Siblings often have a keen sense of one another, knowing when they are making excuses and withholding something.
Twins typically have even more of a "sixth sense" regarding how their sibling is feeling, and if they are holding anything back.
According to tradition, St. Scholastica and St. Benedict were twins, and St. Gregory preserved a humorous story that highlights St. Scholastica's spiritual sense and the power of her prayers.
Spiritual conversations
One of the most popular stories from the life of St. Scholastica is told in the book of Dialogues by St. Gregory the Great.
In it, St. Gregory narrates how the two siblings would meet to talk about spiritual topics dear to their heart:
Scholastica, the sister of Saint Benedict, had been consecrated to God from her earliest years. She was accustomed to visiting her brother once a year. He would come down to meet her at a place on the monastery property, not far outside the gate.
One day she came as usual and her saintly brother went with some of his disciples; they spent the whole day praising God and talking of sacred things. As night fell they had supper together.
The night was growing late and St. Benedict was eager to go back to his cell.
Yet, St. Scholastica did not want that to happen and knew her brother could stay a little longer:
Their spiritual conversation went on and the hour grew late. The holy nun said to her brother: “Please do not leave me tonight; let us go on until morning talking about the delights of the spiritual life.” “Sister,” he replied, “what are you saying? I simply cannot stay outside my cell.”
Since St. Benedict was firm in his stance, St. Scholastica had to take matters into her own hands:
When she heard her brother refuse her request, the holy woman joined her hands on the table, laid her head on them and began to pray. As she raised her head from the table, there were such brilliant flashes of lightning, such great peals of thunder and such a heavy downpour of rain that neither Benedict nor his brethren could stir across the threshold of the place where they had been seated. Sadly he began to complain: “May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?” “Well,” she answered, “I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my God and he did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to your monastery.”
Reluctant as he was to stay of his own will, he remained against his will. So it came about that they stayed awake the whole night, engrossed in their conversation about the spiritual life.
St. Scholastica had a simple yet strong faith in God. She knew that if it was God's will that her brother should stay with her, that he would make it happen.
This funny little story highlights the power of prayer, especially when that prayer is coming from someone with a complete trust in God.
