Vigils Reading – St Scholastica

THE LIFE OF ST SCHOLASTICA

From Butler’s Lives of the Saints7

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St Scholastica, who was St Benedict’s sister, traditionally his twin,

consecrated herself to God from her earliest years, as we learn from St Gregory.

It is not known where she lived, whether at home or in a community, but after

her brother had moved to Monte Cassino, she settled at Plombariola in that

same neighborhood, probably founding and ruling a nunnery about five miles

to the south of St Benedict’s monastery. St. Gregory tells us that St. Benedict

governed the nuns as well as the monks, and it seems clear that St Scholastica

must have been their Abbess, under his direction. She used to visit her brother

once a year and, since she was not allowed to enter his monastery, he used to go

with some monks to meet her at a house a little way off. They spent these visits

in praising God and in conferring together on spiritual matters.

St. Gregory gives a remarkable description of the last of these visits. After

they had passed the day as usual they sat down in the evening to have supper.

When it was finished, Scholastica, possibly foreseeing that it would be their last

visit in this world, begged her brother to delay his return till the next day that

they might spend the time discoursing of the joys of Heaven. Benedict, who was

unwilling to transgress his rule, told her that he could not pass a night away

from the monastery. When Scholastica found that she could not move him, she

laid her head upon her hands which were clasped together on the table and

besought God to interpose on her behalf. Her prayer was scarcely ended when

there arose such a violent storm of rain that St. Benedict and his companions

were unable to set foot outside the door. He exclaimed, “God forgive you sister;

what have you done?” Whereupon she answered, “I asked a favor of you and

you refused it. I asked it of God, and He has granted it.” Benedict was therefore

forced to comply with her request, and they spent the night talking about holy

things. The next morning they parted, and three days later St. Benedict saw the

soul of his sister rising to heaven like a dove.

7 Butler’s Lives of the Saints , pg 42, edited by Michael Walsh – revised version , Harper Collins, San Francisco,

1991.15