SAINT SCHOLASTICA

Virgin

St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict, the Patriarch of Western monasticism. She was born in Umbria, Italy, about 480. Under Benedict’s direction, Scholastica founded a community of nuns near the great Benedictine monastery Monte Cassino. We are told that Scholastica “could be sated or wearied with the words of grace which flowed from St. Benedict’s lips.” Inspired by Benedict’s teaching, his sister devoted her whole life to seeking and serving God. St. Scholastica died in the peace of Christ in the year 547. Tradition holds that at her death her soul ascended to heaven in the form of a dove.

Introit
Ps 44:8
You love justice and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
Ps 44:2
My heart overflows with a goodly theme; as I sing my ode to the King.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
You love justice and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.  

Mass of a VIRGIN, except

COLLECT

O God, you brought the soul of the blessed virgin Scholastica to heaven in the form of a dove in order to bring to our notice her life of innocence. Through the prayers and merits of Your saint may we live such a life that we too may attain everlasting happiness. Through Our Lord . . .

Lesson 
Lesson from the second letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
2 Cor. 10:17-18; 11:1-2
Brethren: He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. For he is not approved who commends himself, but he whom the Lord commends. Would to God that you could bear with a little of my foolishness! Nay, do bear with me! For I am jealous for you with a divine jealousy. For I betrothed you to one spouse, that I might present you a chaste virgin to Christ.

Gradual
Ps 44:11-12
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear; for the King shall desire your beauty.
Ps 44:13; 44:10.
V. All the rich among the people seek Your favor; the daughters of kings come to meet You.
Ps 44:15-16.
V. Behind her the virgins of her train are brought to the King; they are borne in to You.
V. They are brought with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the King.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 25:1-3
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: Then will the kingdom of heaven be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom and the bride. Five of them were foolish and five wise. But the five foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them, while the wise did take oil in their vessels with the lamps. Then as the bridegroom was long in coming, they all became drowsy and slept. And at midnight a cry arose, ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming, go forth to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ The wise answered, saying, ‘Lest there may not be enough for us and for you, go rather to those who sell it, and buy some for yourselves.’ Now while they were gone to buy it, the bridegroom came; and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Finally there came also the other virgins, who said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Amen I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.  

SECRET

May this sacrifice of Thy dedicated people be accepted by Thee, O Lord, in honor of Thy Saints: to whose merits we attribute the help afforded us in tribulation. Through our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION

Thou hast filled Thy household, O Lord, with holy gifts: do Thou cherish us always, through the intercession of her whose festival we are keeping. Through our Lord . . .

St. Scholastic (left)
Little Daughter of the Divine Will Luisa Piccarreta (right)

Volume 3; December 21, 1899
Luisa speaks about virginity and purity.

After a long silence, this morning, interrupting it, my lovable Jesus said to me: “I am the receptacle of pure souls.” And in these words of His I received intellectual light that made me comprehend many things about purity, but I can repeat little or nothing with words, of what I feel in my intellect. However, most honorable lady obedience wants me to write something, be it even nonsense, and to make her content I will speak my nonsense about purity.

It seemed to me that purity is the noblest gem that the soul can possess. The soul who possesses purity is invested with candid light, in such a way that blessed God, in looking at her, finds His own image; He feels drawn to love her, so much so, that He reaches the point of becoming enamored with her, and He is taken by so much love that He gives her His most pure Heart as dwelling, because only that which is pure and perfectly clean enters into God; nothing stained can enter that most pure bosom. The soul who possesses purity retains within herself her original splendor that God gave her in creating her; nothing is disfigured or disennobled in her; rather, like a queen who aspires to her nuptials with the celestial King, she preserves her nobility until this noble flower is transplanted into the celestial gardens. Oh! how this virginal flower is fragrant of a distinct odor! It always rises above all other flowers, and even above the very Angels. How it stands out with varied beauty! So, all are taken by esteem and love, and give it free way, to let it reach up to its Divine Spouse, in such a way that the first place around Our Lord is of these noble flowers. And Our Lord greatly delights in strolling in the midst of these lilies that perfume the earth and Heaven; and He delights even more in being surrounded by these lilies because, He being the first noble lily and the model, He is the specimen of all the others.

Oh! how beautiful it is to see a virgin soul! Her heart gives off no other breath but that of purity and of candor; it is not even shadowed by any other love which is not God; even her body gives off fragrance of purity. Everything is pure in her: pure in her steps, pure in operating, in speaking, in looking, and also in moving. So, at the mere sight of her one feels the fragrance and recognizes a soul who is truly virginal. What charisms, what graces, what mutual love and loving stratagems between this soul and her Spouse Jesus! Only one who experiences them can say something; and one cannot even narrate everything. Besides, I don’t feel entitled to speak about this, therefore I keep silent and I move on.

Benedictine Daughters and Monks of the Divine Will

Click here for website of the Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will

Book of Heaven; Volume 4; 1/27/01

As I (Luisa) was in my usual state, my adorable Jesus made Himself seen for a little while and, I don’t know why, He said to me: “My daughter, the whole establishment of the Catholic Faith is in the establishment of Charity, which unites the hearts and makes them live in Me.” Then, throwing Himself into my arms, He wanted me to refresh Him. After I did as much as I could, He gave me tit for tat, and He disappeared.

Sister Josephine Bakhita
Information about Sister Josephine Bakhita is available at Catholic Online

St. Jerome Emiliani
Information about St. Jerome Emiliani is available at Catholic Online

*****

Book of Heaven:  Volume 12; October 12, 1920

Jesus to the Little Daughter of the Divine Will Luisa Piccarreta:  “So it happens to the one who Lives in My Will. Being placed in My Conditions, and the Sun of My Volition being in her, she is the one who Must Give Light, Warming, Helping, Reassuring, Comforting. So, I Alone AM your Help – and you, from within My Will, shall Help others.”

How, by living in the Divine Will, all goods are centralized within the soul.  

Having received Holy Communion, I (Luisa) was calling everyone – my Queen Mama, the Saints, the first man Adam with the retinue of all generations, up to the last man who will come upon earth, and then all created things – so that, all together, prostrate with me around Jesus, we might adore Him, bless Him, love Him; so that nothing might be missing around Jesus, of all the works which came out of His hands – not a heart that palpitates, nor a sun that shines, nor the vastness of the blue heavens studded with stars, nor the sea that murmurs, and not even the tiny little flower that gives off its fragrance.  I wanted to centralize everything and everyone around Jesus-Host, so that we might render Him the honors due to Him.  His Will made everything present to me as if everything were mine, and I wanted to give everything to Jesus. …

Jesus did and suffered everything in the Divine Will. 

…  I (the Little Daughter of the Divine Will, Luisa Piccarreta) was thinking about the Passion of my sweet Jesus, and I felt those pains so close to me, as if He were suffering them at that very moment; and looking at me, He told me:  “My daughter, I suffered all pains in my Will, and as I suffered them, they opened many ways in my Will to reach each creature.  Had I not suffered in my Will, which envelops everything, my pains would not have reached you and everyone; they would have remained with my Humanity.  Even more, because I suffered them in my Will, not only did they open many ways in order to reach creatures, but they opened as many other ways in order to let creatures enter into Me, unite themselves with those pains, and give Me, each one of them, the pains which, with their offenses, they would give Me throughout the course of all centuries.  And while I was under the storm of the blows, my Will brought Me each creature to strike Me.  So, it was not just the ones who scourged Me, but the creatures from all times would concur in my barbarous scourging with their offenses.  The same with all other pains:  my Will brought Me everyone; no one was absent from roll call, everyone was present to Me – no one escaped Me.  This is why my pains were – oh! how much harder, how much more numerous than those which could be seen.  Therefore, if you want your offerings of my pains, your compassion and reparation, your little pains not only to reach Me, but to follow the same ways as mine, let everything enter into my Will, and all generations will receive their effects.” …

9/6/13 – Vol. 11

I was thinking about the Hours of the Passion which have now been written, and how they are without any indulgence. So, those who do them do not gain anything, while there are many prayers enriched with many indulgences. While I was thinking of this, my always adorable Jesus, all kindness, told me: “My daughter, one gains something through the prayers with indulgences. But the Hours of my Passion, which are my own prayers, my reparations and all my love, came really from the depth of my Heart. Did you perhaps forget how many times I united Myself with you to do them together, and I turned chastisements into graces over the entire earth? So, my satisfaction is such that, instead of the indulgence, I give the soul a handful of love, which contains infinite love of incalculable price. Further, when things are done for pure love, my Love finds Its outpouring – and it is not inconsiderable that the creature can give relief and expression to the Love of her Creator.”