21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isa 22:19-23
Rm 11:33-36
Mt 16:13-20
“But you, who do you say I am?“
That indeed, is THE question that we will each answer for ourselves at the time of our death. Our knowing the answer, I believe, oftentimes begins with prayers from our mother. So today as we recognize St. Monica, the mother St. Augustine (who’s feast day is tomorrow), it seems fitting that we start with a prayer to our Mother for ourselves and the whole world.
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
St. Monica lived the answer to that question — in her heart, in her words and in her actions. She knew Jesus Christ as her Saviour, God as her Father and the Holy Spirit as her Comforter. She may not have understood this mystery any better than you or I today, nearly two centuries later, but it didn’t stop her faith in praying to God, and her hope that God would make a way for her son to know Him. How well each of us knows the answer is defined in how we ‘walk out’ our faith as well. Faith in Christ changes our heart, our words and our actions; because that is what faith is – we cannot add Jesus to our faith walk and stay the same any more than St. Augustine could.
It may initially seem difficult to relate to anyone born in 331AD, until we realize that the love of a mother for her child is timeless. St. Monica is truly a timeless role model for all of us. She never ceased praying for the conversion of her son. She never stopped believing in the mercy, forgiveness, and grace that the Holy Spirit would shower on her son. She knew that ‘prayers are more powerful than bullets’ and thus knew that every prayer was received by God and treasured. She laid these prayers, and all her suffering at the feet of Christ, for Him to use in His way and in His timing, not hers. Ever trusting in the Almighty Creator, our Father who art in Heaven…
To have a mom who would pray throughout the days and nights, unceasingly, for your soul, even when no sign of conversion (much less a ‘thank you, mom’) is visible is an unrepayable gift. Blessed is the child who has such a mom, and blessed is the child who, in turn, prays for their mother and the whole world. The gift to all of humanity of one single prayer – even the same prayer over and over again – is without measure. To pray for one person’s conversion changes the world, not just that one person. Prayer is never purposeless. Never. In fact, every sincere prayer lifted to God returns 30, 60, 100-fold. Nothing is wasted in the Kingdom of God. Nothing.
The impact of a prayer influences all of us – not because of the person praying, or of the prayer itself, but because of WHO we are praying to, and we Christians are praying to the I AM.
So today, as we take time to acknowledge WHO You are, Lord, let us all pray a few more prayers than usual. Let us imitate St. Monica and layer prayer upon prayer at the feet of Christ. Let us pray for the conversion of family and friends; let us pray for the conversion of our country; let us pray for the conversion of the whole world.
Let us pray with the strength of St. Monica.
Let us pray with the fortitude of St. Monica.
Let us pray with the humility of St. Monica.
Let us pray with the faith of St. Monica.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Gina Ulicny)
Prayer: Father God, I pray that I fix my eyes on Christ alone, that I choose your will over my own at all the twists and turns, uphill and downhill and even when I’m sitting and waiting. I beg You to convict me many times every day so that I choose You.
Thanksgiving: For the mercy and grace and forgiveness that you extend to me, Lord. Thank you for always welcoming me in when I come to you with a contrite heart asking for forgiveness, even when I commit the same sin over and over again. Thank you, Father God, that You have given me the gift of faith.
OXYGEN 
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