Chalice employees gather each morning for prayer before beginning our busy workdays. As part of our prayer, we often share stories of the saints and reflect on how their lives can inspire and guide us in our own journeys of faith. Beginning this week with Saint Monica, we will share reflections, poetry, artwork, and videos from children at our sites, staff and volunteers, exploring the lives of these saints and how their examples can shape the way we live and serve others.
Saint Monica is a wonderful place to begin. While she is a saint in her own right, she is perhaps best known as the mother of Saint Augustine. Her life reminds us that faith, patience and persistent prayer can have a profound impact, even when we cannot immediately see the fruits of our prayers. Through her story, we are invited to consider how we, too, can trust in God’s timing and remain faithful through life’s challenges.
Prayer:
Reflection:
Reflection written by Derrick, a social worker at Starehe Girls site in Kenya.
Through St. Monica’s life story, we learn that patience is a great virtue as we pray for God to answer our heart’s desires. Just as she patiently waited for the Lord to transform the heart of her son, Augustine, and lead him to seek God, we too are called to trust in God, knowing that His timing is best.
Her persistent prayer inspires us not to lose hope. Though many times in our lives we lose hope and feel like giving up when things don’t go as expected, or when we try our best but sometimes our best is not enough, through prayer, God renews our hope and grants us wisdom and direction. He places people in our lives who support and encourage us along our journey.
Through her story, we are inspired by her undying faith and commitment to prayer, despite the challenges we encounter every day. We, too, should remain hopeful that things will change for the better.
Her compassion for the poor and those in need encourages us to continue extending a helping hand to the children, youth, families and communities we serve.
Patronage of:
- Mothers
- Alcoholics
- Victims of Abuse & Adultery
- Widows
- Wives
- Conversion
Life Span:
330-387
From:
Tagaste (now Algeria)
Explore more Saints:
Saint Monica
Prayer: Saint Monica, faithful mother and woman of prayer, pray for us when we worry [...]
Aug