A Happy Mother's Day Message

From St. Monica (Santa Monica), the patron saint of married women & mothers

Statue of St. Monica on the Santa Monica, CA shore

You don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate the wisdom of the saints. Tradition has it that places named for saints somehow carry the energy of their namesakes and therefore bring good luck.

St. Monica is best known as the mother of St. Augustine. They were Berbers who lived in the 4th century A.D. in what is today Algeria (N. Africa).

She is the patron saint of married women (especially those with difficult marriages) and mothers (especially those who feel disappointed in their children).

For most of St. Monica’s life, her husband and son, much to her consternation, were both very vocally opposed her Christianity. Her efforts to get her argumentative and highly intelligent although somewhat lazy son to accept Christ was the source of endless arguments. The boy insisted on following Manichaeism, an extremely interesting Persian religion that was popular at the time, but would soon be completely stamped out.

In an effort to save her boy’s soul, St. Monica took him to the local priest. But instead of setting the boy straight as she hoped, the priest recommended she not discuss religion with the boy anymore at all. Just pray for him. God will change his heart directly if it's meant to be.

She took the priest’s advice and prayed diligently for him over the next few decades. Over night, the cantankerous family dynamic ended and she become a silent prayer warrior.

At long last, her son not only became a Christian, but would become highly influential. St. Augustine, the arrogant son who had caused his mother so much grief, told the world how his mother was instrumental in getting him to open his eyes and transform his heart.

No doubt he still liked to argue, but in putting his arguments down in writing his views established crucial theological points that came to define Christianity, such as original sin, divine grace, infant baptism, and the concept of just war.

In his book "Confessions," St. Augustine attributed his conversion to the steadfast prayers of his mother. She had total faith that her prayers were having a real impact on the situation and would one day be answered. More than anything, St. Monica wanted to live to see that day. Soon after his conversion, she declared that she could now die knowing her work on earth was done.

Without her, St. Augustine's brilliance would have ended up in the ash heap of history along with Manichaeism. Instead, his ideas were diligently published and preserved by Rome.

No one knows the actual day St. Monica was born or died, so May 4th, the day before her son’s feast day, was assigned to honor her starting in the year 1550. So when Spanish explorers first laid eyes on the beautiful shores at the end of the continent on May 4th,1769, the decision of what to call it was made for them by the calendar: Santa Monica. (But in 1969, the Catholic calendar was changed and her feast day became August 27th. Evangelical Lutherans and Episcopalians still honor her on May 4th.)

It’s fitting that the city of Santa Monica, California should play a crucial although secondary role to one of the most important cities in the world, Los Angeles, just as St. Monica played a crucial role in relation to her far more famous son. It’s also fitting that Santa Monica is on the beautiful coastline, surrounded by rolling mountains, bathed in bright sunshine most of the year. The landscape is interesting, almost dramatic, and yet the dominant vibe is tranquility, which is itself a quiet victory.

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Today’s Gemstone

Known to help balance the male-female energies within you and help deal with nightmares, Lake Superior Agate delivers powerful and steady healing to help ground and calm you when times are difficult. They were formed by the Lake Superior Glacier during the last ice age.

Lake Superior Agate