Do you ever get introduced as "so and so's" wife, husband, daughter, son, or even neighbor? Once I was keeping someone's cat and had to take it to the vet while they were away. When I went to get it, I walked into a veterinarian's office and introduced myself as the cat's foster mother! A little embarrassed, I explained to the receptionist that I really do have a name.
We often think of Monnica as "the mother of St. Augustine" because she was. But Monnica was a saint in her own right for many reasons, not the least of which was that she influenced her son Augustine to turn first from his pagan, then from his heretical ways to true faith in Jesus Christ. In his most popular book Confessions, Augustine says of his mother: "In the flesh she brought me to birth in this world: in her heart she brought me to birth in your eternal life."
Monnica was born in Tagaste, Africa near Carthage in 323 A.D. Her parents were Christians but they arranged for Monnica to marry a non-Christian, Patricius. Monnica spent her life praying for the conversion of her husband and son, and fortunately lived to see both before she died in 387. Monnica gave the world a great gift, and today I hold up to us her perseverance in prayer.
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
http://www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org/
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com/
We often think of Monnica as "the mother of St. Augustine" because she was. But Monnica was a saint in her own right for many reasons, not the least of which was that she influenced her son Augustine to turn first from his pagan, then from his heretical ways to true faith in Jesus Christ. In his most popular book Confessions, Augustine says of his mother: "In the flesh she brought me to birth in this world: in her heart she brought me to birth in your eternal life."
Monnica was born in Tagaste, Africa near Carthage in 323 A.D. Her parents were Christians but they arranged for Monnica to marry a non-Christian, Patricius. Monnica spent her life praying for the conversion of her husband and son, and fortunately lived to see both before she died in 387. Monnica gave the world a great gift, and today I hold up to us her perseverance in prayer.
In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
http://www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org/
http://oursaviorhoneycreek.blogspot.com/
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