By Ainish Philip
Luke chapter 15: 11-32 talks about the famous ‘Prodigal Son’ story where the son forgets about his father and enjoys life for himself. Eventually he gets back to his senses and decides to get back to his father. He expects to be ridiculed and reprimanded and is willing to be a servant at his father’s house. But as he returns home, he is surprised by the warm welcome and love he receives from his father.
I have always wondered what thoughts might have run in his small mind as he made his way back home. Did he stop on the way? Did he think of going back to the worldly ways and try his luck just one more time? Did he just hate himself for being born as a worthless guy?
And what about the father? From the time the young son left home, he would have been devastated! How many prayers, tears, and sleepless nights would have the father gone through?
Somewhat similar is seen in the lives of the two spiritual giants -St. Monica and St. Augustine. The Church celebrates their feast days back to back- mother’s on the 27th August and son on the 28th August. When St. Monica, a devout Christian from childhood was married to the Roman pagan Patricius, all she could do was wait patiently and pray for the conversion of her husband. Her patience and suffering bore fruit and soon she saw the conversion and Baptism of her pagan husband before he died. Just when she thought her suffering was over, she was faced with a rebellious son Augustine.
At about the age of 16, Augustine was drawn into pagan ideas, heresy, and sins of impurity. At age 17, the spirit of lust in him made him to live with a woman he did not marry and even had a son with her. However rebellious and sinful his life was, St. Monica never ceased to pray and cry out to the lord for the conversion of her son. It was only the incessant prayers and heart wrenching cries of the mother that God’s grace began to flow into the life of St Augustine.
One day when St. Augustine was in a garden, he heard a child’s voice singing to him: “Take and read; take and read” (Confessions, Chapter 8). With that, he felt inspired to open his Bible at random, and this is what he read: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in carousing and impurities…but rather put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:13,14)
The Word of God pierced his heart and soul and from that day on, he made a firm resolution to seek Jesus and remain holy and pure for the rest of his life. St Monica’s prayers were answered! The very next year into his conversion, St. Augustine was baptized in the Catholic faith. Soon after his baptism, his mother became very ill and died shortly. Just before her death, she told her son not to worry about where she would be buried, but to remember her whenever he came to the altar of God. What profound words from a woman of faith and perseverance! From there, St Augustine went on to become the most influential theologian the Church has ever seen. From a sinner to a saint, from a heretic to a powerful defender of the Church, St Augustine’s life gives all of us the hope that we too can become saints!
Today when I see many teenagers and youth accepting Jesus as their Saviour and celebrating their faith among their peers, it is easy to see the powerful intercession of a father or mother at home. When children from strong Catholic families stray from their faith, it is a pain for the parents. But St Monica and St Augustine’s life gives us hope. A rebellious youth does not mean a lost youth, rather a future St Augustine who can re-write history and be a beacon of light for many youth of his generation.
Be Holy! Be on Fire!
Stay in peace. Stay with Jesus.
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