The Monks to Hildegard
The Letters
The Monks to Hildegard Before 1173 These monks ask Hildegard's help in settling down the dissension in their monastery.
To Hildegard, chaste dove hiding in the holes of the rock [cf. Cant 2.14], the brothers, troubled, alas, in Haina, with a prayer for the devotion of her prayers, because she looks to eternal salvation.
Because by the grace of God your light shines graciously before men, we glorify your Father [cf Matt 5.16], Who makes you a lamp burning [cf.John 5.35] for the illumination of the Church, and, although sinners, we nevertheless rejoice greatly in your sanctity, through which you are singularly privileged to enjoy the embraces of your celestial Bridegroom. And we do not disregard your love, for day and night we desire to see you face-to-face, and pray for you assiduously, embracing you, though absent in body, as if present.
Therefore, we, poor beggars along the way, humbly pray your perfection to commend us to your Bridegroom, under Whose shadow you rest safely [cf.
Cant 2.3]. We pray that the passing crowd will not drown out our cries, but that led by your prayers to the Lord, we may merit to have the blindness of our hearts illuminated.1 We are bringing this matter up in the hope that you will concern yourself with settling down (or stamping out altogether) the dissension which, as you know, has arisen in our monastery. Indeed, led by the teaching of the Holy
Spirit, you have already made some attempt. But we ask that you send a letter of advice to us right away, for if the dissension is not extinguished very quickly, we face grave danger to both body and soul.
May the grace of the Holy Spirit, which teaches you within and discloses many secrets to you, deign to reveal something concerning us. Farewell.
Note 1. Note the interesting use of Scripture here. The Bible is not being quoted, or even alluded to in the ordinary sense that we have noted in this work. Yet these two sentences are clearly influenced by Matt 20.29flf, where blind men cry out to Christ to illuminate their physical eyes as the passing crowd bids them to hold their tongues.