Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

Saint Scholastica, twin sister of Saint Benedict (c. 480-547)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 8 The Divine Office at Night

Mass: For the memorial of St Scholastica: Songs 8:6-7; Resp Ps 148; 2 Cor 10:12-11:2; Lk 10:38-42

For the feria: Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17; Resp Ps 104; Mk 7:14-23

Your glory fills all heaven and earth.

DEVOTE YOURSELF OFTEN TO PRAYER.

(Rule of Saint Benedict 4:56)

Dear friends, happy feast of Saint Scholastica. It is a fitting day to devote yourself to prayer as Saint Scholastica's prayer was even mightier than her brother's. And that is no small matter. With the holy twins interceding for us, we are encouraged. 

What we know about Saint Scholastica comes from Pope Saint Gregory the Great and his Book II of the Dialogues, Life and Miracles of St. Benedict, Chapters 33 and 34. You can read some of the story in today's Office of Readings. I share with you an embellished version, something I wrote in 2012. Kyrie eleison.

As holy as Saint Benedict was, there was one occasion when he was unable to attain what he desired. In later chapters of the Dialogue, St. Gregory writes of Benedict's sister Scholastica, herself a holy woman, who consecrated herself to God in early childhood and who used to visit with her brother once a year. It was in a meeting detailed by St. Gregory that Scholastica's prayer was even mightier than her brother's. After the siblings had already "spent the whole day singing God's praises and conversing about the spiritual life", Scholastica asked her brother to stay the night so they could continue their holy conversation. Adamant about returning to his own monastery, Benedict refused. Even though the sky was clear, Scholastica "folded her hands on the table and rested her head upon them in earnest prayer". Just then a torrential downpour began and Benedict was unable to leave. Asking his sister what on earth she had done, Scholastica replied, "When I appealed to you, you would not listen to me. So I turned to my God and He heard my prayer". God answering Scholastica's prayer makes sense to St. Gregory who writes, "Do we not read in St. John that God is Love? Surely it is not more than right that [Scholastica's] influence was greater than [Benedict's], since hers was the greater love." Because of the love that Scholastica had for God and her brother, she and Benedict profited greatly from continuing their spiritual discussion all through the night. 

Furthermore, 

Ch. 34 [of the Dialogues] continues with three days after their visit when Benedict who "stood in his room looking up toward the sky ... beheld his sister's soul leaving her body and entering the heavenly court in the form of a dove". Benedict subsequently had his sister's body brought to his abbey and placed in the tomb which had already been prepared for him. St. Gregory adds, "their minds had always been united in God; their bodies were to share a common grave."

LET THEM PREFER NOTHING WHATEVER TO CHRIST, AND MAY HE BRING US ALL TOGETHER TO EVERLASTING LIFE.

(RB 72:11-12)

Today's photo: This magnificent work of art was done by Sister Protasia Schindler, OSB (late 19th century, early 20th), a Benedictine Sister of Mt. Angel, Oregon. It hangs in the Queen of Angels Monastery Dining Room. Other works by Sister Protasia adorn the Monastery. Image used with permission of the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel. 

© Gertrude Feick 2021