R142: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Balderich von St. Simeon
A Call to Awaken from Negligence
Hildegard urges the servant of God to turn from wicked mammon, shake off the rust of sin, and repent before the shadow of death renders him unable to work.
Hildegard's reply. You, servant of God, pay attention. so that in a short time you may turn yourself away from the injustice of a wicked mammon. and with great zeal take care to shake the rust of sins off yourself. before the shadow of death comes upon you, when you can no longer work. so that you don't then say in lamentation— Oh no! because I have been found in negligence.
Workers Called into the Lord's Vineyard
Hildegard applies the parable of the vineyard workers to the household of faith, warning against standing idle and making excuses for spiritual inaction.
You too, pay attention to the father of the household, who called workers into his vineyard from the first hour all the way to evening.✦ And he asked the others why they were standing idle.✦ To whom they answered:✦ Because no one hired us out.✦ From the first hour, indeed, all the way to evening.✦ The lord called workers into the vineyard—he asks the others why they are standing idle!✦ Those who make excuses, because no one hires them.✦
Late Repentance and God's Mercy
Hildegard reflects on those who live in forgetfulness of God from youth to old age, yet through grace begin to repent and receive mercy in their weariness.
It often happens that a person lives in forgetfulness of God from early youth all the way to evening—that is, to old age! And he thinks about correcting this within himself for as long as he struggles within himself, he says, through the grace of God.1 Why wasn't I doing good works? Because God did not prevent me from being drawn away from evil. And so in his old age, on account of the weariness of his sins, he begins to repent.2 Such a person appears in the journeys of the Lord like an unfired clay vessel. Because he cannot work! And so he himself will be the first to receive the reward from his own merit, through the grace of God.3
Rise Now, Before Strength Fails
Hildegard warns that old age cannot do good as earlier ages could, so one must open one's eyes, consider past failures, amend by action, and live forever.
Because as time goes on, a person can no longer bear arms. Indeed, in childhood and in youth and in mature age a person often does wrong. And then afterward, what is good! This, in decrepit old age, cannot be. Therefore, open your eyes to keep watch, and consider all the failures of these ages. and amend by doing! so that you may live forever.
Read the original Latin
Responsvm hildegardis. Tu serue dei adtende. ut breui tempore tuo ab iniusticia iniquę mammona te diuertas. et in magno studio prouide ut rubiginem peccatorum a te excutias. antequam umbra mortis superueniat cum plus operari non possis. ne tunc plangendo dicas. O ue mihi! quia in negligentia inuentus sum.
Tu etiam patrem familias adtende. qui a prima usque ad uesperam operarios in uineam uocauit. et alios cur ociosi starent interrogauit. cui respondebant. quod nemo eos conduceret. A prima enim usque ad uesperam. dominus operarios in uineam uocauit alios cur ociosi starent interrogat! qui se excusant quia nemo eos conducat.
Sepe enim homini contingit quod a prima etate sua usque ad uesperam scilicet ad senectutem in obliuione dei uiuat! et hoc intra se emendare tamdiu cogitat quousque per gratiam dei rixando intra se dicit. Quare bona opera non operabar. quia deus a malo me abstrahere non prohibuit. et ita in senectute sua propter tedium peccatorum penitere incipit. Iste in itineribus domini uelut non ignitum fictile uas apparet. quoniam operari non potest! et sic ipse primus ex merito suo per gratiam dei mercedem accipiet.
quoniam per etates postea militari non potest. In puericia enim et in iuuentute et in matura etate homo malum sepe operatur. et postea bonum! hoc in decrepita etate esse non potest. Idcirco oculos tuos ad uigilandum aperi et omnes negligentias etatum istarum considera. et emenda operando! ut in eternum uiuas.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.20.1-Matt.20.16 — For the kingdom of heaven is like a man, a master of a house, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Matt.20.2 — And when he agreed with the workers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Matt.20.3 — And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the marketplace, idle. Matt.20.4 — and to them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' Matt.20.5 — But he went out again about the sixth and ninth hour, and did the same. Matt.20.6 — And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day idle?' Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' Matt.20.8 — And when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and going to the first.' Matt.20.9 — And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. Matt.20.10 — And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they also received each a denarius. Matt.20.11 — But when they received it, they grumbled against the master of the house. Matt.20.12 — saying, 'These last ones worked one hour, and you made them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' Matt.20.13 — But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?' Matt.20.14 — Take what is yours and go. But I want to give to this last one the same as I give to you. Matt.20.15 — Or is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am good? Matt.20.16 — So the last will be first, and the first will be last.
- ↩Matt.20.6-Matt.20.7 — And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day idle?' Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'
- ↩Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'
- ↩Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'
- ↩Matt.20.6-Matt.20.12 — And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day idle?' Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' Matt.20.8 — And when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and going to the first.' Matt.20.9 — And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. Matt.20.10 — And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they also received each a denarius. Matt.20.11 — But when they received it, they grumbled against the master of the house. Matt.20.12 — saying, 'These last ones worked one hour, and you made them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'
- ↩Matt.20.6-Matt.20.7 — And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day idle?' Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'
- ↩Matt.20.7 — They answered him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'
Notes
- 1 ↩rixando (rare form, confidence 0.85) is rendered as 'struggling' following the candidate gloss; the sense is of inner conflict or striving.
- 2 ↩penitere is an impersonal construction in form ('it repents him') but rendered with the person as subject ('he begins to repent') for natural English; the theological sense remains that repentance is a grace-led turning.
- 3 ↩The paradox of receiving reward 'from one's own merit through grace' is preserved as in the source; the theological tension between merit and grace is intentional and not resolved by the translator.
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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