Gospel in Art: The Feast of Saint Monica

Saints Augustine and Monica, by Ary Scheffer, 1854 © National Gallery, London

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 27 August 2024
Matthew 23:23-26

Jesus said: 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law - justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels!

'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.'

Reflection on the painting

As we celebrate Saint Monica today, I want to share this painting from the National Gallery in London, which depicts Saint Monica with her son, Saint Augustine. I am not sure whether I like the painting or not, as there is a certain coldness and rigidity emanating from the composition. However, the tenderness of their clasped hands and their focused gaze towards the heavens is captivating.

The painter, Ary Scheffer, illustrated an episode recounted by Saint Augustine in his Confessions. Augustine recalled sitting at the port of Ostia with his mother Monica shortly before her death, discussing the kingdom of heaven. Scheffer's painting, for which he used his own mother as the model for Saint Monica, was a great success when first exhibited. It is a work of eloquent simplicity, showing the holy mother and her son seated side-by-side, hand-in-hand, contemplatively looking towards heaven.

To put it mildly, Saint Monica had her hands full with Saint Augustine before his conversion. She was distressed to learn that her son had become a follower of the Manichean heresy and was living a rather immoral life. For a while, she even refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. However, after a vision assured her that her son would return to the faith, she stayed close to him, praying fervently. The painting conveys the sense of divine mystery they both shared and portrays the deep love between a mother and her son.

As my mother is called Monique, I especially want to wish her a happy feast day today.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-23-23-26-2024/