66 66 66 66 66 things, the holy Nun thus spoke to her Brother: "I beseech thee, stay the night with me, and let us talk till morning on the joys of "heaven." He replied: "What "is this thou sayest, Sister? On no account may I remain out of the monastery." The evening was so fair, that not a cloud could be seen in the sky. When, therefore, the holy Nun heard her Brother's refusal, she clasped her hands together, and, resting them on the table, she hid her face in them, and made a prayer to the God of all power. As soon as she raised her head from the table, there came down so great a storm of thunder and lightning, and rain, that neither the venerable Benedict, nor the brethren who were with him, could set foot outside the place where they were sitting. The holy virgin had shed a flood of tears as she leaned her head upon the table, and the cloudless sky poured down the wished-for rain. The prayer was said, the rain fell in torrents; there was no interval; but so closely on each other were prayer and rain, that the storm came as she raised her head. Then the man of God, seeing that it was impossible to reach his monastery amidst all this lightning, thunder, and rain, was sad, and said complainingly: "God forgive 66 thee, Sister! What hast 66 thou done?" But she replied: "I asked thee a favour, and thou wouldst not hear sanctimonialis femina soror ejus eum rogavit dicens: Quæso te, ut ista nocte me non deseras, ut usque mane de cœlestis vitæ gaudiis loquamur. Cui ille respondit: Quid est quod loqueris, soror? manere extra cellam nullatenus possum. Tanta vero erat cœli serenitas, ut nulla in aere nubes appareret. Sanctimonialis autem femina, cum verba fratris negantis audivisset, insertas digitis manus super mensam posuit, et caput in manibus omnipotentem Dominum rogatura declinavit. Cumque levaret de mensa caput, tanta coruscationis et tonitrui virtus, tantaque inundatio pluviæ erupit, ut neque venerabilis Benedictus, neque fratres, qui cum eo aderant, extra loci limen, quo consederant, pedem movere potuerint. Sanctimonialis quippe femina caput in manibus declinans, lacrymarum fluvium in mensam fuderat, per quas serenitatem aeris ad pluviam traxit. Nec paulo tardius post orationem inundatio illa secuta est: sed tanta fuit convenientia orationis et inundationis, ut de mensa caput jam cum tonitruo levaret: quatenus unum, idemque esset momentum, et levare caput, et pluviam deponere. Tunc vir Dei inter coruscos, et tonitruos, atque ingentis pluviæ inundationem, videns se ad monasterium non posse remeare, cœpit con queri contristatus, dicens : Parcat tibi omnipotens Deus, soror, quid est quod fecisti? Cui illa respondit: Ecce rogavi te, et audire me noluisti; rogavi Deum meum, et audivit me; modo ergo, si potes, egredere, et, me dimissa, ad monasterium recede. Ipse autem exire extra tectum non valens, qui remanere sponte noluit, in loco mansit invitus. Sicque factum est, ut totam noctem pervigilem ducerent, atque per sacra spiritalis vitæ colloquia, sese vicaria relatione satiarent. Cumque die altero eadem venerabilis femina ad cellam propriam recessisset, vir Dei ad monasterium rediit. Cum ecce post triduum in cella consistens, elevatis in aera oculis, vidit ejusdem sororis suæ animam de corpore egressam, in columbæ specie cœli secreta penetrare. Qui tantæ ejus gloriæ congaudens, omnipotenti Deo in hymnis et laudibus gratias reddidit, ejusque obitum fratribus denuntiavit. Quos etiam protinus misit, ut ejus corpus ad monasterium deferrent, atque in sepulchro, quod sibi ipsi paraverat, ponerent. Quo facto, contigit ut quorum mens una semper in Deo fuerat, eorum quoque corpora nec sepultura separaret. On the morrow, the holy woman returned to her monastery, and the man of God to his. When lo! three days after, he was in his cell; and raising his eyes, he saw the soul of his Sister going up to heaven, in the shape of a dove. Full of joy at her being thus glorified, he thanked his God in hymns of praise, and told the brethren of her death. He straightways bade them go and bring her body to the monastery; which having done, he had it buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself. Thus it was, that, as they had ever been one soul in God, their bodies were united in the same grave. on this day, she is enjoying, with her Brother, the eternal joys of the heavenly life she so well deserves. tis vitæ gaudiis cum fratre suo perfrui meretur in sempiternum. The same Benedictine Breviary gives us these two Hymns for this Feast. HYMN. 0 Scholastica, blessed spouse of Christ! O Dove of the cloister! the citizens of heaven proclaim thy merits, and we, too, sing thy praises with joyful hymns and loving hearts. Thou didst scorn the honours and glory of the world; thou didst follow the teaching of thy Brother and his Holy Rule; and, rich in the fragrance of every grace, thou caredst for heaven alone. Oh! what power was in thy love, and how glorious thy victory, when thy tears drew rain from the skies, and forced the Patriarch of Nursia, to tell thee what he knew of the land above! And now thou shinest in heaven's longed-for light; thou art as a seraph in thy burning love, beautiful in thy bright grace; and united with thy divine Spouse, thou art reposing in the splendour of glory. Have pity on us the Faithful of Christ, and drive from us the miseries which cloud our hearts; that thus, the Sun of light eternal may sweetly shine upon us, and fill us with the joys of his everlasting beams." Te beata sponsa Christi, Te, columba virginum, Siderum tollunt coloni Laudibus, Scholastica: Nostra te lætis salutant Vocibus præcordia. Sceptra mundi cum coro nis Docta quondam spernere, O potens virtus amoris ! Luce fulges expetita In polorum vertice, Clara flammis charitatis Cum nitore gratiæ: Juncta Sponso conquiescis In decore gloriæ. Nunc benigna pelle nubes Cordibus fidelium, Ut serena fronte splendens Sol perennis luminis, Sempiternæ claritatis Impleat nos gaudiis. |