“God gives us some things, as the beginning of faith, even if we do not pray.Other things such as perseverance, He has only provided to those who pray.” (Saint Augustine of Hippo).
I received the Sacrament of Reconciliation the other day.
It was not a planned thing, but I just happened to stumble across a Church and there was a priest administering the sacrament and the queue was not very long, and so – as I often do – I decided I would grab the opportunity to confess my sins…
And so it was that I found myself inside the confessional that morning and confessing my sins.
Before I entered the confessional, I prayed to the Holy Spirit to guide me, because I knew – after reading the Diary of Saint Faustina – that Christ asks us to pray for our confessors prior to confessing our sins, so that they will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit and guide us to greater holiness.
And so it was on that particular day, I prayed quickly to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to inspire my confessor to lead me to greater holiness.
And then – after making my usual confession (yes – sadly my holiness is not yet mature enough that my sins are very different despite my intention to sin less…) – I listened to the advice of my confessor. And he said, the only thing I can suggest is that you make time for God. DO not fail to pray. Do not fail to pray with your family. Do not make other things more important than those prayers. Make sure that you keep time aside every day for those prayers to God. He told me that everything else would come – every other improvement would eventuate – if first I could make time for God each day.
And as I listened to his words, it occurred to me that these were the words that God most wanted me to hear that day.
And in essence, those words were simply a call to perseverance…
Saint Augustine of Hippo spent thirty-three years living in a state of sin. In his own words, Saint Augustine claims that if there was a sin he did not commit, it was by mistake, for he tried to commit all sins…
Saint Monica – his mother – became a Saint – through her prayers for the salvation of her son during those long thirty-three years.
And I have been reflecting on the practicality of those prayers today. You see, it is one thing to think those prayers were easy. After all, with hindsight it is clear that those prayers were answered as Saint Augustine became a great Saint and a doctor of the Church. But for over three decades the result of those prayers was sin and sin and sin. For over three decades the result of those prayers was Saint Augustine trying to sin as much and as often as possible.
Imagine the distress of his mother. Imagine Saint Monica praying and going back to her prayers. Imagine how many times she called to God and begged Him to help her and to stop her son in his sin. And imagine how terrible her anguish knowing that her son continued to sin…
It is no easy thing to persevere in prayer – particularly when the prayers relate to the conversion of a sinner…
And yet – without her perseverance in prayer, God would only have had one saint (and possibly none at all). Because Saint Monica prayed, not only was her son saved, but so was she.
And I have been thinking about that today, as I pray for those who are yet to turn to God…
Because as Saint Augustine said, “God gives us some things, as the beginning of faith, even if we do not pray. Other things such as perseverance, He has only provided to those who pray.”
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.