St. Scholastica

Today is the feast of St. Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict, father of western monasticism.  There's a nice piece about her here, which is an accepted account of her, or what can possibly be known of someone who lived so long ago.

But I am particularly fond of this story about Scholastica, from The Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris. It's not clear where the story originates from, and who knows how true it may be, but I'm not sure that's important.


"One winter night, Benedict's sister, Scholastica, was awakened by a song bird. How can this be, she thought, and she looked out the window of her cell. Three naked men were dancing in the monastery garden by the light of the moon. One whistled like a bird and made her laugh. The men were fair to look at, Scholastica thought, but she knew she needed more rest before the first prayers of the day.

Kneeling by her bed, she closed her eyes and sleepily said a prayer for the men - if they were men - that they might find shelter, clothing, and rest for their dancing feet, and if (as she suspected) they were demons, that they might return to from whence they came.

When she awoke, her cell was filled with the scent of roses. Where the men had been dancing, a rose bush had sprung up and was blooming in the snow. It bloomed all that winter, and it blooms to this day."

"Do not judge, that you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged "
"Ask, and it shall be given you "        -  Matthew 7: 1-2a, 7a

St. Scholastica, please pray for us.