Feasts of Saint Monica & Saint Augustine

This week we celebrate two great saints of the Church: Monica (August 27) and Augustine (August 28). Saint Monica (322?-387) was a devout Christian woman married to a pagan husband, Patricius, in Tagaste, North Africa. She was the loving mother of three children and a patient caregiver for a cantankerous mother-in-law. After years of Monica's heartfelt prayers, both her husband and mother-in-law eventually were baptized. Her eldest son, Augustine (354-430), lived an immoral life, fathered a child, and was an ardent supporter of the Manichean heresy before his conversion. Monica followed him when he travelled, tirelessly praying that he would repent, and lived to see her prayers realized when Augustine not only came to faith but soon thereafter became a priest and later a bishop. His prolific writings, especially his Confessions and many of his sermons, remain spiritual classics. One of his most quoted statements is: "You have made us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

May we be as persistent in prayer as St. Monica and as passionate in our zeal for God as St. Augustine!

Marian Resources

This week contains two great feasts of the Blessed Mother: the Assumption (August 15) and the Queeenship of Mary (August 22). To celebrate these days, we offer here a small sampling of the Marian resources available in the Media Resource Center. The resource number and appropriate age level are listed for each one.

Behold Your Mother: Priests Speak About Mary by Stephen Rosetti
BK4726.1 Adult

In this collection of inspiring reflections, ten esteemed priests share the role that the Blessed Mother has played in their personal spiritual lives.

Blessed Art Thou: Mother, Lady, Mystic, Queen by Rev. Richard Fragomeni and Br. Michael O'Neill McGrath
BK4523.1 Adult

Inspired by titles from the Litany of Loreto, one of the oldest prayers of the Catholic Church, these 20 images celebrate various loving and reverent names for Mary with a somewhat contemporary twist.

Catholic Spirituality for Adults Series: Mary by Kathy Coffey
BK4910.1 Adult

This book inspires us to see the mother of Jesus as our spiritual mother and as a model for women everywhere.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus by Tomie DePaola
BK4840.1 Early - Primary

Drawing upon scripture, legend and tradition, this children's book retells the story of Mary's life in fifteen beautifully illustrated segments.

Mother of God: A History of the Virgin Mary by Miri Rubin
BK4935.1 Adult

How did the Virgin Mary, about whom little is said in the Gospels, become one of the most powerful and complex religious figures in the world? This book investigates the ideas, practices and images that have developed around Mary from the earliest decades of Christianity to about 1600. Drawing on a variety of sources (including music, poetry, theology, art, scripture, and mriacle tales) this book reveals how Mary became embedded in our culture.

O Mother of God: Hymns to Mary by New Horizon Singers & Pacific "Pops" Orchestra
CD0040.1 Middle - Adult

A collection of fourteen hymns to Our Lady that includes both classical and contemporary selections, including three original compositions.

Picturing Mary
DVD0044.1 High School - Adult

This moving program takes viewers on an artistic journey spanning almost two thousand years and crossing four continents. Narrated by Jane Seymour with dramatic readings by James Keach, it includes English and Spanish versions.

Theology of Mary for the Third Millenium by Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ
CPO0125.1 Adult

Drawing from scripture, tradition and Vatican II, this audio tape describes Mary as God's friend and prophet.

Third Millenium: Vatican II (Part 08): Mary
VC1380.1 High School - Adult

In this video presentation, Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ of Catholic University leads viewers to a deeper appreciation of Mary as the first believer and model of faith.

Happy Feast of the Assumption!