Saint Scholastica, Sister of Benedict

February 10 – St. Scholastica, Sister of Benedict –

“She who has leisure to devote to study”. According to tradition, the twin sister of Benedict, she led some form of consecrated life with a group of Christian women. Gregory tells us that yearly she journeyed to meet her brother at a house midway between their residences. On one momentous occasion, as evening fell, Benedict packed up his monks to return to the monastery from which, according to his own Rule, he was not permitted to be absent overnight. Scholastica begged him to make an exception and stay over so that they could continue their holy conversation. When Benedict refused, Scholastica wept and prayed and immediately such a torrent of rain fell that no one could leave the house. As Gregory says, the woman’s prayers prevailed with God because her love was the greater.