Hildegard to the Abbot Nicholas
The Letters
115r Hildegard to the Abbot Nicholas Before 1170 Hildegard praises the abbot for his service for Christ, but warns that he is allowing himself to be worn down by the trivialities of life. The Holy Spirit will help him, however, if he will have faith.
The True Light in the Light says through the mouth of Wisdom:1 The Old Law provided indications of man's duty, but it grew weary of hearing the word and was unwilling to labor. And thus it was brought to an end. Then the Church arose under the banner of the King, and followed the Law with a pure eye, and did not grow weary, but labored gladly. Do the same, O tried and true knight.
And again: If while leading forth his army, a warrior allows his banner to fall because of some worthless soldier, another brave man takes it and carries it mightily. For this reason his lord loves that man very much, and rewards him generously. So will it be with you too if you toil mightily as Christ's representative.
Your mind shines brightly with honorable striving toward God. But you are caught up in a whirlwind of trivialities, and you are being worn down. Still, the Holy Spirit will cast this from you, and you will live forever.
Hildegard to the Abbot Nicholas(P) Before 1173 Hildegard speaks of the evils of the time: the men of the Church are blind and astray. But soon a new light will shine, better than the one before. Then, Hildegard, the staunch Benedictine, launches into an attack on the scholastics, who, in their pride, seek to know everything, but have contempt for those who walk in the straight way, that is, the monks. Such men can be defeated only by humility and steadfastness in the faith.
The streets of certain cities are filled with mud, and the pathways of some men are filled with slime. Justice has grown dark with iniquity, and the precepts of the law are violated by abandonment of the laws of God. Therefore, let the shepherds wail and sprinkle themselves with ashes [cf. Jer 25.34], because although established as the "steps" of the Church, they do not seek to know what they are. For the head has no eyes, and the feet no paths, since the shameful