LIVING AS A MYSTIC—HILDEGARD OF BINGEN

Here is another one of my assignments I wrote in 2020 for my Spiritual Classics course.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) was a Benedictine abbess, visionary, composer, and writer. She recorded mystical visions, composed sacred music, and wrote on theology, nature, and medicine. Canonized and named a Doctor of the Church, she is remembered as one of the most influential women of the Middle Ages.

We were asked to reflect on her life and how it might influence young women of our time. Here are my thoughts:

Studying Hildegard as a sixty-seven-year-old woman has brought to mind memories of when I was first introduced to this intriguing mystic who has been described as an author, prophetess, preacher, counselor/therapist/spiritual companion, musician, artist, poet, and scientist. She seems to be a rare mix of humility and courage, walking paths not open to women of her time.

My earliest memory of Hildegard was when I was in my mid-thirties—about three decades ago. I was in much pain and confusion as I was going through an unwanted divorce while caring for two small children, and beginning to walk a path of recovery from alcoholism. God brought a Benedictine nun into my life as a strong ray of hope in a dark time. Sr. Audrey introduced me to the music of Hildegard. My strongest memory of her was about five years later after I had remarried and was giving birth to a daughter. We played her CD, Visions, during the home birth. The birth did not go as planned and there were moments when we were concerned for the life of the baby. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending, and this daughter just celebrated her twenty-fourth birthday. (She just celebrated her 29^th birthday October 1.) I had not listened to Hildegard’s music since that time. I just recently listened to the album as I was reading the book assigned for class. I was struck by how deep and haunting her music seems to me—a rich mixture of pain, fear, sadness, joy, faith, and ecstasy. Those words also describe that birth experience.

Reading our assignment, I felt drawn to share this book with my three daughters who are in their twenties and thirties. My personal experience with Hildegard when I was a young adult, and the fact that I wanted to share her with my young adult daughters speak to the fact that I feel Hildegard would be relevant to young adults of our time. I feel young women would be drawn to her as a woman of great strength who worked for reform and renewal.

Her writings tell the complete story of God and man/woman in a very unique way—prophetic and scientific.  Her visions reflect God as the fiery light of divine essence. She describes all of humanity’s physical and mental conditions as seen likewise throughout the universe.  As one reads her and listens to her music, there is a sense of the harmony in spirit, mind, and body—an interconnectivity of all. These themes resonate well with today’s young adults.

Her imagery in song and prose present and help clarify complex and mysterious concepts such as the creation story, our salvation and redemption, and our complete dependence on the Creator. I believe young adults would be drawn to her focus on balance in all aspects of life. She speaks to all social classes as she speaks of unity and balance contributing to good physical and spiritual health and healing.

Her understanding of music as a gift from God woven throughout our life is also appealing. Her description of wisdom as not so much thinking but rather tasting is a powerful concept to ponder.  “To build a house of wisdom in ourselves and in our community means to learn the art of savoring and the joy of living.” (Christian Mystics by Ursula King)

I believe young adults would be attracted to her deep mystical faith, her humility and delicate vulnerability, and the fact that she walked a path that most women religious at the time did not. God’s message through her had and has a very broad and varied audience.

Wisdom from Hildegard:

Every creature is a glittering, glistening mirror of Divinity.  Just as a mirror which reflects all things, is set in its own container, so too the rational soul is placed in the fragile container of the body.  In this way the body is governed in its earthly life by the soul and the soul contemplates heavenly things through Faith.

…humanity, take a good look at yourself, inside, you’ve got heaven and earth, and all of creation. You’re a world—everything is hidden in you.

“…for the ineffable Trinity unceasingly works the miracles of Its profound wisdom among the faithful who seek virtue and flee the seductions of the Devil.” (God works in us, through us and with us. Goodness is of God. We only can cooperate.)

“And if you then cast off weariness and run courageously in God’s commands, He will always hear the cry of your prayers…”

“There the Word perfected all good things, and by His gentleness brought back to life those who had been cast out because of their unclean sins and could not return to their lost holiness.  What does this mean? That through this fountain of life came the embrace of God’s maternal love, which has nourished us unto life and is our help in perils, and is the deepest and sweetest charity and prepares us for penitence.”

Re-reading my writing five years later brings to mind two ideas I have recently been pondering and praying with:

*We all are unfinished business—works in progress that need God’s grace and power and
*We are all mystics in that we have the capacity to enter deeply into prayer and union with God.

Photo credit: Cathy Raney, Sunset on Lake Cortez, Hot Springs Village, AR