Virtue: Devotion
Resolution: I choose to practice spiritual disciplines to nurture my relationship with Christ.
Human Story: Monica (AD 332 – 387)
Christian philosopher James KA Smith has said recently that all of us in the Western world are Augustinian. He means that the great Christian thinker who lived in the 4th and 5th centuries has left such an impact that we who live in societies influenced by Christianity are shaped by his theological and political ideas. If Smith is correct, then we not only live in the shadow of St. Augustine but also in the great shadow of his mother Monica (sometimes spelled Monnica), whose piety deeply affected her son and whose life and influence we know from Augustine’s “autobiography,” The Confessions.
Monica is an example of a life lived in devotion. She was born into a Christian home, but her devotion is exemplified in her marriage to non-Christian Patricius, a city councilman in their small town of Thagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria), and in their three children Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua.
As a non-Christian, Patricius would not allow his children to be baptized and this worried Monica greatly. As Augustine records, she often prayed earnestly with tears for her children to become Christian. Before his conversion, Patricius had a violent temper. Yet, he never abused Monica, though it was common at that time. Her care to follow Scripture, as she understood it, to keep a tight rein on her speech—to practice silence—provided for a more peaceful home than might have been expected. This continual act of devotion eventually led to the conversion of her husband Patricius. Beyond her marriage, her gentle disposition eventually won over her mother-in-law, who did not initially like Monica. It was to all whom she met that she “preached [Christ] … through her way of life” (Confessions, IX.9, 19).
Perhaps Monica’s greatest legacy is that of deeply influencing her son through her constant devotion to prayer. As a widow, she traveled to Rome with Augustine, who lectured there regularly (having been highly educated in rhetoric). At this time, Augustine had not yet converted to Christianity. Monica began attending a church where St. Ambrose was the pastor. She introduced her son to Ambrose and eventually Augustine converted to Christianity. Augustine credits his conversion to his mother being “constant in her life of prayer” (Confessions, IX.7, 15).
We need people to show us the way of deep, consistent commitment to practicing the Christian faith through acts of devotion. Monica is such a person to guide us. She models for us a life that speaks the gospel, even without words, by gentle living and consistent prayer.
Resource: Augustine’s Confessions book IX
Lesson: Romans 12:9-13
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
John Wesley, an Anglican pastor, missionary, and theologian whose work inspired and began the Methodist movement, describes what we have called the spiritual disciplines as “works of piety.” For him, these works are a necessary part of our becoming more close to the image of Jesus Christ. As such, devotion is not merely an affectional or emotional disposition but actions that flow from this heart-center. Prayer is a central pietistic practice that builds devotion in us. Consistent prayer practices make space for us to develop important Christian virtues and values.
Consider Paul’s admonition to the Roman Christians in our lesson text. Sandwiched between the two book-ends of love (“love must be sincere” and “practice hospitality,” where “hospitality” literally means “love of/for the other”) is a call to be committed to a life of devotion culminating in being “faithful in prayer.” While prayer surely is that space in which we bring to our gracious God our praise, our needs and our supplications, it is doing much more than that.
In our hurried and harried culture, giving sustained and focused attention is sometimes quite difficult. We are easily distracted and quickly perturbed, both of which are heightened by our technological dependence. In faithful, devotional prayer, however, we are practicing patience and attention. When we pray, we must exercise patience as we await God’s response to our pleas. As we pray, we must learn to focus our attention on the characteristics of God which are what give us hope in His answers.
In addition, when we authentically pray for others, we must focus on them as persons, be open to their needs, seek their good, and carry their concerns and joys. Enduring the frustrations of difficult people or uncooperative circumstances with love and kindness is surely challenging. But as we pray for others, God provides patience and wisdom. And as we look forward to God’s response to our prayers, we build and express hope within ourselves and in those around us.
The spiritual discipline of prayer is not merely an expression or practice of our piety. Our devotional life can be a life lived for both our Christlikeness and our neighbor’s flourishing.
Remembrance
Prayer does not equip us for greater works – prayer is the greater work. -Oswald Chambers
Challenge
Monica kept a tight rein on her speech but poured out her heart to God in prayer for her family and those she loved. Whose life can you affect through a consistent life of prayer?
Reflection
Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world. – E.M. Bounds
Further Growth
2021: Book of Common Prayer Proper 12
Old Testament: 2 Kings 2:1-15
Psalm: Psalm 114
New Testament: Ephesians 3:1-21
Gospel: Mark 6:45-52
2020: Book of Common Prayer Proper 12
Old Testament: 1 Kings 3:3-14
Psalm: Psalm 119:121-136
New Testament: Romans 8:26-34
Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-50