St. scholastica short biography
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Benedict then announced the death of his sister to the monks and later buried her in the tomb he had prepared for himself.
Reflection
Saint Scholastica and Benedict gave themselves totally to God and gave top priority to deepening their friendship with him through prayer. Since St. Scholastica couldn’t enter the monks’ monastery, St.
Benedict, accompanied by some monks, would meet her at a designated location some distance from both monasteries. In the centuries to follow, their way of life spread far and wide across the Western world.
In his book Dialogues, Pope Saint Gregory captures the holy love that Benedict and Scholastica shared. St. Scholastica’s death occurred around 543, with St.
Benedict passing shortly after. Benedict responded to her, “Sister, what are you saying? The siblings parted the next day, and three days later, Benedict had a vision of his sister’s soul being taken to Heaven in the form of a dove. The storm ensured they spent the night in continued spiritual discourse. They spent the day praising God and engaged in spiritual talk.
He had his brothers bring her body to the monastery, and Scholastica was buried in the grave intended for Benedict. Scholastica sensed her death was close at hand and she begged Benedict to stay with her until the next day.
He refused her request because he did not want to spend a night outside the monastery, thus breaking his own Rule.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
February 10: Saint Scholastica, Virgin—Memorial
(Optional Memorial if Lenten weekday)
c. St. Benedict seems to have directed his sister and her nuns, most likely in the practice of the same rule by which his own monks lived.
Unlike her brother, St.
Scholastica was never the subject of a formal biography. 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. Concerning which point also I must needs tell you, how there was one thing which the venerable father Benedict would have done, and yet he could not.
For his sister called Scholastica, dedicated from her infancy to our Lord, used once a year to come and visit her brother.
Saint Scholastica, you and your brother shared the same family and were deeply united in a spiritual friendship. St. Benedict declined, citing the rule against spending the night outside the monastery. ‘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.'” St.
Benedict had no choice but to stay and speak to his sister all night long about spiritual matters — including the kingdom of heaven for which she would soon depart.
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.
The twins visited each other once a year in a farmhouse because Scholastica was not permitted inside the monastery. Both had a powerful influence upon monastic life as we have it today, Benedict being the father of Western monasticism and Scholastica its mother.
As a child, Scholastica dedicated herself to the service of God, taking no interest in the things of this world.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Reflection taken from:
Saints and Feasts of the Liturgical Year
Volumes One–Four
Further Reading:
Dialogues, by St. Gregory the Great
Catholic Saints & Feasts
Sanctoral
Catholic Exchange
Catholic News Agency
Vatican News
Butler’s Lives of the Saints
Saints of the Order of Saint Benedict
Franciscan Media
Video’s
Wikipedia
All Saints for Today
All Saints for the Liturgical Year
From the books of Dialogues by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
Chapter Thirty-three: of a miracle wrought by his sister Scholastica.
GREGORY.
Scholastica seems to have devoted herself to God from her earliest youth, as the account of Benedict’s life by Pope Gregory the Great mentions that his sister was “dedicated from her infancy to Our Lord.”
The twins’ mother died at their birth. I asked it of God and he granted it.”
Brother and sister parted the next morning after their long discussion.