Today is the feast of Saint Scholastica, sister (possibly twin sister) of Saint Benedict, the father of western monasticism. She is often consider the mother of Benedictines.
There is a beautiful story told by St. Gregory the Great in his Books of Dialogues, about her persistence.
Each year Benedict and Scholastica met for a day of prayer and discussion in a house near Benedict’s monastery. As a woman she was not permitted in the male monastery.
She had a premonition that she would soon die and so she asked her brother to stay the night and speak of the things of heaven. He said no; he had to return to the monastery, because of the Rule. She bowed her head and prayed. A huge storm came on and prevented Benedict from leaving.
Benedict castigated her. But she calmly noted:
I asked you and you would not listen to me. So I asked my God and he listened.
St. Gregory notes that
“It ought not surprise us that the woman won out. John tells us that ‘God is Love.‘ It was inevitable that she who loved more would accomplish more.”
This story reminded me of something I read recently:
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
So let us too persist in prayer – in the face of intransigence.
walk the way 