We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way.
To this end he has also called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.
REFLECTION
St. Monica of Hippo was a devoted Christian woman. She lived in the mid to late 300's after Christ died. She was married at a young age to a Roman citizen who was pagan. Her husband had a bad temper like his mother and Monica's mother-in-law lived with her family. She struggled but was firm in her faith. Her husband and mother-in-law were abusive to her but Monica did not complain. Instead, she prayed for their conversion. She often went to pray twice a day in church.
Monica and her husband, Patricius had three children two boys and a girl.
Her eldest son was named Augustine and second child, Navigius, and her daughter was Perpetua. Patricius was tolerant of Monica's religious beliefs. She raised her children Christian but her husband would not allow her to baptize them. So, Monica continued to pray for his conversion.
A year before Patricius died he converted to Christianity along with his mother. Monica had persevered and both Navigius and Perpetua became religious. Augustine was different. He was worldly and rebellious during his teen years. His mother sent him to Carthage for school and to her disgust he became a Manichaean. She would not allow him at her table nor at her home. It was some time before Monica reconciled with Augustine, but during a dream she was convinced to forgive him.
Persevering in prayer for seventeen years, Monica asked her spiritual advisor, St. Ambrose to talk to Augustine. Augustine converted on the Easter Vigil, April 24/25th, 387. A few months later Monica died. Her work was complete.
Let no one deceive you in any way.
To this end he has also called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
St.Monica's life gives testimony to the perseverance and love for the Gospels of Jesus Christ and His teachings that she clung to during the hardships of her life.
Let us pray to St. Monica for the same perseverance and tenacity and cling to the teachings of Jesus Christ as she did.
Join us for FACE ZBS (Face-to-Face ZOOM Bible Study). Learn from a theologian the biblical context of Jesus' teachings in last Sunday's Gospel reading.
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