ST SCHOLASTICA; 10th FEBRUARY

 ST SCHOLASTICA; 10th FEBRUARY



St Scholastica was the sister of St Benedict of Nursia, the founder of the monastic tradition. She was born in 480 AD in Nursia, Umbria, of wealthy parents. It is said that she established a hermitage outside Monte Cassino which was the first convent of Benedictine nuns. The Dialogues of St Gregory the Great provide for a rather charming story, recounted in Wikipedia, where it was said that St Scholastica would visit her brother at a place near his abbey and “they would spend the day worshipping and discussing sacred texts.

One day they had supper and continued their conversation. When Benedict indicated it was time for him to leave, Scholastica, perhaps sensing that the time of her death was drawing near, asked him to stay with her for the evening so they could continue their discussions.
Not wishing to break his Rule, Benedict refused, insisting that he needed to return to his cell. At that point, Scholastica closed her hands in prayer, and after a moment, a wild storm started outside of the guest house in which they were staying.
Benedict asked, "What have you done?", to which she replied,
"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."
Benedict was unable to return to his monastery, and they spent the night in discussion
Three days later, from his cell, he saw his sister's soul leaving the earth and ascending to heaven in the form of a shining white dove. Benedict had her body brought to his monastery, where he had it laid in the tomb which he had prepared for himself.
The Anglo-Saxon bishop and scholar Aldhelm recounts the story in both the De Laude Virginitatis and in Carmen de virginitate.

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