And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.” (Matt. 25:40, NRSVue, Zondervan, 2022).
Did you know that there are dozens and dozens (and dozens and dozens) of commemorations and minor holidays celebrated in the month of May? They include National ALS month, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and Hurricane preparedness week, as well as about 50 more “day,” “week,” and “month” designations.
Someone seems to have missed putting my birthday and our anniversary on the national list! Haha.
Something else that does not make that list of events for May are the commemorations of the Church. In light of Mother’s Day, May 12, I’d like to highlight one mother in Church history who had a profound influence on the Church, if not directly, definitely by the son she influenced.
May 4 is the Commemoration Day for Monica, mother of Augustine. Born in Thagaste (Souk Ahras), Algeria, Monica married rather young and found herself in a marriage that fit the norm of the age (it was abusive). Her husband, Patricius, served on the town council and is defined as a Pagan (i.e. not following the Christian path). Monica was a devout Christian and implored her son, Augustine, their eldest, to follow her path.
As this is about Monica, rather than Augustine, we’ll just leave it as Augustine did not follow the Christian path initially. We know from history that Augustine did convert to Christianity and that he had considerable influence upon the theological and philosophical aspects of the Church as we know it.
Monica is credited for her devotion to Christ and setting an example for her family. She would often enjoin the theological discourse that Augustine would take part in with friends and other theologians of his time. Monica set an example for those who would have otherwise been thought of the least, considered by the Church as hopeless.
Augustine was not the only convert. Patricius also converted to Christianity on his deathbed, another credit to Monica’s example.
Today, we might consider those without the necessities of life, those who struggle in life, and especially children as the least among our brothers and sisters in Christ. Perhaps, as we honor our mothers this month, we might consider the example of Monica and to embrace the least among us that we might honor Christ, our Risen Savior, by setting a similar example as followers of Christ.
Peace,
Pr. Hahn
Night of Joy begins with bingo at 4 p.m., followed by a free hot meal that can be enjoyed indoors or as take-out. Clean Hearts provides a bag of household goods for anyone in need. TLC cares for the community!
Dozens of blankets are gathered at TLC from members, visitors, the Danville Moose, and others to combine with other donations from Upper Susquehanna Synod congregations. The blankets are sent annually through Lutheran Disaster Response and partner organizations for those in need around the world.