February 10 2020 - St. Scholastica - Those who love more can do more

St. Gregory the Great said, “Since God is love, then surely he can do more who loves more.”  We certainly see the power of love at work in the life of St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict.

Like Benedict, Scholastica heard the call of God to leave the worldliness of the city in order to pursue the call of radical holiness. The two siblings helped each other start a community for religious women about five miles south of Benedict’s monastery in Monte Cassino.

We only have one story of Scholastica, but it’s a great story. Because they were so dedicated to their holy way of life, the holy siblings were only able to visit together once a year, and only for a short while, for they both had to return to their communities according to their rule of life. One year, they met at a residence half way between their two communities to spend the day praying and  speaking of God and the spiritual life.

When Benedict said he had to return to the monastery, Scholastica begged him to stay and talk awhile longer. Benedict refused, saying that his rule required that the monks be in their monastery at night. Desiring their holy conversation to continue, Scholastica folded her hands, put her head on the table, and prayed. As she prayed, a storm began, so terrible that no one could venture out. "What have you done?" Benedict exclaimed to his sister. She explained that she entrusted their time together to the will of God and God granted this favor.

Benedict and Scholastica continued their conversation and prayer until morning.  And then both returned to their monastery. Three days later, while praying in his cell, Benedict had a vision that his sister had died.  In his vision, her soul rose to heaven in the form of a dove.  Benedict buried his sister in the tomb that had he had originally prepared for himself.

When we love God, our priorities begin to coincide with His. For Scholastica and Benedict, it was a holy conversation, and lives dedicated to seeking radical holiness. Love of God opens up new pathways, new possibilities, that we never thought possible before, whether its calming a storm, founding a religious community, overcoming sinful habits and engaging in new modes of charity and service.

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May St. Scholastica help us to love God with such purity and trust, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
For the good of the Church, for the Pope and his prayer intentions for this month: that the needs of migrants and victims of human trafficking may be heard and acted upon.

For those in religious life, that like St. Scholastica they may shine as beacons of Christ’s light and love in the world, and for an increase in vocations to the consecrated life.

For a healing of all the wounds of sin and divisions in families, that the love of God may govern all families, for a healing of troubled marriages, and for all engaged couples.

For the sick and suffering, and for all of our beloved dead, especially X, for whom this mass is offered.

Homily: Feb 10 2017 - St. Scholastica - Holy Conversation and Phubbing

Though they had both consecrated themselves to God, it was common for St. Scholastica to visit her brother St. Benedict. There is the famous story the two holy siblings were visiting, engaging in the holy talk of the saints, and it was time for Benedict to return to the monastery. Maybe she knew it would be their last such visit because she was coming to the end of her life, or maybe she just desired to spend more time in holy conversation with her brother, but Scholastica closed her eyes and began to pray. A torrential down pour of rain, thunder and lightning swept through making it impossible for Benedict to go home. For this reason she is the patron saint against storms and rains.

They talked and prayed throughout the night and three days later Scholastica died, her soul appearing to Benedict back in his monastery in the form of a dove flying into the heavens.

I love the story of Scholastica and Benedict’s holy conversation. The image of two saints talking of the joys of heaven, not allowing earthly cares or earthly distractions divert them. I also can’t help but compare the story to our modern culture. Our culture continues to be marked by endless noise and banal distractions of every conceivable kind. At restaurants you see a family gathered for a meal, and each of them have a cell phone in their hands; they don’t know how to talk to each other.

I learned a new word recently. It’s called “phubbing”. Phubbing is when you use your phone to “snub” someone; instead of talking to the person next to you, you intentionally avoid the conversation by checking your email or playing angry birds or whatever.

The scary thing is married couples are doing this to each other in the home, and in the bedroom. Instead of that holy communication between husband and wife, they are using their phones as excuses not to talk with each other. When this happens, anger, resentment, stress, anxiety build up because they are not expressing these things in healthy ways.

Studies show that couples nowadays are less intimate than in previous generations: and these cell phones are certainly part of the problem.

Families would do well to institute a no cell phone rule in all family bedrooms and at all meals and when guests visit the house.

The life and example of St. Scholastica call us back to healthier practices: healthy communication, family prayer, discipline in rightly ordering worldly responsibilities with religious duties.
The saints help us recover what we have lost through sinful, worldly habits. May St. Scholastica help increase our love for God and love for our fellow man for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That members of families may practice charity toward one another, share in the joy of faith together, aid each other in the spiritual life, and help each other avoid sin and to grow in sanctity.

That the use of technology may always be rightly ordered according to the commands of God.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and for a strengthening of all Christian marriages.

Through the intercession of Saint Scholastica, for all those adversely affected by storms, severe weather, for their safety and well-being.