Next thursday, 27th of August is the feast of St Monica who was the mother of St Augustine.
The following day, friday, 28th of August is the feast of St Augustine.
Monica was a Christian who tried constantly - and not always successfully - to keep the young Augustine on the right track. At one point she went to St Ambrose who was the bishop in Milan and asked him to try to influence Augustine. Ambrose told her that "the son of so many tears could not be lost". It would be Ambrose who would baptise Augustine afer his subsequent conversion.
Monica joined Augustine in his first community in Cassiciacum in Italy (this was a philosophicl community dedicated to discussion and debate) but had died by the time Augustine formed his first religious community in Tagaste (Nth Africa).
The picture on this post shows the two of them in ecstasy while having a vision of God at Ostia (the port of Rome) where Monica was to die very soon afterwards.
She is the patron saint of Christian Mothers.
In the links section of this blog you can find a link that will lead you to an article about the life of Augustine which includes references to Monica.
Why not take advantage of these two days to wish your local Augustinians a happy feast day!!!
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