Hildegard to the Nun Elisabeth
The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen 201r Hildegard to the Nun Elisabeth 1152-56 This letter is notable for its view of Hildegard as the older, more experienced visionary offering motherly advice to her young protegee. Elisabeth's troubles come, Hildegard informs her, precisely because of her chosen status, for the devil is especially vicious against those who are singled out by God. Therefore, those so chosen must remain humble, remembering always that they are mere trumpets in the hands of Another.
I, a poor little form of a woman and a fragile vessel [cf. II Cor 4.7], say these things not from myself, but from the Serene Light: People are vessels which God has fashioned for Himself, and which He has imbued with His inspiration so that He might complete all His works in them. For God does not work as man does, but all things are brought to perfection by His command. Vegetation, forests, and trees appeared, and the sun, moon, and stars came forth, in order to serve mankind. The waters brought forth fish and birds. Herds and beasts also arose, all to serve human beings, as God commanded.
Of all creation, however, human beings alone did not acknowledge Him.1
For although God gave them great knowledge, they elevated themselves in their own spirit, and turned away from God. God had intended to perfect all His works in human beings, but the ancient deceiver deluded them, and through the delight of an unseasonable wind tainted them with the sin of disobedience when they sought out more than they should have.
Ach! Woe! Then all the elements became entangled in the alternation between light and darkness, just as mankind did by transgressing against God's commands. But God "irrigated" certain individuals so that mankind would not be totally mocked. For Abel was good, but Cain was a murderer [cf. Gen 4.2ff].
And many saw God's mysteries in the light, but others committed multitudinous sins until the time arrived when God's Word shone forth, as it is said: "Thou art beautiful above the sons of men" [Ps 44.3]. Then the "Sun of justice" [Mal 4.2] came forth and illumined mankind with good works both in faith and deed, just as the dawn comes first, and the other hours of the day follow until the night comes. So, O my daughter Elisabeth, the world is in flux. Now the world is wearied in all the verdancy of the virtues, that is, in the dawn, in the first, the third, and the sixth—the mightiest—hour of the day. But in these times it is necessary for God to "irrigate" certain individuals, lest His instruments become slothful.
Listen now, O my anxious daughter. The arrogant deception of the ancient serpent [cf. Gen 3.Iff; Apoc 12.9,20.2] sometimes wearies those persons inspired by God. For whenever that serpent sees a fine jewel he hisses and says, What is this? And he wearies that jewel with the many afflictions that distress a blazing mind longing to soar above the clouds, as if they were gods, just as he himself once did.
The Letters
Listen again: Those who long to complete God's works must always bear in mind that they are fragile vessels [cf. II Cor 4.7], for they are only human. They must always bear in mind what they are and what they will be. They must leave to Him Who is of heaven the things of heaven, because they are exiles ignorant of the things of heaven. They can only sing the mysteries of God like a trumpet, which only returns a sound but does not function unassisted, for it is Another who breathes into it that it might give forth a sound. But let them put on the breastplate of faith [cf. I Thess 5.8], those who are mild, gentle, poor, and afflicted, like the Lamb, for they are the sound of His trumpet, and in character they are like guileless children. For God always scourges those who sound His trumpet, but according to His own good purpose, He foresees that their fragile vessel will not perish.
O my daughter, may God make you a mirror of life. I too cower in the puniness of my mind, and am greatly wearied by anxiety and fear. Yet from time to time I resound a little, like the dim sound of a trumpet from the Living Light.
May God help me, therefore, to remain in His service.
Note 1. A not uncommon idea in the twelfth century. See Letter 1 Sr, n. 2.
202/203 Elisabeth to Hildegard 1157-64(?) Elisabeth of Schonau1 writes in condemnation of the Cathars. See Letters 15r and 169r for Hildegard's views on the same subject.
Rejoice with me, lady and venerable daughter of the eternal King, for the finger of God writes upon you so that you may utter the word of life [cf. Phil 2.16;
I John 1.1]. You are blessed, and it will always be well with you. You are the instrument of the Holy Spirit, for your words have enkindled me as if a flame had touched my heart, and I have broken forth into these words.
My lady Hildegard, rightly are you called Hildegard2 because God's goad works mightily in you to edify His Church. Be comforted by the Holy Spirit, blessed lady, for the Lord has chosen you, and appointed you as one of those about whom He Himself says, "I have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain" [John 15.16]. And so you walk on the road of the contemplation of the Lord like a dove "in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall" [Cant 2.14]. He Who chose you will
The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen Himself crown you with a crown of rejoicing. The path of the Lord has been made straight before you. O my lady Hildegard, complete the work of the Lord, just as you have begun, because the Lord has appointed you to work in His vineyard
[cf. Matt 20.Iff]. For the Lord sought people to work in His vineyard, and all those He found were idle because no one had hired them. The Lord's vineyard has no gardener, and so it has perished. The head of the Church has languished, and so its limbs have died. Alas, what will happen in this matter? For the Lord is finding few in His Church who consider this matter with burning spirit, but each person wishes to be a rule unto himself, and live according to his own will. The Lord has tested them, and found them sleeping [cf. Matt 26.40ff; Mark 14.37ff;
Luke 22.45f]. As a result, a thief has come and dug through the stone of the foundation and destroyed it. He has thrown it into a dry well, and it has not been watered. The stone of the foundation is the head of the Church, which has been cast off [cf. Ps 117.22; Matt 21.42]. Thus the Church of God has withered, for it lacks moisture. Withdrawn from the love of God, it has grown cold. But I remember that once I had a vision in which poisonous serpents were about to come into the Church of God, desiring to furtively tear it apart. I understand that this refers to the Cathars, who are now stealthily deluding the Church of God. O Lord, our protector, drive them out. "And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized"
[Matt 11.6] at this time. The patriarch David says, "Shall he that sleepeth rise again no more?" [Ps 40.9]. Arise! Wake up! Keep watch! For the vengeance of God calls to you. Wail, shepherds, and cry out. Sprinkle yourselves with ashes, and repent. Give no quarter to the devil, for "as a roaring lion, he goeth about seeking whom he may devour" [I Pet 5.8], Blessed is the one who fears the Lord of all creation, and importunes the highest priest to take away the disgrace of His people [cf. Is 25.8], Thus all Israel will be saved.
Now, My people have become perverse, and walk before Me with stiff necks, and they do not understand that they stand under My judgment. By scourging them, I show the offenses they have committed against Me and against My saints.
And the saints stand before My throne every day crying out "Lord, King of eternal glory, all things are in Your power, and no one can resist Your will. Avenge our blood, for they trample us into the earth with their pollutions" [cf. Apoc 6.10], I the Lord, Creator of all created things, sent forth My incarnate Word from the heights of heaven into the valley of darkness to give light to those who were in darkness [cf. Is 9.2], those who thought that they were of some account although they were nothing, those who loved darkness more than the light [cf.John 3.19].
But He "was the true light" [John 1.9], like the morning star in the midst of a cloud, like the sun shining in its might at midday. He shone in the midst of His people, full of wisdom and strength, and the whole earth was filled with His teachings. But you have forgotten Him. I swear by My right hand and by My throne that it will be this way no longer.
O man, whoever you are, how will you be able to excuse yourself? You have eyes, and yet you do not see; you have ears to hear, but you do not understand
[cf. Ezech 12.2]. What more can I do for you? If you destroy yourself, who, do you think, will redeem you? Remember that the only son of My heart died once and for all time for your sins, rose again, ascended into heaven, and sits in His
The Letters
glory. He left you the example to follow in His footsteps. How are you following Him? What kind of heart is yours? What kind of conscience? His ways are far from your ways. Do not turn aside, neither to the right nor to the left [cf. Deut
5.32], but follow in His footsteps, and then you will be able to come to Him. But now you are slipping from sin unto sin, from damnation unto damnation. Walk while the light is with you, lest the darkness overwhelm you [cf.John 12.35], for the ancient leviathan believes that he will devour the whole world. But this is still a time of grace. Repent, "seek ye the Lord your God, while he may be found: call upon him, while he is near" [Is 55.6]. Turn to Me with all your heart, and I, the Lord, will turn to you, and I will be reconciled to you. I will never desert you in time of trial and distress. And that ancient serpent will fall into great ruin, and will spill out almost all his bowels.
What is it that I said about the bowels of the ancient serpent? There are some who now have been swallowed up in his bowels, but will later be vomited out.
These are murderers, adulterers, robbers, unrighteous men who have hastened their souls into death. These are the wretched Cathars, who are more abominable than any other creature. They utter flaming words from their sulfurous tongues, and the earth is polluted by their loathsome beliefs. Just as once the people crucified Me, so they, who cherish such beliefs, crucify Me every day. O how devilish is the madness of those who know that I am the Creator of heaven and earth and of all that is in them and know too that I gaze into the abyss [Ecclus
42.18], but who still lacerate My wounds when they pour forth the body and blood of My sacraments, which were offered for the salvation of all believers. If they provoke Me to wrath, I, the Lord, will wipe their race from the earth, and send it all the way to hell in My fury. Desist, perverters of justice, desist from this madness! Otherwise, I will order you to be punished beyond the limits of belief, suffering sulphur, inextinguishable fire, and the worms of hell without end. The suffering in hell is beyond all human comprehension; only that mighty leviathan, the seducer of the whole world, can comprehend it, for he is bound there.
Lest I strike you "with the sword of my mouth" [Apoc 2.16], I, the Lord, command you by My right hand—you kings, princes, bishops, abbots, priests, and all who are in lofty positions—to drive out and destroy with might and main in the Catholic faith all heresies that cause schisms in the Church that I begot in the bitterness of My spirit. You wretched and damnable hypocrites! You appear before men as if you were religious and guileless men, although inside you are full of wicked thoughts. Tell me: How can you believe in God almighty if you do not believe that all things are possible for God almighty [cf. Matt 19.26; Mark
10.27; Luke 18.27]? It was indeed possible with God to send forth His holy spirit from the seat of His great majesty into a virginal womb, and for the Word of His incarnation to come forth from it. Do you believe that God the Father created mankind in His image and likeness [cf. Gen 1.26f], and that He "put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it" [Gen 2.15]? And that the ancient serpent deceived him so that he fell into sin and was cast out because of his disobedience [cf. Gen 3.Iff]? O wretched hypocrite! How long do you think you will last in your sins if you do not believe in the Son of God, Who proceeds from the Father? Yet you do not believe that He was incarnated, or that He truly
The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen suffered, or that He was buried, or that He rose again, or that He ascended into heaven, or that He will come to judge the living and the dead [cf. Acts 10.42;
II Tim 4.1; I Pet 4.5]. But you who are educated examine the books of the New Testament, take His words into your heart, and discover what kind of fruit you find there. Be renewed by the Holy Spirit, and rekindle your hearts for the edification of the Church sanctified in Christ Jesus, illumined by the sacred Gospels, and cleansed of its ancient rust. Holy Church was joined and betrothed to the heavenly Bridegroom, the Son of the Eternal King, Who washed its sins away in the Jordan River, so that there might be one faith, one baptism, one church, one dove, and one elect bride of Christ Jesus. Therefore, O you who are the chosen race, the sacred nation, the regal priesthood, the people of increase, remember the freedom I gave you when I freed you from the yoke and captivity of the devil. "You were heretofore darkness, but now light" [Eph 5.8]. Your God says: Walk so that you may be My dear children, so that you may be children of light. And again Truth says: I planted you as My chosen vineyard [cf. Is 5.2], and caused you to recognize the whole way of truth. Why have you regressed, walking on a way that is not straight? You follow your own sinful way, and you seek peace after your own will, saying: There will be peace, but there is no Son of peace. But you are deceiving yourself.
I have been cast out, and there is no place where my foot can rest "I stand at the gate, and knock" [Apoc 3.20], and there is no one to let Me in. "My head is full of dew" [Cant 5.2], and My bed where I desired to rest has been polluted with all manner of sins. Those who enter My sanctuary in their uncleanliness defile My bed with their depravities. My shepherds have been oppressed as if by heavy sleep—how am I to wake them up? I will raise My right arm over them.
I have been patient, I have waited for them day after day, but they have totally forgotten Me. The law will perish, first from the priests and the elders of My people [cf. Ezech 7.26], because they are seeking to sell the sacrifices of My sacraments. But those who sell them are selling judgment to themselves, and those who buy a "sharp two edged sword" [Apoc 19.15]. And again I am giving paternal admonition to My pastors, who are aware of My secrets: Imitate Me and not the devil, because there are some who are not entering My sheepfold by the door, but climb in by another way like thieves and robbers [cf. John 10.1]—thieves because of their greed, robbers because they destroy the souls entrusted to them.
They conceal their depraved deeds so that they will not be detected by the people.
Therefore, they do not boldly speak out against every heresy, because they themselves are reprehensible in their ways. And again I say to you: Know for certain that I will require from your hands all the souls that perish from among My sheep because of your negligence, souls you undertook to govern and protect You will render an account in fearsome judgment, and all the hardships that I brought upon them will wash over you.
Now, therefore, revive yourselves, and consider the apostles, your predecessors, and other holy teachers of the Church, who did not fear the threats of men or the scourges of executioners, but brought My word to kings and rulers.
They were scourged, and they endured many tortures, but they endured all for My name. Therefore, they have attained glory and honor beyond anyone's imagi-