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Yesterday was the Feast of Saint Monica, who prayed for 17 years for the conversion of her son, Augustine.
Although Augustine finally came to faith, that was only the beginning of his story.
One of his first prayers uttered to the Lord, for example, was this:
“Lord, make me chaste. Just not yet.”
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Augustine felt the burden of faith.
He understood how deeply faith must move into us, how it should change us, and cause us to leave parts of our old self behind.
In his case, Augustine was being called to live a purer life.
But what about me? Where is the Lord inviting me into deeper holiness, or asking me to change?
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“Lord, make me chaste. Just not yet.”
We can all be guilty of Augustine’s prayer in some form.
Lord, make me humble. Lord, make me less judgmental. Lord, make me more patient. Lord, take away my temper.
Just not yet.
Procrastination in the spiritual life never pays off. It only postpones the joy the Lord has in store for us.
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May the same Spirit who converted Saint Augustine convert us, because the more we live like Jesus, the more fulfilled we become.
AMEN!