Seventeen Years of Tears
Monica of Hippo prayed for her wayward son for 17 years. Augustine had rejected her faith, taken a mistress, fathered a child out of wedlock, and joined a cult called the Manicheans.
Monica wept and prayed. She fasted and begged. She followed Augustine to Milan when he fled her influence.
The Son of These Tears
A bishop, weary of her constant pleas for help, told her: "Go away from me. As surely as you live, it is impossible that the son of these tears should perish."
His words proved prophetic.
Take and Read
In 386 AD, Augustine converted dramatically after hearing a child's voice say, "Take and read." He read Romans 13 and surrendered his life to Christ.
Augustine became one of Christianity's most influential theologians. His writings shaped Western thought for 1,500 years. His "Confessions" remains a spiritual classic.
Prayers Answered
But Augustine himself credited his mother: "The conversion of my soul was brought about by the prayers of my mother and the tears she shed for me."
Monica died shortly after witnessing her son's baptism. Her prayers had been answered.
