From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
February 10th - Saint Scholastica
For some reason sibling saints have always fascinated me. A few cited
in the Gospels: just to mention a couple, the brothers James and John
and the brother and sister trio of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Perhaps
sanctity runs in certain families? Well, it certainly can't hurt to
have a brother, sister, father or mother who is a saint. I believe the
family of St. Basil, considered the greatest of the Greek Fathers of
the Church, holds the record with six saints beside him. There were:
St. Macrina, his grandmother; St. Basil the Elder, his father; St.
Emmelia, his mother; St. Macrina the Younger, his sister; St. Gregory
of Nyssa and St. Peter of Sebaste, his brothers. Apparently I'm not
the only one fascinated by sibling saints. There is a book called
"Families Who Followed the Lord: Brother and Sister Saints" (now out
of print) written by Fr. Martin Harney, S.J. What about twins? Have
you ever heard of twin saints? I know of one such saintly pair.
St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict. They were born
around 480 to a Roman noble family in Nursia, a small town near
Spoleto, Italy. Very little is know about the life of St. Scholastica.
Her brother is much better known as he became the Patriarch of Western Monasticism. His life was written by Pope Saint Gregory the Great.
Scholastica seems to have consecrated her life to God from her
earliest youth as Pope Gregory mentions, "She had been dedicated from
her infancy to Our Lord." The mother died at their birth. When
Benedict was old enough he left home to study in Rome leaving
Scholastica with her father to tend the Nursian estate.
At about 17 years of age Benedict left Rome to live a solitary life,
first in Enfide in the Savine Mountains and then in a cave near
Subiaco. Soon his sanctity attracted disciples and he established
several monasteries for them. The greatest of all was Monte Cassino,
founded by Benedict in 529, where he wrote his monastic rule and died
in 543.
When Scholastica learned of her brother's total dedication to the
Lord, she determined to follow his example. It is not certain that she
became a nun immediately, but it is generally supposed that she lived
for some time in a community of pious virgins. I talked to a
Benedictine nun at St. Scholastica Priory, appropriately enough, near
our monastery. She said, "The tradition of St. Scholastica as a nun
dates from the 11th century. Before that she was considered a devout
and holy woman who lived in the vicinity of Monte Cassino." Some
biographers believe she eventually founded a monastery of nuns there.
The brother and sister communities were about five miles apart. St.
Benedict seems to have directed his sister and her nuns.
After Benedict's initial help with forming his sister's community, his
contact with her was limited. St. Gregory tells us that St.
Scholastica "used to come once a year to visit her brother." (Book II
of the Dialogues of St. Gregory) This once-a-year meeting took place
at a house situated halfway between the two communities. Benedict went
in company with some of his brethren to meet her at this house. These
visits were spent in conferring together on spiritual matters.
A delightful story is told of such a visit three days before
Scholastica's death on a clear day. They passed the time as usual in
prayer and pious conversation. Scholastica begged her brother to stay
the night, but he refused. She then joined her hands together, laid
them on the table and bowed her head upon them in supplication to God.
When she lifted her head from the table, immediately there arose such
a storm that neither Benedict nor his monks could leave.
"Seeing that he could not return to his abbey because of such thunder
and lightning and great abundance of rain, the man of God became sad
and began to complain to his sister, saying, 'God forgive you, what
have you done?'
"'I wanted you to stay, and you wouldn't listen,' she answered. 'I
have asked our good Lord, and He graciously granted my request, so if
you can still depart, in God's name return to your monastery, and
leave me here alone.'" (ibid) St. Benedict had no choice but to stay
and speak to his sister all night long about spiritual matters
including Heaven.
Three days later in the year 543, in a vision Benedict saw the soul of
his sister, departed from her body and in the likeness of a dove,
ascend into heaven. He rejoiced with hymns and praise giving thanks to
God. His monks brought her body to his monastery and buried it in the
grave that he had provided for himself. St. Benedict followed her soon
after and was buried in the same grave with his sister, "So death did
not separate the bodies of these two, whose minds had ever been united
in the Lord."
http://www.monksofadoration.org/scholas.html
Saint Quote:
We do not very often come across opportunities for exercising
strength, magnanimity, or magnificence; but gentleness, temperance,
modesty, and humility, are graces which ought to color everything we
do. There may be virtues of a more exalted mold, but... these are the
most continually called for in daily life.
--Fran=C3=A7ois de Sales
Bible Quote:
Let nothing be done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in
humility, let each esteem others better than themselves:=C2 (Philippians
2:3)
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Canticle Apocalypse 11
The Judgement
We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were,
that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign.
The nations were angered, but your anger came,
the time for the dead to be judged,
the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants,
and those who feared your name, both great and small.
Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Anointed,
for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down,
who accused them day and night in the sight of God.
But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb
and through their own witness.
They did not cling to life, even in the face of death.
Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)