Clearly, after God, it is to Monica his mother that Augustine owes everything. And he heaps upon every memory he has of her, of the great goodness of her life and example, all possible praise. It has long been a commonplace among commentators of the Confessions that the first nine books are about Augustine’s ardent search for truth, [...]
Grief is a gift, not given for its own sake, but to lead us to an ever-deeper peace. It’s often said that saints beget saints. August 27th the Church honors Saint Monica, and the 28th Saint Augustine, her son. But what we now celebrate in joy Monica first sought with tears, with sorrow that begot [...]
Not only does the example of Saint Monica illustrate the power of prayer but it reaches into the very meaning of motherhood as well. You did not choose me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16) Despite all the steps people will insist on taking to create union with God, clearing away whole lumberyards of spiritual debris [...]
Augustine’s “Confessions” is the odyssey of the soul. It is the odyssey of the human heart, as Augustine shifts from the emphasis of intellect to the primacy of love. He shows that it is not by having a strong mind that one is capable of ascent and touching; rather, it is by having a strong [...]