Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin
Today is the Memorial of St. Scholastica, known for her devotion to God from an early age, and patron saint of Benedictine nuns. I chose to reflect upon the readings for the feast day, as they draw us into the unquenchable love of God and impel us to more fully surrender to that love. Today is a great day to get lost in God’s passionate, fiery, and irresistible love – that love that is relentless until it consumes us fully.
St Scholastica was sister to St Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Order of St Benedict, known for his Rule of Life. When we consider a virgin like St Scholastica, we see a person consecrated to God with a particular purity of intention and singular devotion. She embodies what it means to be the bride of Christ in a very unique and beautiful way. We might be tempted to think that such a devotee knows the love of God in ways that we cannot ever approximate. But nothing could be further from the truth. Christ invites each of us into a passionate love affair with him.
In our Gospel, we see Christ’s dear friend Mary sitting at his feet, listening to him in singular, rapt devotion. Consumed and caught up in love, she is lost in the moment, lost in her Lord. Mary knows the Lord intimately and her devotion flows from knowing her belovedness. St John’s first letter tells us, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The more we really know, intimately know God’s love, the more we can love God back, and then the more we can love our neighbor as ourself. I think sometimes we try to love God first, but how can we offer pure love without having first received it and embodied it?
Our first reading is a powerful selection from the Song of Songs. It speaks of the relentless love of God, the love that pursues us ‘til the end; it sings of the unquenchable love of God, the fiery love that no amount of deep water can put out. The group Jesus Culture has produced an indescribable song based on this passage. I urge you to quiet yourself and let these anointed lyrics wash over you and draw you ever more deeply into God’s love. Please take some quiet moments today and allow this incredible song to minister to you. Its power comes from the scriptures themselves being set to music. You can find it here. If you really get into it, a longer version can be found here. God bless you this day to be captivated and consumed by the Lover of your Soul. Amen!
Elizabeth Wourms