R174: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Äbtissin H.
A True Vision of the Heavenly Life
Hildegard, taught in a true vision, teaches that one who abandons bodily desires imitates Abraham and the wise man, living an angelic life on earth.
Hildegard's response. O daughter of Adam, I am taught in a true vision. Whoever does this — because he abandons the desires of his own body! this one is like Abraham, who left his homeland.✦ and he is compared to the wise man who builds his house upon a rock.✦ For a person who, in this earthly life, cultivates another life — that person's life is shown to be angelic.
Steadfastness Against Deceit
The one who lives this way is unshaken by the storms of the age and diabolical deceit, obeying God through charity and good works while guarding against the devil's deception.
because the storm of this age doesn't shake him! Nor is he brought low by the terrors of diabolical deceit. But like Abraham, who left behind his homeland and obeyed the commands of God, so that such a person abandons their own carnal desires. And through alms and prayers and through other good works he obeys God's commands. But it must be foreseen that a person may be steadfast in these good things, lest he be led astray by the devil, who deceived the first human.
Obedience, Battle, and Eternal Joy
Hildegard warns that even in good works one must obey the heavenly judges, and she prays that God bring the abbess's battle to completion so she may be praised by angels and received into eternal joys.
And he stripped him of his own glory. In all his good things too, he must obey the teaching of the heavenly judges. Whose tongues are made the keys of heaven. May God bring the victory of this battle to completion in you. So that you may be praised by the angels. And the holy ones may rejoice over it. And so that you too may be received into eternal joys.
Read the original Latin
Responsvm hildegardis. O filia adę, in uera uisione sic docta sum. Quicumque hoc facit. quod uoluntates corporis sui relinquit! hic abrahę qui patriam suam reliquit. et uiro sapienti qui domum suam super petram edificat assimilatur. Homo enim qui in hac terrena uita aliam uitam colit. huius uita angelica esse probatur.
quia temppestas huius seculi eum non mouet! nec terroribus diabolicę deceptionis prosternitur. Sed sicut abraham patriam suam reliquit. et preceptis dei obediuit. sic iste carnalia desideria sua derelinquit. et preceptis dei per elemosinas et orationes ac per alia bona opera obedit. Sed preuidendum est ut homo in his bonis stabilis sit. ne per diabolum seducatur qui primum hominem decepit.
et eum gloria sua despoliauit. In omnibus quoque bonis suis doctrinę supernorum iudicum obedire debet! quorum linguę claues celi factę sunt. Deus uictoriam huius prelij in te perficiat. ut ab angelis lauderis. et sancti inde gaudeant. et ut tu etiam in eterna gaudia recipiaris.
Scripture echoes
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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