|
Twin sister of Saint Benedict. Nobility. Her mother died in childbirth.
Nun. See the Reading section below for Pope Saint Gregory's telling of
some of the stories of her life.
Born: 480
Died: 543 of natural causes
Name Meaning: she who has leisure to devote to study
Patronage: against rain, convulsive children, nuns, storms
Representation: nun with crosier and crucifix; nun with dove flying
from her mouth
Reading
Scholastica, the sister of Saint Benedict, had been consecrated to God
from her earliest years. She was accustomed to visiting her brother once a
year. He would come down to meet her at a place on the monastery property,
not far outside the gate.
One day she came as usual and her saintly brother went with some of his
disciples; they spent the whole day praising God and talking of sacred
things. As night fell they had supper together.
Their spiritual conversation went on and the hour grew late. The holy nun
said to her brother, "Please do not leave me tonight; let us go on until
morning talking about the delights of the spiritual life."
"Sister," he replied, "What are you saying? I simply cannot stay outside
my cell."
When she heard her brother refuse her request, the holy woman joined her
hands on the table, laid her head on them and began to pray. As she raised
her head from the table, there were such brilliant flashes of lightning,
such great peals of thunder and such a heavy downpour of rain that neither
Benedict nor his brethren could stir across the threshold of the place
where they had been seated. Sadly, he began to complain.
"May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?"
"Well, she answered, "I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my
God and he did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to
your monastery."
So it came about that they stayed awake the whole night, engrossed in
their conversation about the spiritual life.
Three days later, Benedict was in his cell. Looking up to the sky, he saw
his sister's soul leave her body in the form of a dove, and fly up to the
secret places of heaven. Rejoicing in her great glory, he thanked almighty
God with hymns and words of praise. He then sent his brethren to bring her
body to the monastery and lay it in the tomb he had prepared for himself.
from Dialogues by Pope Saint Gregory the Great
|
