Saint Scholastica!!

I love Saint Scholastica.  Today is her feast day and she is my daughter Mary's Confirmation saint.  Therefore, we needed to stop at Bear Claw Coffee on the way to school today to get Mary a treat on her patron's feast day.  for more information on Saint Scholastica's life, check out this little video.

When I was in Rome three years ago with my family I was delighted to find in St. Paul's Outside the Walls the wonderful Felice Baini statue of Saint Scholastica depicted at the top of this post.  I quickly went over to Mary and excitedly told her, "Come see this!"which resulted in the picture below.

Saint Scholastica was the twin sister of Saint Benedict, depicted below in this statue by Felippo Gnaccarini which flanks the statue of Saint Scholastica at St. Paul's.

Saint Scholastic is the patron saint against storms which makes her a most appropriate patron for my daughter Mary who was, once upon a time, terrified of thunder storms.  Saint Scholastica was visiting her brother Benedict with whom she was very close.  As the day came to an end, Saint Scholastica begged her brother to stay the night so they could spend more time together.  Benedict refused, needing to get back to his monastery.  Saint Scholastica is then said to have put her head upon the table and prayed.  A thunderstorm so severe then developed that Saint Benedict was forced to spend the night.  That was their last visit together as Saint Scholastica died three days later.  Saint Benedict had a vision of her soul rising to heaven.

One could think that Saint Scholastica was rather insistent at having her own way in praying that her brother would not be able to leave.  Yet, she was motivated surely by a deep love for her twin and perhaps also a word of knowledge that her own death was coming soon and this could be her last chance to spend time with her beloved Benedict on Earth.  What a blessing that her prayer was answered and their final visit extended.  God is good.  All the time.