The Standard October 4, 2025
“And Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.’” Luke 18: 1-7
Monica, the mother of Augustine of Hippo, serves as an ideal model of persistent prayer. Born in North Africa around 333, she was raised in a devout Christian home. Through an arranged married she became the wife of Patricius, a much older pagan Roman official who was raised by a difficult mother and who often displayed a violent temper. He disliked his wife praying so much and he refused to allow their three children to be baptized. Trusting God’s providence, Monica was a fine wife and prayed for the faith of her family. A year before his death, both Patricius and his mother believed and were baptized.
Their son, Augustine, was incredibly bright but turned away from the Bible at a young age. For about nine years, starting in late adolescence, he embraced Manichaeism. This is a blend of religions which teaches a cosmic dualism, or a struggle between two eternal, opposing forces- the good world of light v. the evil world of darkness. In this view, the soul can be liberated from the material world through spiritual knowledge and asceticism.
Augustine’s biggest fault was lust for women and he acted on this temptation. Through it all, Monica never stopped praying for Augustine and believing in the faithfulness of God. She followed this son several times when he moved. Finally, living in Milan, Augustine became intrigued by the remarkable sermons of Bishop Ambrose, which strongly promoted Nicene Christianity.
After years of wrestling with his beliefs and a life of carnal pleasure, Augustine was converted to faith in Christ. At the age of 32, was baptized by Ambrose on Easter 387, along with his son Adeodatus.
In Confessions, Augustine describes a time in Rome before conversion when he almost died. Contemplated what that would have done to his mother he writes, “For I cannot express the affection she bore to me and with how much more vehement anguish she was now in labor for me in the spirit than at her childbearing in the flesh. I see not then how she should have been healed had such a death of mine stricken through the bowels of her love. And where would have been those, her so strong and unceasing prayers? But would You, God of mercies, despise the contrite and humbled heart of that chaste and sober widow, so full of duty and service to Your saints? Could You despise and reject from Your aid the tears of such a one, wherewith she begged of You the salvation of her son’s soul? Never, Lord. You were at hand and were hearing and doing, in that order wherein You had determined before that it should be done.”
celiastone 