Monica prayed for her son Augustine for 17 years while he lived a life of debauchery and followed false teachings. She never stopped believing God would answer.
A Son Lost to Sin
Augustine was brilliant but rebellious. He took a mistress, had an illegitimate son, and embraced Manichaeism - a heretical religion. Monica wept and prayed constantly for his conversion.
When Augustine decided to sail from Africa to Rome, Monica begged him to stay or take her with him. He lied and said he was only seeing off a friend, then sailed without her.
A Mother's Relentless Pursuit
Even this didn't stop Monica. She followed him to Rome, then to Milan. There, Augustine came under the influence of Bishop Ambrose. Monica befriended Ambrose, joined the church community, and kept praying.
The Prayer Finally Answered
In 386, Augustine finally surrendered to Christ. His conversion came in a garden in Milan when he heard a child's voice saying "Take and read." He opened Scripture to Romans 13:13-14 and was changed forever.
Monica was present. Her decades of prayers were answered. "Son," she told him, "nothing in this world gives me pleasure anymore. What more do I have to do here?"
A Legacy That Changed History
Nine days later, Monica died. But her son Augustine became one of the most influential Christian thinkers in history. His "Confessions" and "City of God" shaped Christian theology for 1,600 years.
A mother's prayers - persistent, tearful, unwavering - produced one of the greatest saints and theologians the church has ever known.