{"id":109760,"date":"2025-08-27T19:44:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/?p=109760"},"modified":"2025-08-27T19:44:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:44:21","slug":"saint-monica-widow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/saint-monica-widow\/","title":{"rendered":"Saint Monica, Widow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

T<\/span>oday is the memorial of Saint Monica, beleaguered mother of Saint Augustine, whose feast is tomorrow. I’ve had many occasions to pray for her intercession<\/a>, but right now, this day hits a little different for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the modern Roman calendar, her memorial is listed simply as that of “Saint Monica”, but before the calendar reform of the 1970s, she was listed as “Saint Monica, Widow”. I never understood why widows had their own designation. Other categories of saints listed on the calendar made sense to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Augustine, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Luke, Evangelist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint James, Apostle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Benedict, Abbot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Teresa of Avila, Virgin and Doctor of the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Monica…. Widow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of the other titles involved some heroic virtue or service to the people of God. But widow? What heroic sanctity is there in an accident of loss? I certainly understood the Biblical and Traditional care for widows. It’s right there in both the Old and New Testaments<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span>. The Lord loves a widow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That passage from 1 Timothy describes a “real widow” as one “who has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day”. And maybe that’s it. But having just had half of me torn away with the death of my beloved bride, all I can do is feel the anguish and pray for the perseverance to endure, to entrust myself wholly to the Lord in His caring and healing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe that’s the heroic virtue of a “real” widow. Of Saint Monica. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And maybe I can pray for that.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Saint Monica at the Sea Shore<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is the memorial of Saint Monica, beleaguered mother of Saint Augustine, whose feast is tomorrow. I’ve had many occasions to pray for her intercession, but right now, this day hits a little different for me. In the modern Roman calendar, her memorial is listed simply as that of “Saint Monica”, but before the calendar reform of the 1970s, she […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[46,8,15,3,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-annual","category-francine-my-love","category-meditations","category-moments-in-time","category-saint"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Saint-Monica-icon.jpg?fit=492%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1aGBK-syk","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":84333,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/prayer-saint-monica\/","url_meta":{"origin":109760,"position":0},"title":"A Prayer to Saint Monica","author":"Thom","date":"27 August 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Born of Christian parents about the year 331 at Tagaste in Africa, Monica was reared under the strict supervision of an elderly nurse who had likewise reared her father. In the course of time she was given in marriage to a pagan named Patricius. Besides other faults, he possessed a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Annual"","block_context":{"text":"Annual","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/annual\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Saint Monica icon","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Saint-Monica-icon-240x292.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":83251,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/a-prayer-to-saint-monica\/","url_meta":{"origin":109760,"position":1},"title":"A Prayer to Saint Monica","author":"Thom","date":"27 August 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Born of Christian parents about the year 331 at Tagaste in Africa, Monica was reared under the strict supervision of an elderly nurse who had likewise reared her father. In the course of time she was given in marriage to a pagan named Patricius. 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Yet, you never despaired or lost faith. With confidence, persistence, and profound faith, you prayed daily for the conversion of your beloved husband, Patricius, and your beloved son, Augustine; your prayers were answered. Grant me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family"","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/family\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Saint-Monica-icon.jpg?fit=492%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":87601,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/a-prayer-to-saint-monica-2016\/","url_meta":{"origin":109760,"position":4},"title":"A Prayer to Saint Monica","author":"Thom","date":"27 August 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear Saint Monica, troubled wife and mother, many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime. Yet, you never despaired or lost faith. 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