Faith-Love-St. Monica

HOMILY WEEK 21 02 – Year I

Genuine Faith and Love:

Memorial of St. Monica

(1 Thess 2:1-8; Ps 139; Mt 23:23-26)

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What sins bothered Jesus the most in the Gospels? Were they sexual in nature? The answer is the unbelief and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, which explains why he was always in tension with them more than any other group, including prostitutes and tax collectors.

The readings today invite us to be genuine and credible in our belief in Jesus and our love for others.

In the gospel, we see a familiar scene – Jesus chastising the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy – believing in one thing and doing another. It could not be more clear: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” They are not walking the talk, and Jesus has to call them on it quite often, challenging them to live outwardly what they are supposed to believe inwardly.

On the other hand, in the first reading to the Thessalonians, we see Paul asserting just the opposite – his fidelity to the Gospel, and his love for the Thessalonians.  On the one hand, he has risked all to proclaim the Gospel of God and sought only to please God. On the other hand, he has lived the gospel through his deep care for them, sharing as he put it, not just the gospel, but his very own self because they have become so dear to him.

Psalm 139 continues the same theme of integrity and credibility in faith and love, as it proclaims, “You have searched me and you know me, Lord.”

The message is clear – maintain a high integrity and be credible in faith and in love. Someone who has done that was the late Cardinal Bernadine of Chicago. When accused of falsely of sexual misconduct, his response was simply what everyone knew – that was impossible because his life was an open book. Eventually, the truth came out and he was exonerated.

Today, the Church offers us St. Monica as a model of genuine faith and love. She was born in North Africa in 332 of Christian parents. At a young age, Monica was given in marriage to Patricius; they had three children. Patricius criticized his wife’s piety and her generosity to the poor, but was always respectful of her person. Monica’s influence was such that both her husband and mother-in-law converted to Christianity. In 371, a year after his baptism, Patricius died. Monica then devoted herself to the conversion of her son Augustine, who had abandoned his Christian faith.

After 17 years of Monica’s persistent prayers Augustine was converted while in Milan, where he met Bishop Ambrose and returned to the faith. Mother and son enjoyed a close faith-based relationship from then on. Monica died during their return trip to Africa. She had said there was nothing left for her to do, all her hopes having been fulfilled. All we know about Monica comes from Augustine’s Confessions. In the tenth chapter of Book IX, he describes a spiritual experience they shared near the end of her life, and he always remembered his mother’s efforts on his behalf. She is patron saint of mothers, and a great model for us of strong faith and great compassion.

The Eucharist is an act of genuine faith in God’s love for us, and also a commitment to live out that faith through our love for one another. So, in short, let us maintain the highest integrity in our faith in Jesus, and be totally credible in living out that faith in love for one another.