[Salvation]

Sant' Agostino

Day IV.   Saturday after Ash Wednesday "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may be faithful in your sight" (Responsorial Psalm for today - Ps. 86) Sant' Agostino. The Church of Saint Augustine is one of my favorites. It is located a stone's throw from Piazza Navona. It was the first church built in the Renaissance style in Rome although as soon as you walk in, you are struck by its present extraordinary Baroque ornamentation. Above the altar is an icon of our Lady, which was once in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul). It was brought here after the city fell to the Moslems. In this church is one of my favorite statues, our Lord with his mother and grandmother by Sansovino (1512). The look shared between Saint Anne and our Lord is extremely touching (see photo). Above this is a beautiful fresco of Isaiah by Raphael (1512). In a side chapel near the back of the Church there is the famous picture of Our Lady of Loreto or Our Lady of the Pilgrims by Caravaggio (1604). Day 4 continued....next page

Day IV.   Saturday after Ash Wednesday

continued......

 

There is also a statue by Sansovino of the Madonna of Birth where all of the Roman women come and pray for safe deliveries (1516). But the highlight is the tomb of Saint Monica - a model of faithful perseverance in prayer (332-387). Through her intercession, her wayward son, Augustine, converted and became a Doctor of the Church. There I offered a prayer for my mother, in thanksgiving for her prayers, and for all mothers.  

Day 4 continued...more photos ...

(Photo:  Our Lord with his mother and
grandmother

Day 4 Photo:  The tomb of Saint Monica - a model of
 faithful perseverance  in prayer (332-387)

[Bigg Red]

My mother, who bore 9 children, had a special devotion to St. Monica because of her perservering prayers for St. Augustine.