St. Monica, who lived in the days of the early Church, lived a life of sacrifice. Her husband was infamous for his bad temper. She had to practice heroic virtue just to give him the love and respect of a good wife. She prayed for him every day, and eventually had the joy to see the fruit of her virtue, prayers, and sacrifices. Her husband became a new man. He converted to the true Faith before he died.

But God did not give her such remarkable patience for her husband alone. Monica was visited all too often by her embittered neighbors, complaining about their own husbands. She sat quietly through one story after another about the men’s harsh words and treatment. When they were finished, Monica would smile, and give wise counsel to the unhappy women.

"Yes, these things are indeed unfortunate. But don’t you think that you yourselves may have caused these things? And that by your words or actions you provoked your husbands? As their wives, you are bound to respect them. Our husbands are our superiors, and it is wrong for us to treat them as if they were our equals, or even inferior to ourselves."

Monica spoke from her own experience. Not only is it moral and virtuous for a woman to respect her husband, but it is the surest way of taming him. What’s more, her experience with her neighbors clearly showed that an arrogant wife can only bring out the worst in her husband.

Indeed God sent Monica to her time and place for the sake of everyone around her. Her female neighbors got along as poorly with each other as they did with their husbands. They were easily embittered, and frequently got into quarrels with no peaceful end in sight. Then each side would run to Monica, the sole voice of reason. Each one would tell her own side of the story, speaking with bitterness, even hatred, of her offending neighbor.

It was often very difficult to reconcile these poor women. But St. Monica knew how pleasing it is to God to drive out all malice and ill-will. With prayer and patience, the saintly woman worked tirelessly to wipe out animosity, and to enkindle the flames of charity.

"Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God."