Memorial
10 February Profile Twin sister of Saint Benedict.
Born to the noblility. Her mother died in childbirth. 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. 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 crozier and crucifix, nun with dove flying from her mouth Back
to Saints Index Gallery at www.TotallyCatholic.com |
