The Month of February Dedicated to the Holy Family
Saints: Saint Scholastica, Virgin (480-547); The Shipwreck of Saint Paul
Readings of the Day
Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 8 The Divine Office at Night
Mass: Gn 3:1-8; Resp Ps 32; Mk 7:31-37
For the Feast of Saint Scholastica: Songs 8:6-7; Resp Ps 148; Lk 10:38-43
Young men and women, praise the name of the Lord.
MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,
SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,
PRAY FOR US.
JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH,
PRAY FOR US.
Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart.
(Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue 1)
Today we celebrate Saint Scholastica, the twin sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-547). Together, they are known as the "holy twins." What we know about Saint Scholastica is contained in Book Two of the Dialogues of St Gregory the Great, Life and Miracles of St Benedict. In Ch. 33 of the Dialogues, Pope Saint Gregory writes about Scholastica, who was consecrated to God in early childhood and who used to visit with her brother once a year. It was in the meeting detailed by Saint 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 is not surprising to St Gregory who remarks, "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 her brother, she and Benedict profited greatly from continuing their spiritual discussion all through the night. Ch. 34 continues with three days after their visit when Benedict "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 [Monte Cassino in Italy] and placed in the tomb which had already been prepared for him.
When recalling this story, one saying comes to mind, "Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today." So important when we are talking about building and maintaining our relationships with those we love. It may be that we are unable to be near our loved ones, or at least close enough to visit regularly. We can still call, write a letter, and most importantly, pray for him or her. The same holds for maintaining and strengthening our relationship with Jesus. Today may be a good day to spend a little extra time visiting with Jesus,* no matter how pressing other matters may seem. Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may He bring us all together to everlasting life (Rule of Saint Benedict, 72:11-12)
SAINT SCHOLASTICA,
SAINT BENEDICT,
PRAY FOR US.
* This reflection was posted February, 10, 2018. A lot happens in five years. We must run and do now what will profit us forever (RB Prologue 44).
Today's photo: You have seen this before, a magnificent work of art painted 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 2023
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