Kathryn Lopez
1. Maria Grizzetti:
What would we do if we could choose all over again?
The Christian life allows for this question to be asked and replied each waking hour of each waking day.
2. Seeing with St. Scholastica.
3. From today’s Liturgy of the Hours:
From the books of Dialogues by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
(Lib. 2, 33: PL 66, 194-196)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.
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.”
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.
It is not surprising that she was more effective than he, since as John says, God is love, it was absolutely right that she could do more, as she loved more.
Three days later, Benedict was in his cell. Looking up to the sky, he saw his sister’s soul leave her body in the form of a dove, and fly up to the secret places of heaven. Rejoicing in her great glory, he thanked almighty God with hymns and words of praise. He then sent his brethren to bring her body to the monastery and lay it in the tomb he had prepared for himself.
Their minds had always been united in God; their bodies were to share a common grave.
4. Pope Francis this morning (#homilytweet):
Set out on the path and you will discover your identity, because you are the image of God, you are made in the likeness of God. Get up and seek God
5. #OPPower link:
The Divine absurdities of Love are so full of the wisdom of God that they are beyond the wisdom of men.
6. Lent prep: 10 ideas from Pope Francis. (More from Kevin Cotter, who compiled the top ten list, on Pope Francis and mercy here.)
7. Cardinal Newman’s rules for bloggers?
8. Neat-looking website. (Hat tip: Ed Mechmann)
9.
Our Lady and the Tabernacle radiant with coloured light from a stained glass window https://t.co/TnR2iGKcL4
— Fr Lawrence Lew OP (@LawrenceOP) February 10, 2015
(His photos are beautiful, of beautiful things and it is always an excuse to link to our interview “Tweeting the Gospel.”)
10. A prayer from today’s Office of Readings:
Lord,
as we recall the memory of Saint Scholastica,
we ask that by her example
we may serve you with love and obtain perfect joy.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
Saint Scholastica, pray for us.
A BONUS, later arrival: What does it mean to be made in God’s image and likeness?
the foremost way we are made in God’s image — something that St. John Paul II pondered at great length and helped the whole Church to see — is that we are made in the image of a loving communion of persons. God is Trinitarian. He lives in eternal communion.
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