Monnica of Tagaste: Famous Prayer Warrior

  by Richard Long

Famous Prayer Warriors – Monnica of Tagaste

Augustine of Hippo is one of the giants of Christian history.  His monumental work “City of God” set the course of the Church for hundreds of years.  But where would Augustine have been without a praying mother?

Here’s what he wrote in his “Confessions”.   “While I was yet walking in sin, often attempting to rise, and sinking still deeper, my dear mother, in vigorous hope, persisted in earnest prayer for me. I remember also, that she entreated a certain bishop to undertake to reason me out of my errors. ‘Your son,’ says he, ‘is too much elated at present, and carried away with  the pleasing novelties of his opinion, to regard any argument. Let him alone, only continue praying to the Lord for him; in the course of his study he will discover his error.’ All this satisfied not my anxious parent; with floods of tears she still persisted in her request, till a little out of patience, with her importunity, he said, ‘Be gone, good woman, it is impossible that the child of such tears should perish.’”

God indeed answered a mother’s tear-filled prayers, and Augustine was deeply converted at the age of 32 after having lived a debauched life.   Monnica is “Exhibit A” when it comes to describing persistent prayer.

Want to learn more?  Here’s a great blogsite.  http://padremickey.blogspot.com/2007/05/monnica-of-tagaste-mother-of-st.html