How much Saint Abraham of Edessa must have suffered upon learning that his niece Mary—whom he himself had guided toward a life of penance and deep union with God—had been led astray and had wandered from the path of salvation. How many tears he must have shed, how many sacrifices he must have offered before he was finally able to lead her back to the path of holiness. O Lord, how many tears did Saint Monica also shed until her son Augustine heard Your voice and turned away from his errors.
In these tears of love and sorrow we recognize You, beloved Father. In them is expressed Your sadness and Your suffering for each of Your children who stray from the path and succumb to various temptations. Yet the doors of forgiveness stand wide open for them. Anyone can return to You, even if, after having followed Your path, they have suffered serious falls. The example of Saint Mary of Edessa bears witness to this: after her conversion, she led an exemplary life and remained faithful to You until her death.
But the story of Abraham and his niece Mary, as well as that of Saint Monica and Saint Augustine, shows us something more: there were people who prayed and, without a doubt, also offered sacrifices to bring about that conversion. And at this point, we, as disciples of the Lord, must engage all our senses. You, beloved Father, continually place this in our hearts: to pray for those who have not truly opened themselves to Your love or who have even closed themselves off from it. Furthermore, You urge us to intercede for those who still live in error and therefore do not yet know You as You truly are, beloved Father.
Saint Abraham of Edessa won back the soul of his niece, and Saint Monica was able to witness her son’s conversion before she died. Even if we do not have the joy of witnessing the conversion of those for whom we pray, intercession is a service that we must not neglect, but rather practice fervently and regularly.