Summary

The Virgin appeared to St. Monica (332-387), the mother of St. Augustine, consoling in her afflictions, and noted that she had to dress in her state of widowhood.

Source: "Marian Apparitions" by M. Gamba Ed.Segno

About the visionary St. Monica

Monica confident with the continued prayers and tears of entreaty obtained the spiritual transformation of her son Augustine. In the book of 'Confessions' has outlined her image as a Christian mother and contemplative, attentive to the needs of the poor. The conversation between Monica and Augustine gives us the depth of her spirit completely turned towards the heavenly homeland.

She could have a more attentive and devoted biographer of Augustine, in that she gave birth twice, in the flesh and spirit. They are words that are read in the Confessions of St. Augustine: "She raised me to be with his flesh were born because of the time, both with his heart, for they were born in the light of eternity." Monica was born in Tagaste, in Africa, to a Christian family. Married at a young age to Patrick, not yet baptized, with whom she had two sons, Augustine and Naavigio, and a daughter, whose name is unknown. Hers was not a quiet life had many afflictions for the behavior of her husband, difficult and easy to anger, but had the consolation to take him to the baptismal font, converted, a year before his death.

Widowed, all her care turned to to her son, most rebellious, intelligent but lazy. She prayed and wept for him. She was constantly beside him, sweet and discreet, and not to lose sight of him, followed him in various wanderings in Italy, Rome and Milan.

"It may be that the son of these tears is lost," he said in a dream a mysterious vision. Augustine was baptized in 387. They spent the summer together, awaiting the departure of Monica for Africa from the port of Ostia. And here that Augustine records the last conversations with his mother, from which we can deduce the great nobility of this incomparable woman of uncommon intelligence, if she could exchange thoughts with such high Augustine: "It happened - he writes them to the ninth chapter of Confessions - that she and I were alone, leaning against the window sill, overlooking the inner garden of the house where we were staying, at Ostia. There was talk among us, with infinite gentleness, forgetting past things, and reaching out towards the future, and tried together, in the presence of truth, which would be the eternal life of the saints, a life that no eye seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man. "

Monica's last words in this interview gives us the image of her soul: "My son, as I'm concerned, there is nothing that attracts me in this life. I do not know what to do here, and why we is still. Only one thing made me want to live a little longer: to see you a Christian before I died. God has given me more and better to see you that despise the earthly joys and serve him only. What am I doing here again?"

Soon, in fact, she died at Ostia, before they embarked to return to their homeland. It was the year 387 and she was 55 years old.

Her Feast Day is August 27th. Patronage: Married women, mothers, widows