The Gregorian Mass of the Feast of St. Scholastica, the (twin) sister of St. Benedict is the only Gregorian setting of these texts – and of course we had Solemnity today ☺️.
The related story written by the monk, pope and church teacher Gregory the Great (ca. 540-604) has a lot to say to us today, as it is about the brotherly togetherness of men and women in faith. In the second book of dialogues, a conversation between teacher and student, Pope Gregory reports that Benedict “loses out” and is taught by his sister 😉. At her prayer, a thunderstorm breaks out:
“The man of God now realized that he could not return to the monastery because of the thunder and lightning and the heavy downpour. He became sad and lamented: “May God Almighty forgive you, sister! What have you done?” She answered him : “Behold, I have asked you, and you have not heard me; I have asked my Lord, and he has heard me. Go only if you can. Leave me and return to the monastery!”…That’s why I said he wanted something and couldn’t do it. … Completely against his will, he stood before a miracle that the power of Almighty God had wrought according to a woman’s heart’s desire. It is not surprising that the woman who wished to see her brother longer was at that moment able to do more than he did.According to a saying of John, God is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8,16). So it is quite true: the former could do more because she loved more.PETER: I have to admit that I like what you say very much.”
Pope Gregory must have been a man of great human and spiritual maturity – and a good sense of humor that he made this story a high point in his life of St. Benedict does.
We’re still practicing 😉… And I wonder how it came about that this Mass is preceded by the unusual liturgical notice: “ubi concessa est – where it is permitted” 😇
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