Memorial of St. Scholastica (10 Feb 2020)
Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J., Spiritual Exercises, 8-day directed retreat
Sharing Favour
Listen closely. Imagine yourself in a room with the person making this self-description. I will ask you one question.
For me, [people are] important because [they] exist[]. [They] carr[y] within [themselves]…problems and difficulties trying to recount them, often with mistrust because of…failures. I am there with…neither magic solutions nor answers. I listen attentively…without judging. I do not have to decide whether [one] is right or wrong; I am there to accept [people] as [they are]. This permits the beginning of that wonderful miracle; a transformation process, a change.1
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Maria’s convictions reminded me of you, of me, of every Christian, of every friend of Jesus. Christians are convinced that a wonderful miracle happens to us and makes us “servants of Christ’s mission.”3 We Christians serve one another and the world when we wake each day and expect to see Holy Spirit at work. I know someone who calls this expectation of God’s unexpected energy bursting miracle watching.
Miracle watching bestows freedom: all is God’s gift to me; I am free to welcome God’s lavish love; I need “neither magic solutions nor answers.”; I am free to be who God creates me to be this day, this hour, this moment. I freely welcome my share of Christ’s work for the world; and I’m equally free to rest with Christ and feel filled with his presence.
Retreat affords us time to rest in Christ un-disturbed and feel filled with Christ’s presence. Our interior senses notice it. Christ communi-cates to us who we are. More aware of who I am as Christ beholds me consoles me with my true, healed, transformed self. I am energized, guided, joyfully propelled into life, into action, into service beyond myself.
We cannot give ourselves Christ’s consoling presence. We can welcome Christ’s commissioning in the world and we can trust it. Christ’s commissioning is no less a miracle than his healing touches sick people experienced when Christ walked the land of Gennesaret. Christ’s commissioning of us favours us as it favours our world. Let St. Scholastica and her twin keep that alive in you.
The twins Benedict and Scholastica visited each other once a year in a farmhouse, [common ground for the monk and nun]. [The church has treasured] their last day together…. Scholastica sensed her death was close at hand and she begged Benedict to stay with her until the next day.
He refused her request because he did not want to spend a night outside the monastery—he would break [the] Rule [of life Benedict had written for monks. It must have been a weighty decision for him.] Scholastica asked God to let her brother remain and a severe thunderstorm [arose], preventing Benedict and his monks from returning to the abbey.
Benedict cried out, “God forgive you, Sister. What have you done?” Scholastica replied, “I asked a favor of you and you refused. I asked it of God and he granted it.”4
Christ told Scholastica who she was. Christ is telling you who you are and favouring your corner of the world by returning you to it. Relish that twin favour; ask to keep it aglow within you; and freely share its light.
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- Maria Cristina Falaschi [Counsellor, President of the Association of Professional Counsellors REICO], “The beauty of the Word in the Women who nurture life,” WOMEN OF THE WORD Voices from the world, VITA PIÙ n. 10 JANUARY/APRIL 2020, p. 14.
- Its Board of Directors.
- The phrase is the self-understanding of Jesuits. Countless people help us extend Christ’s mission to others throughout the world.
- Saint of the Day, February 10.
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Wiki-images by: The sick were presented to Jesus. PD-US; © Ralph Hammann—Wikimedia Commons Sts. Scholastica and Benedict CC BY-SA 4.0
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