Vindicate

“I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?’” (Luke 18:8).

Monica of Hippo (Gozzoli)

Saint Augustine is a very interesting Saint to me.  He was such a troubled young soul.

There were so many times that this Saint made mistakes and made them deliberately.  He was not a good student and did not apply himself to anything.  He did not try to avoid situations of temptations, instead he launched straight into them.  His poor mother watched him grow increasingly wild and reckless and felt unable to intercept his terrible behaviour and choices.  So, all she could do was to pray for him.  And when Saint Monica prayed for her wayward son, it appeared that nothing at all changed.  She prayed relentlessly for thirty years.  She prayed so fervently for her son that her prayers sanctified her and not only was he saved, but so was she, by the Grace of those prayers…

And I have been thinking about those prayers in the light of the Gospel…

“Jesus told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary’...  And he added, ‘will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?’” (Luke 18:1-8).I am imagining how that looked – that life of Saint Monica – in reality…

She was praying so fervently for her son and still he was sinning.  She was praying so fervently for him and still he had affairs and illegitimate children and took no responsibility for his actions.  She prayed so fervently for him and still be got drunk.  She prayed so fervently for him and still he disrespected his elders, his parents and those people around him.  She prayed so fervently for him and still he associated with sinners and led them further into sin and not further away from it.  He stole, he lied, and he remained unrepentant.  And thirty years passed by.  And still he continued.

And in all that time God simply asked that Saint Monica continued to pray.  And she did... And today, as I consider those prayers and the demands of God on each soul, I am quite overcome at my own weakness.  Saint Monica understood that God hears our prayers and he would vindicate them.  And knowing this, she continued to pray.

And I have been thinking about that today, as I have been thinking about how God vindicates all our prayers – He answers them.  And how He answers our faith!  He turns sinners into Saints – and not just Saints but GREAT Saints and Doctors of the Church.

What wonderful things my God has done for me!  And He has done them in thirty years’ time when I have almost given up hope (and faith)!

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.