Stories

St. Gregory the Great, a Benedictine pope of the sixth century, is credited with writing a collection of stories about St. Benedict and his sister, St. Scholastica. Here are just a few, adapted from his Dialogues, Book II (Life and Miracles of St. Benedict).

How Benedict Brought Water to Subiaco

Three of the monasteries which Benedict had founded in that region were up among the rocks on the mountain, and it was very difficult for the brothers to have to come down continually to the lake to draw water, especially as there was great danger from the steep incline of the mountain as they made their fearful descent. Then the brothers from those three monasteries got together, came to Benedict, and said, “It is difficult for us to come down every day to the lake for water; the monasteries will have to be moved to another place.”

Benedict consoled them gently and sent them away. That night, accompanied by young Brother Placid, he climbed the rock on the mountain and prayed there for a long time. When he finished his prayer, he placed three stones in the place to mark it and went back to his monastery without anybody there knowing it.

The next day when the brothers came to him again in need of water, he said, “Go to that rock where you will find three stones placed on top of one another and do a little digging. For Almighty God can produce water even on the top of that mountain and spare you from having to make such a difficult journey.” They went and found that the mountain rock of which Benedict had told them was already oozing. They made a hole in it and at once it was filled with water and flowed out so plentifully that it runs down in abundance to this day and forms a stream from that mountain peak to the bottom.

Of a Miracle Wrought by His Sister, Scholastica

There was one thing which Benedict would have done, and yet could not. For his sister Scholastica used to come once a year and visit him at a place between their two abbeys.

According to their custom, one year her brother with his monks went to meet her, and they spent the whole day praising God and talking about spiritual things. When it was almost night they ate together, and as they were sitting at the table, talking of devout matters, darkness came on. Scholastica entreated her brother to stay there all night, that they might spend it talking about the joys of heaven. But he could not be persuaded, saying that he could not stay away from his abbey all night.

At that time, the sky was clear and no cloud could be seen. The nun, receiving her brother’s denial, folded her hands and bowed her head in prayer. Lifting her head, there suddenly fell such a tempest of lightning and thunder, and such abundance of rain, that neither Benedict, nor his monks who were with him, could go outside. For the holy nun, resting her head upon her hands, poured forth such a flood of tears that she drew the clear air to a watery sky, and a great storm of rain followed.

Benedict, seeing that he could not return to his abbey in such a storm, began to complain, saying: "God forgive you, what have you done?"

Scholastica answered: "I asked you to stay, and you would not hear me. I asked our good Lord, and he has answered me. If you can now depart, in God's name return to your monastery, and leave me here alone."

But the good father, not being able to go forth, stayed. In this way they kept awake all night with spiritual and heavenly talk. By the power of almighty God, a woman's prayers had wrought a miracle. It is not a thing to be marveled at that a woman who had not seen her brother in a long time might do more than he could. According to the saying of St. John, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Therefore she did more who loved more.

How Benedict Saw the Soul of his Sister Ascend into Heavenly Glory

The next day Scholastica returned to her abbey, and Benedict to his. Three days later, in his cell Benedict raised his eyes to heaven, and saw the soul of his sister ascending to heaven in the likeness of a dove. He rejoiced to see her in glory, and with hymns and praise he gave thanks to God. Imparting the news of her death to his monks, he sent them to bring her body to his abbey, where he had it buried in the grave he had provided for himself. In this way, as their souls were always one in God while they lived, so their bodies continued together after their death.