine was born in northern Africa in the year 354. One thing that he is known for is his many writings; and probably his most well-known work is an autobiographical book called Confessions.
In the Confessions, we learn that Augustine’s life story was quite connected to that of his mother, Monica. It is appropriate, then, that the memorial or feast day of Monica is today, August 27, the day before the feast day of Augustine. (Since the 27th falls on a Sunday this year, the Sunday celebration takes precedence, and so the readings and prayers of today’s Mass are not from the Memorial of Saint Monica.)
Augustine wrote about the mother “who brought me to birth, both in her flesh, so that I was born into this temporal light, and in her heart, that I might be born into eternal light.” This phrase can be seen as referring to the fact that, with the help of Monica’s constant prayers and encouragement, Augustine made important changes in his life, one of which was his conversion to Christianity.
Saint Monica and Saint Augustine, pray for us!
Paul Robson SJ