Welcome to our daily rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

St. Gregory the Great tells an amazing story about St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict, that I think is a great way to kick off Lent.

One day she came as usual, and her saintly brother went with some of his disciples

They spent the whole day praising God and talking about spiritual things

as night fell they had supper together. Their

spiritual conversation went on and the hour grew late. She said to her brother,

please do not leave me tonight. Let's go on until morning talking about the

delights of the spiritual life. Sister, he replied. What are you saying? You know I can't stay away from the monastery all night?

When she heard her brother refuse her request, she joined her hands on the table, laid her head on them, and

began to pray.

As she raised her head from the table, there was such brilliant flashes of lightning, such great peals of thunder, and such a heavy downpour of rain and hail that neither Benedict nor his brethren could stir across the threshold

of that place where they had been seated.

May God forgive you, sister?

What have you done?

cried Benedict.

Well, she answered,

I asked you and you would not listen.

So I asked God and he did listen. And so it came about that they

stayed awake the whole night talking about God and the spiritual life.

Wow, how would you like to have such a good friendship with Jesus that, as he said, whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.

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