Deacon Leah Sandwell-Weiss
Dear friends,
I am the oldest of five children, with four brothers. When reading about Scholastica, Benedict of Nursia’s sister, and today’s saint, I started thinking about my relationships with my brothers.
While we’ve led quite different lives, with different faith journeys, the surviving four of us are close and follow God in our own ways. The youngest brother has even become a lay preacher.
It appears that Scholastica and Benedict were close, as well.
Not much is known about Scholastica, other than that she was Benedict’s sister, possibly his twin. While Benedict is the founder of the Benedictine order and author of the Rule of St Benedict, Scholastica is considered the patron saint of nuns.
She might have started a community of like-minded women; it might have been near Benedict’s monastery at Monte Casino. We really don’t know.
What we know about Scholastica primarily comes from the writings of Pope Gregory the Great who only told one story which involved Scholastica. This involved her annual trip to visit Benedict near his monastery.
They spent the day praising God and discussing scripture. After eating, Benedict prepared to leave so he could return to his monastery for the night, as required by his Rule. Scholastica, believing she was going to die soon, begged him to stay, saying “I beg you not to leave me tonight, so that we might talk until morning about the joys of heavenly life.” Benedict refused.
She then prayed that God would do something to prevent him from leaving. At the end of her prayer, a violent storm broke out. Benedict was upset, but when he reproved her for keeping him there, she told him, “See, I asked you, and you would not listen to me. So I asked my Lord, and he has listened to me.”
Benedict had to stay the night. Scholastica died three days later. According to Gregory, Scholastica justly thwarted her brother’s wishes by the greater strength of her love.
How do you share your faith with your siblings?
Assist us, O God, to love one other as sisters and brothers, and to balance discipline with love and rules with compassion, according to the example shown by your servant Scholastica; for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
—Deacon Leah
