The Feast of St Monica

                                                               Easter Antiphon 

                                                              on Psalm 25

The paths of the Lord are 

love 

and faithfulness, alleluia. 

St Monica was born in Algeria in 331 and died and was buried in Rome in 375 . Her son, for whose conversion she had long prayed,  along with that of her husband and 2 other children) was St Augustine of Hippo who had gone from profligate to priest to a major figure in early Christianity (and founder of the Augustinians, which order Bill Mahedy belonged to. You know the saying - you can take the person out of the monastery, but you can’t take the monastery out o of the, in this  case, man!)  One site mentioned that he is the patron saint of “brewers because of his conversion from a former life of loose living.” (This for my nephew who is an avid brewer! But already d Christian and not a loose liver! Nor is his liver bad, hopefully!) 

“Deepen 

our devotion , 

we pray, and use us according to your will, 

to bring others, even our own kindred, [to the knowledge and love you]   - Collect                (Note the ship representing his voyage from Algeria to Rome. His mother later followed and died in Rome..) ) 

                                         Pray for mothers, both spiritual & physical, & for motherhood. .