Memorial of Saint Monica
Recently, I met a man who grew up during the depression, he told me about how their families poverty worried everyone in the family, except his mother. One day there came a knock on the door from a family they had never seen before. The father of this family told my mother that they had not eaten in two days and wondered if there was any food that could be shared with his family. The son watched as the mother gave the last food they had to this poor family. It was a loaf of bread. The man shared that he had asked the mother why she shared the last loaf and the mom replied don’t worry the Lord will provide. Later that evening a group came down their street passing out bread and gave their family three loaves. For this man, it was his mother’s strength that got their family through those tough times.
On this memorial of St. Monica, we remember a mother so strong that she stayed faithful to Christ despite enduring many hardships. Today’s readings, challenge us that we to must walk the talk in the face of adversity. Like Monica, we need to understand that in trying times our faithfulness to the Gospel can help lead others to Christ. Monica patiently persevered and lived what she believed. It was through her steadfast example that her husband, mother-in-law and eventually her son, Augustine encountered Christ and became Christians.
Like Monica, Paul believed that through his strength of character and his faith discipleship others would be drawn to a life of following Christ. Today’s responsorial psalm continues this reminder that we must follow in the ways of the Lord. It is in following the Lord faithfully, that not only will we be blessed but others will be invited into that blessing.
The Gospel today has some of the harshest words of Jesus that are found in scripture. Jesus rebukes the leaders of the faith because their actions and beliefs don’t match.
For Jesus, outward appearances must be indistinguishable from inward realities. Matthew 23:28 makes it clear that Jesus sees righteous appearance or behavior as worthless if the interior of a person is filled with garbage. For Jesus, the inconsistency means the Pharisees bear witness against themselves. The same is true with us and our example.
Let us reflect on our own words and examples of faithful discipleship. Would someone who met us today accuse us of being followers of Jesus? Does our outward appearance reflect an inward reality? What are the areas of filth that we try to whitewash? Let us ask the Lord today for the strength to be a holistic example of Christ’s presence in our lives. Then our eyes might be open to the prophets like Monica among us.
-Michael Montgomery