Reflection from the Vigil of St. Scholastica
At the end of this Vigil prayer we will sing a song entitled “Be Thou my Vision” imploring Christ to be everything for us: the love of our heart, our best thought each day, our wisdom, our guest ever-present with us, our light.
In our antiphons we sing of tears of love which Scholastica called down as raindrops from heaven to keep her brother with her – because she longed for the knowledge of God which he could share with her, and she with him.
Several years ago I spoke about imagining what Scholastica’s life might have been like, since we know really so little about it. Certainly, she had a “vision” of monastic life centered in God, as the song we will sing says. It wasn’t necessarily exactly the same as Benedict’s vision which he described in his Rule.
The story of Benedict and Scholastica’s meeting all night due to the deluge of rain, happened towards the end of her life. But undoubtedly, she had met him many times over the years, because she knew the Rule and the charisms of Benedictine life according to the Rule.
Perhaps her vision of Benedictine life was based on his, but no doubt her vision was different because she was different. No two people share exactly the same thought and vision of life. All of us learn that, each time in community when a new topic or idea is proposed.
Surely, she would have created something that enabled a peaceful, loving, hospitable, and faithful community to live together while staying focused on seeking God. Probably the community had gardens, a guest house, bakery, a sewing shop, a medicinal lab, and maybe even an art studio? I imagine, they, like the monks, had to support themselves, even while being dedicated to God in every way.
More than likely, she adjusted that Rule for the women, and also followed things she had learned in earlier years: God is ever present; hospitality for all must be lived as Jesus lived it - welcoming everyone; coming to know Jesus through the Scriptures was vital for prayer; being practical in what they could do was important as well.
Like Mary, sitting at Jesus feet listening with the ear of her heart, Scholastica sat with Benedict – I imagine they were both listening to each other with ears open to all the goodness each had. Like Martha, Scholastica offered hospitality to Benedict, and with a little nudge from God, Benedict received and returned that hospitality by staying and talking all night.
As we learned in the beginning of our Benedictine journey and way of life, it all begins with listening: to God, to Jesus’ in the Scriptures, to the Rule, and to the many saints whose lives have preceded ours: Those we’ve known, both and in and out of community, and those we’ve only read about.
As we continue to look toward the future, while staying faithful to our way of Benedictine life, we also have a vision.
Tomorrow, let us spend time with each of our founding Saints, listening with a vision, as they must have done, and while doing so, let us not forget to express our own gratitude for the blessing our monastic life is for us.