St. Monica
St. Monica lived during the late Roman Empire in Northern Africa. She spent close to twenty years of tears, sacrifices, and above all prayers for the conversion of her pagan husband and wayward son (who is now known as St. Augustine, one of the greatest that the Church has known). Through her constancy, faith, and prayers, she obtained both.
The Blessed Sacrament
St. Therese of Lisieux: “Do you realize that Jesus is there in the Blessed Sacrament expressly for you, for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart. Frequently, only silence can express my prayer. However, this Divine Guest of the tabernacle understands all, even the silence of a child’s soul filled with gratitude. When I am before the tabernacle, I can say only one thing to Our Lord: ‘My God, you know that I love you’ and I feel my prayer does not tire Jesus. To bear the exile of this valley of tears I need the glance of my Divine Savior. This glance full of love has revealed its charms to me. It has made me sense the happiness of Heaven. My Jesus smiles at me when I sigh to Him. Then I no longer feel my trial of faith. My God’s Glance, His ravishing Smile, That is Heaven for me! How I loved the feasts!…I especially loved the processions in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. What a joy it was for me to throw flowers beneath the feet of God!…I was never so happy as when I saw my roses touch the sacred Monstrance.”
