OF COURSE we finish up a full week of saintly action by ignoring the cultural phenomenon of St. Patrick's Day. No green beer for us -- we're all purple all the time anyway. No, today in Lent Madness it's Scholastica vs. Macrina the Younger with nary a shamrock in sight! This contest is chock-full of sibling rivalry as Scholastica was St. Benedict of Nursia's twin sister while Macrina had a plethora of saintly siblings. Read on for details...
Yesterday Amelia Bloomer yanked down Phillipp Melanchthon by a wide margin of 74% to 26% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen.
As you prepare for a full 48 hours of saintly voting deprivation, we wanted to point out that you don't have to wait until Monday morning to discover the results of this matchup. After the polls close in 24 hours, simply click on this post and scroll down to see the results. You can also click on the Bracket tab for all the current results.
We'll see you bright and early on Monday for the Battle of the Consonants aka Name-a-Geddon as Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky faces Nikolaus von Zinzendorf. Now go vote!
Scholastica
Double the pleasure; double the fun! Born in fifth-century Italy, Scholastica was the twin sister of Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Benedictine monasticism. Stories report that from an early age, Scholastica was dedicated to God. As a daughter from a wealthy family, she received an excellent education.
Learned, devout, and authoritative, Scholastica is considered the founder of the female branch of Benedictine monasticism. The historical record is not entirely clear about whether she began a convent or merely lived in a hermitage with other female monastics at the base of Mount Cassino, where there is an ancient church named after her.
Pope Gregory records the most well-known story of Scholastica, showing her to be a twin to her visionary brother in every way. She was believed to visit Benedict annually, and they would spend the day in prayer and discussion. When the evening drew near on one such visit, Benedict announced he needed to return to his cell. Scholastica asked him to stay so they could continue talking. Not wishing to break his own rule, Benedict insisted upon returning to his cell. In response, Scholastica brought her hands together in an attitude of prayer. Almost instantly a fierce storm rose up outside. Benedict asked, “What have you done?” She replied, “I asked you, and you would not listen; so I asked my God, and he did listen.” Benedict was unable to return to his monastery, and the twins spent the night in discussion, as Scholastica requested.
Three days later, while looking out the window of his cell, Benedict saw his sister’s soul ascending to heaven. He sent for her body and laid it in a tomb that he he had prepared for himself. Scholastica’s death from natural causes was recorded in 543. Scholastica is petitioned during storms and is also the patron saint of female monastics and epileptic children. Her feast day is February 10.
Collect for Scholastica
God, giver of wisdom and ruler of will, we thank you for the gift of our sister Scholastica, who spent a life devoted to family, prayer, and spiritual discipline. Grant us a portion of that same spirit of conviction and tenacity, so that when faced with difficult conversations or partings, we might also remember the true joy and peace that is found in serving you, through Jesus Christ our Lord who, with you and the Holy Spirit, reigns now and for ever. Amen.
Macrina the Younger
Born around 327, Macrina was the eldest of nine (or ten) children and was named after her grandmother (Macrina the Elder) who endured persecution under the Romans. Her parents Basil the Elder and Emmelia of Caesarea must have known something about raising children—half of their offspring are remembered as saints—Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa (two of the three Cappadocian Fathers), Peter of Sebaste, Naucratius, and Macrina.
Macrina was betrothed to a young man who died shortly before their marriage. Upon his death, Macrina took a vow of chastity, considering herself already married to the young man and expecting to be reunited at the resurrection. After the death of her father, Macrina convinced her mother to take vows, and they both became nuns. Some time later, a tumor began to grow on Macrina’s breast. Her mother begged her to see a doctor to have the tumor removed. Macrina refused, asking her mother to make the sign of the cross on her chest. Her mother did this, and the tumor miraculously disappeared with a faint, cross-shaped scar taking its place.
Upon her mother’s death, with the help of her brother Peter, Macrina turned the family home into a monastery and convent. Living an ascetic life, she worked with her hands and lived simply with the other monastics. She gave herself to the study of scriptures and continued to offer counsel and inspiration to her better-known, younger brothers.
In 379, shortly after Basil died, a still-mourning Gregory came to visit Macrina and found her on her deathbed—a rough plank of wood with a smaller piece of wood for a pillow. So extreme was her poverty and asceticism that they could not find even a cloth to cover her. Although she neared death, she offered words of comfort to her brother and encouraged him to remember the promise of the resurrection. Their conversation inspired Gregory’s treatise, On the Soul and the Resurrection. Gregory also wrote a biography of his sister, The Life of Macrina.
Collect for Macrina the Younger
Merciful God, you called your servant Macrina to reveal in her life and her teaching the riches of your grace and truth: May we, following her example, seek after your wisdom and live according to her way; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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230 comments on “Scholastica vs. Macrina the Younger”
Happy St. Patrick Day....may he share it with St. Scholastica today...Think of her and education..how many schools and colleges are named in her Benedictine memory ?
Did not know of her as patron saint of storms..but will remember it next time I am blown off my porch by the wind !!!
For me, this bracket was about which early Christian woman had the most impact on the men who stood on their shoulders. Macrina has my vote - her dedication to God and the nurturing of her sibs seem to directly influence the Early Church's battle against the Arian heresy. Macrina hails from a significant family that had literally every member involved in formation of our faith - that tough time between a ragtag band of Jesus followers to an established Movement. In the midst of so many faithful reacting by joining the solitary monastic movement, some like Macrina and her family stayed and engaged.
Today with the political environment what it is - I'm so tempted to disengage and adopt a mental monastic approach, and yet Macrina and her kith and kin present another way.
I just didn't get that vibe from Scholastica.
My mom celebrated her 80th birthday this past February 10th and is named Escolastica. Knowing that, I think it obvious for whom I voted. 😉
Y'all, she asked God to summon a storm, and He did it! I mean...
Surprised I'm the only one who brought up Macrina's universalism. Normally that's a big thing around here. I shared a quote from her earlier today.
http://intotheexpectation.blogspot.com/2011/07/hopeful-universalism-of-macrina-and-her.html
I like them both. I voted for Scholastica because after reading the comments it seemed that most people were voting for Macrina and I wanted it to be close. Now I wish I had voted for Macrina.
Summoning up a storm to keep talking with jer brother! Can't beat that. Scholastica got my vote.
I don't feel like this does justice to the influence Macrina had over her more-famous brothers and the rest of her family at all. Very disappointing. I encourage all of you who were left with the feeling that she didn't do much to do more research.
Scholastica for 3 reasons: I relate better to her personality/spirituality; I'm a Benedictine confrater, and as a chaplain at St. Mary's, Peekskill, years ago I often celebrated in the beautiful St. Scholastica's chapel in the convent.
They seem pretty even to me, but as the youngest of a large family I had to go with the one who had to get God's help to get her brother to listen! Scholastica it is!
Since I have Benedictine leanings, and my Benedictine group is the companions of Benedict and Scholastica, I must vote for her. She is the patron saint of my Sister friends.
I vote for Scholastica. She was able to get her brother to listen to her with God's help.
For my friend of 40 years, a nun in a Cistercian monastery, I had to stop at twin to Benedict and vote for Scholastica.
Now, to continue reading/learning about today's two saints ...
Horrible pairing. I wanted to vote for both. But the final choice was Scholastica, because I have a dog that is deathly afraid of thunder storms. Guess I will look for a Scholastica medal to put on her collar. This dog herds us to the basement when a tornado is coming. She also lets us know when an earthquake occurs even as far away as 500 miles, at exactly one minute before it occurs.
I loved hearing about your dog! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thank you for your comment. We think she is pretty special (oops I should have said spoiled). She expects waffles for breakfast. But since she protects me from storms, she can have what she wants.
Good doggie!
Frankly, Emmelia (Macrina's mother) should be the saint, with 9 or 10 children, but I had to go with Scholastica
I loved Macrina, she was so dedicated to making her home a holy place. A fire can't start without a flame, and macrina was one of those flames.
Another tough decision! Two great women, but my heart belongs with the Benedicitines so I had to vote for Scholastica.
Namely because my birthday is on March 9 when ee Hear about Macrina dying in her brothers arms.
Macrina was noted as a very learned theologian who was highly regarded by her brother. She gave respect to the fashion then common that women ought not to teach; she would never take a direct position, but always couched her responses in questions, "Did not the learned so-and-so say such-and-such about this?" leaving the hearer to connect the dots. Her bio does not adequately address the depth of her knowledge and the fine reputation she had as a person of profound learning.
She does not get the recognition she deserves.
We voted for Scholastica because it reminded us of the story of Martha and Mary. Martha followed the rules and Mary listened to Jesus. As Scholastica was to die in three days, whatever God wanted her to impart to her brother must have been important.
I'm just wondering if either of them wore pants.
Woah, very difficult choice. I went with Scholastica because my brother struggled with seizures. Not a good reason, I know, but oh well!
While they were both individuals of deep faith and learning, I voted for Scholastica. She knew that, even if rules are rules, sometimes compassion dictated the rules needed to be bent, or even broken.
I also didn't want to present the example of Macrina rejecting medical treatment in favour of faith healing for her tumour. As a hospital chaplain myself, I don't want to present this action as a positive thing for any person of faith to emulate in the face of a life-threatening illness.
Actually, change "present" to "promote" in the first sentence of my second paragraph. It makes more sense that way.
Thumbs up!
My wife and I lived in Arizona for several years and more than once I asked Scholastica to pray for rain!
Love both with the whole siblings thing but had to go with Schoolastica I am often having to plead my brother to spend time with me too. But really both are great.
OK my birthday is February 10th - need I say more? OK but I will anyway..so having a birthday on St. Scholastica's feast day, I have been aware of her for as long as I can remember. I always felt a bit proud of her (and of being associated with a "scholarly" saint) and wanted (I think) to do her proud by being a good student. I always felt she influenced my academic pursuits! So am happy today to cast my vote for her! 🙂
Macrina the Younger for me because she challenges me with her asceticism.
Didn't think I'd vote for Scholaatica, but I didn't know she was the patron saint for children with epilepsy. That tipped it for me. A condition that has carried--and still often does--a stigma.
I was waiting for the chance to vote my personal saint Scholastica. I chose this saint during my confirmation due to her close tie with her brother, as I was very close to my brother during our childhood. We've grown apart now but I am inspired to reach out to him today after reading the story again of Scholastica.
That would be a blessed outcome of this Lent Madness. I wish you well, Petra.
I voted for Scholastica, because I like my saints with a touch of spunk, but I love that the blessed, much-loved, highly influential Macrina the Younger was also the eldest! (And took her role as the eldest child very seriously.)