Homily – Thursday of the 21st Week of Ordinary
Time, Yr. B. / Memorial of St. Monica
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1 Cor 1:1-9
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Ps 145:2-3,4-5,6-7
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Matt 24:42-51
St. Monica- Our Role Model In Faith in Christ
Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Monica, the
mother of Saint Augustine, whose memorial also comes up tomorrow. Monica was
born into a Christian family in Tagaste, North Africa, in 331 AD. Her husband was
Patricius. One of her children whom she devoted her time praying for his
conversion was our famous St. Augustine. The she passed away in 387, she is
remembered today as the patroness of married women, and a role of model of believers,
especially of Christian mothers. Monica, in fact, reminds me of all the stories
of faith told of great women in the Bible, including, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel,
Rehab, Ruth, Judith, Esther, our Mother Mary, in fact to name but, a few.
She was a great woman of faith. Monica’s faith, hope, and love for others are
heard resounding in one way or the other in scriptural passages of today.
In the first reading (I Cor 1:1-9), St. Paul wrote to the
early Christian community of Corinth, a commercial, urban center from Ephesus (I
Cor 16:8), mostly persuading them to follow his way, and believe in the
teachings of Christ. Although the genre of the passage we read today, 1
Corinthian 1:1-9 serves as an introductory address of thanksgiving to that
community, the body of the letter will be addressing internal issues of
conflicts, corruption, division, inordinate boastings, abuse of spiritual gifts
and many other moral issues contrary to the kind faith, Paul and Monica would
have promoted. He stresses the importance of hope in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ and faith in God revealed in his son Jesus Christ- the same faith that Monica
prayed and converted her son, Augustine to, from Manicheanism (a dualistic
corruption of Christianity).
To Saint Augustine, whom Monica worked very hard to
convert from Manicheanism and other circular philosophy of their time, for us
today, it might be secularism, anthropocentrism, consumerism, subjectivism, ethnocentrism,
to name but a few.
As we heard Jesus reminding his disciples to stay awake
in today’s Gospel (Matt 24:42-51), we need, ourselves, to stay awake against
doing what Christ, the master of the house does not expect of us. Christ, like
the master of the house of this Gospel expect each of us to be prudent, modest,
humble, stay away from violent, abuse of others, drunkenness, exploitation of
the poor, the weak and the nature planet- for we do not know when the master,
Christ, the owner of the house will come! He expects us to be hopeful,
merciful, compassionate and kind to our neighbors.
In addition, we also need to imitate Saint Monica in
praying for our children, grandchildren our great-great grandchildren and the
society and the church in the modern world (cf.
Vatican II, Gaudium et spes), even our friends, and husbands.
Remember, it is never too late. Patricius, Monica’s husband had his conversion
on his very sick and dying bed, we are told!
Today’s readings and memorial of Saint Monica challenge
us to reconsider the importance of remaining faithful to our calling as
Christians, but, being a source of conversion and hope for others, even members
of our families?
Reflection Questions:
1.
Could we think of one or two persons
we have converted or brought into the Church from another religion of state of
life?
2.
How often are a source faith and
hope for our children, friends and members of our family?
3.
Who is your role model in faith?
4.
How often do we encourage active
roles of women in our communities?
