Feast of St. Scholastica

 

St. Scholastica                 Virgin and Religious Founder                 Twin Sister of St. Benedict                Feast Day: February 10th   Scholastica, was dedicated from her infancy to our Lord. Once a year she came to visit her brother. The man of God went to her not far from the gate of his monastery, at a place that belonged to the Abbey. It was there he would entertain her. Once upon a time she came to visit according to her custom, and her venerable brother with his monks went there to meet her. They spent the whole day in the praises of God and spiritual talk, and when it was almost night, they dined together. As they were yet sitting at the table, talking of devout matters, it began to get dark. The holy Nun, his sister, entreated him to stay there all night that they might spend it in discoursing of the joys of heaven. By no persuasion, however, would he agree to that, saying that he might not by any means stay all night outside of his Abbey. At that time, the sky was so clear that no cloud was to be seen. The Nun, hearing this denial of her brother, joined her hands together, laid them on the table, bowed her head on her hands, and prayed to almighty God.  Lifting her head from the table, there fell suddenly such a tempest of lightning and thundering, and such abundance of rain, that neither venerable Benedict, nor his monks that were with him, could put their heads out of doors. The holy Nun, having rested her head on her hands, poured forth such a flood of tears on the table, that she transformed the clear air to a watery sky.  After the end of her devotions, that storm of rain followed; her prayer and the rain so met together, that as she lifted up her head from the table, the thunder began.  So it was that in one and the very same instant that she lifted up her head, she brought down the rain. The man of God, seeing that he could not, in the midst of such thunder and lightning and great abundance of rain return to his Abbey, began to be heavy and to complain to his sister, saying: "God forgive you, what have you done?" She answered him, "I desired you to stay, and you would not hear me; I have desired it of our good Lord, and he has granted my petition. Therefore if you can now depart, in God's name return to your monastery, and leave me here alone."     Departure Delayed But the good father, not being able to leave, tarried there against his will where before he would not have stayed willingly. By that means, they watched all night and with spiritual and heavenly talk mutually comforted one another.  Therefore, by this we see, as I said before, that he would have had one thing, but he could not effect it.  For if we know the venerable man's mind, there is no question but that he would have had the same fair weather to have continued as it was when he left his monastery.  He found, however, that a miracle prevented his desire. A miracle that, by the power of almighty God, a woman's prayers had wrought. Is it not a thing to be marveled at, that a woman, who for a long time had not seen her brother, might do more in that instance than he could? She realized, according to the saying of St. John, "God is charity" [1 John 4:8]. Therefore, as is right, she who loved more, did more. The next day the venerable woman returned to her nunnery, and the man of God to his abbey. Three days later, standing in his cell, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he beheld the soul of his sister (which was departed from her body) ascend into heaven in the likeness of a dove Rejoicing much to see her great glory, with hymns and praise he gave thanks to almighty God, and imparted the news of her death to his monks.  He sent them presently to bring her corpse to his Abbey, to have it buried in that grave which he had provided for himself. By this means it fell out that, as their souls were always one in God while they lived, so their bodies continued together after their death.

Saint Scholastica, Woman of Prayer

"I made a request of you, and you would not listen; I asked my God and he heard me. Leave me now if you can, and return to your monastery. ..." - Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, Book Two

I can almost see St. Benedict: he wasn't pleased with his sister's antics. For a guy who wrote the Rule for his monks to observe, and who placed much emphasis on the ability of the Abbot to lead by example, this was not a simple situation for Benedict. What would his monks say? Monks are not allowed to spend the night outside the monastery, and he (Benedict) gave them that rule.

But, guess what? God has a wicked sense of humor. On this particular night, he (God) has Scholastica as his accomplice. Out of the clear sky, out of nowhere, a storm ensued making it impossible for Benedict to return to his monastery, hence Scholastica taunts him as quoted in the opening verse. That meeting was important, because 3 days later St. Scholastica died, and St. Benedict, standing in his cell in his monastery saw the soul of his sister going to heaven in the form of a dove. What a beautiful symbol for this holy Bride of Christ.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict. For us in the Benedictine family, this is a great feast. We know very little about the life of St. Scholastica. In fact the little we know is in relation with St. Benedict.

Even though we know very little about Scholastica, the little we know from this one story as told by Pope St. Gregory the Great illustrates a woman of great faith, who as St. Gregory puts it "did more because she loved more".

Today we ask for the intercession of St. Scholastica, not only for the Benedictine Men and Women religious around the world, but for all disciples of Christ. We are called to love, and as we respond to Christ's love for us, we are empowered to be agents of God's will.

Happy Feast of St. Scholastica!

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