R244: Hildegard von Rupertsberg an Mönchskonvent von St. Michael in Siegburg
Greeting and Vision of the Congregation
Hildegard greets the Siegburg congregation and describes seeing it as a cloud at dusk, with some shining like stars and others dimming in weariness.
To the congregation of Siegburg. Hildegard. In a vision of the spirit, the one I often see! I have seen these things and understood them. For I see this congregation as the cloud that appears as that light when daylight fades! And night is drawing near. Among you I also see certain ones shining like stars in their good intention! But certain others I see growing dim in the darkness of weariness.
Call to Discipline and the Crown of Angels
Hildegard urges the monks to hold fast to discipline, then sees a two-ringed crown full of angels with Michael the archangel standing as a tower at its center, bearing the form of a son of man on his breast.
So rise up and take hold of discipline, lest the Lord become angry and you perish from the righteous way.✦ I also saw what seemed to be a crown, having two circles. the lower one, that is. and the upper one! full of angels on all sides. And in the middle of this crown Michael the archangel stood like a tower. so that these two circles clung to him like two walls. On his breast, moreover, the form of a son of man shone.✦
The Rod of Power and the Cloud of Merit
The vision continues with a scriptural rod of power, Michael stretching out his arm with a shield, and a cloud of golden smoke containing the merits of prayer and holy works, as he speaks to the people.
About which it was written. The Lord will send forth the rod of your power out of Zion!✦ Rule in the midst of your enemies.✦ He himself was stretching out his right arm. He held a shield in his right hand. And near him there appeared what seemed like a cloud — as it were golden smoke rising from a censer. In it the merits of prayers and the holy works of that people shone forth. And I heard him speaking to that people.
The Rod of Aaron and the Fallen Angel
Hildegard recognizes the rod as Aaron's rod of power and reflects on God's angelic appointment, the fall of the proud angel, and the flourishing of God's power through the rod of inheritance on Zion.
As long as I see the splendor of holiness in you, I want to fight for you against the black darts that, from impious tyrants, I will see aimed at the dwellings of your place.✦ Then I recognized that this was a rod of power. It was the rod of Aaron.✦ It flourished in the branches of virtues. Those whom God had placed as an angel on the first day. He who, by his own act, cast himself down from blessedness.✦ But God beheld the rod of inheritance on Mount Zion.✦
The Flower from Zion and Living Waters
God's greatness flourishes where virginity rose, a flower from Zion from which many waters flow, giving minds the sweet breeze of holy works so they may know God and fight the devil with two wings of power.
So that the power of greatness flourished in a human being. Where almighty God rose up in virginity. And this flower came forth from Zion.✦ From which many waters also flow forth.✦ Giving the most sweet breeze — which are the flourishing works of holiness — into the minds of people. So that they may come to know God in all things. For this reason the face of God shines in these things, when they tear the devil's temptation away from themselves. Fighting against him as though in the midst of their own power, since they have two wings.✦
Loving God and the Pillar of Cloud
Those who love God above themselves and do holy works stand like a pillar of cloud among enemies, shining like the sun, unlike the first angel who sought to surpass God rather than love him.
so that they love God more than they love themselves. and that they do the most holy works. And then they stand like a pillar of cloud in the midst of their enemies, when they strike them from every side. loving God, clearly, and doing the most holy works. because it shines like the sun in the splendors of the saints. But the first angel wanted to surpass God rather than love him and stand in his honors. than to love him or do good works. So when a person honors the divine nature, it conquers itself.
Virginity, Renunciation, and Blessing
Virginity stands firm in the king's banner, others turn from sin leaving the world behind, and the crowd in the Holy Spirit is declared blessed in the splendors of the saints.
where it could do evil within its own capacity. When virginity stands firm in the king's banner! And when others, tasting sin, turn away, leaving the world behind the mill of iniquity. Which is wholly in the splendors of the saints! Whom the word of God brought forth by the Father's will. And so to that crowd in the Holy Spirit it is openly declared: The Lord's blessing be upon you! In the splendors of the saints.
Final Blessing and Curse
Hildegard pronounces a final blessing on those who bless the congregation and a curse on those who curse it.
And may all who bless you be filled with blessings.✦ And may blessing flee from those who curse you.✦1
Read the original Latin
Congregationi sigebergensium. hildegardis. In uisione spiritus qua frequenter uideo! hęc uidi et intellexi. Congregationem enim istam uideo ut nubem quę apparet ut lux illa quando dies abscedit! et nox appropinquat. Inter uos etiam uideo quosdam in bona intentione ut stellas lucere! quosdam autem in obscuritate fatigationis lassescere.
Unde surgite et apprehendite disciplinam ne quando irascatur dominus et pereatis de uia iusta. Vidi quoque quasi coronam duos circulos habentem. alterum scilicet inferius. et alterum superius! angelis undique plenos. Et in medio coronę huius michahel archangelus sicut turris stabat. ita ut hi duo circuli uelut duo parietes ipsi adherebant. In pectore autem eius forma filij hominis fulgebat.
circa quam scriptum fuit. Uirgam uirtutis tuę emittet dominus ex syon! dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum. Ipse quoque dextrum brachium extendens. scutum dextra manu tenebat. Et iuxta eum quasi nubes uelut aureus fumus de turibulo ascendens apparuit. in qua merita orationum et sancta opera populi istius resplenduerunt. Et audiui illum ad populum istum dicentem.
Quamdiu splendorem sanctitatis in uobis uideo. pro uobis pugnare uolo contra nigra iacula quę de impijs tyrannis ad habitacula loci uestri flagrantia asspexero. Tunc cognoui quod hęc uirga uirtutis. uirga aaron fuit. quę in ramis uirtutum floruit. quos deus in prima die in angelum posuerat. qui per seipsum a felicitate deposuit. Sed deus uirgam hereditatis in monte syon aspexit.
quę ut uirtus magnitudinis in homine floruit. ubi omnipotens deus in uirginitate surrexit. Et hic flos de syon exiuit. unde etiam multę aquę effluunt. suauissimum uentum dantes quę sunt uirentia opera sanctitatis in mentes hominum. ita ut deum in omnibus cognoscant. Quapropter in his uultus dei fulget quando suggestionem diaboli a se abscidunt. contra illum militantes quasi in medio potestatis suę cum duas alas habent.
ita quod deum plus quam seipsos amant. et quod sanctissima opera faciunt. Et tunc quasi columpna nubis in medio inimicorum suorum stant cum eos ex utraque parte percutiunt. deum scilicet amantes et sanctissima opera facientes. quod quasi sol micat in splendoribus sanctorum. Sed primus angelus magis uoluit deum superare et in honoribus eius stare. quam illum amare aut bona opera facere. Unde homo diuinitatem honorat cum seipsum uincit.
ubi in possibilitate sua mala facere posset. quando uirginitas in uexillo regis in eo permanet! et quando alij in gustu peccati reuertuntur a mola iniquitatis mundum relinquentes. quod totum in splendoribus sanctorum est! quos uerbum dei in uoluntate patris sic protulit. Et ideo ad turbam istam in spiritu sancto manifeste sic dicitur. Benedictio domini super uos! in splendoribus sanctorum.
Et omnes qui uobis benedicunt benedictionibus repleantur. et qui uobis maledicunt benedictio ab illis fugiat.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.2.12 — Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is kindled quickly. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
- ↩Dan.7.13 — I was watching in the visions of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and he approached the Ancient of Days and they brought him near before him.
- ↩Ps.110.2 — The LORD will send forth the scepter of your strength from Zion: rule in the midst of your enemies.
- ↩Ps.110.2 — The LORD will send forth the scepter of your strength from Zion: rule in the midst of your enemies.
- ↩Eph.6.16 — In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
- ↩Num.17.8 — Moses and Aaron came before the Tent of Meeting.
- ↩Isa.14.12-Isa.14.15 — How you have fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who laid low the nations! Isa.14.13 — And you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; above the stars of God I will raise my throne, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north." Keep the quotation open into v.14 for continuity. Isa.14.14 — I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'" Close the quotation here so the transition to v.15 lands clearly. Isa.14.15 — But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit.
- ↩Ps.110.2;Ps.132.17 — The LORD will send forth the scepter of your strength from Zion: rule in the midst of your enemies. Ps.132.17 — There I will cause a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
- ↩Ps.60.1 — For the director. On 'The Lily of the Testimony.' A Miktam of David. For teaching.
- ↩Ezek.47.1-Ezek.47.12;Rev.22.1-Rev.22.2 — Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and behold, water was flowing out from under the threshold of the temple eastward, for the face of the temple was toward the east, and the water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. Ezek.47.2 — Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces east; and behold, water was flowing from the right side. Ezek.47.3 — As the man went out toward the east, with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water—water reaching to the ankles. Ezek.47.4 — Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water — water up to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water — water up to the waist. Ezek.47.5 — And he measured a thousand — a river that I could not cross, for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. Ezek.47.6 — Then he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" And he led me back to the bank of the stream. Ezek.47.7 — When I returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on this side and on that side. Ezek.47.8 — Then he said to me, "These waters are going out toward the eastern region and will go down into the Arabah; and when they come to the sea, to the sea of the outlets, the waters will be healed." Ezek.47.9 — And it shall be that every living creature that swarms, wherever the streams shall come, shall live; and the fish shall be very abundant, for these waters shall come there and shall be healed, and everything shall live wherever the river goes. Ezek.47.10 — And it shall be that fishermen will stand beside it, from En-gedi even to En-eglaim; they shall be places for spreading nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly abundant. Ezek.47.11 — but its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they are given over to salt. Ezek.47.12 — And along the river, on its bank on this side and on that side, every kind of food tree shall grow; its leaves shall not wither, and its fruit shall not fail. It shall bear new fruit every month, for its waters come from the sanctuary. Its fruit shall be for food, and its leaves for healing. Rev.22.1 — Then he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Rev.22.2 — In the middle of the city's street, and on both sides of the river, stood the tree of life, producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
- ↩Exod.25.20;Ezek.1.6-Ezek.1.11 — The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall be toward one another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. Ezek.1.6 — Each had four faces and each had four wings. Ezek.1.7 — Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of burnished bronze. Ezek.1.8 — And there were human hands under their wings on their four sides, and their faces and their wings were alike on all four of them. Ezek.1.9 — Their wings were joined, each to its neighbor; they did not turn as they went, each went straight forward. Ezek.1.10 — And the likeness of their faces: the face of a man on the right side for the four of them, and the face of a lion on the right side for the four of them, and the face of an ox on the left side for the four of them, and the face of an eagle for the four of them. Ezek.1.11 — Their faces and their wings were spread apart upward; each had two wings touching another creature, and two covering their bodies.
- ↩Gen.12.3;Gen.27.29 — And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Gen.27.29 — May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.
- ↩Gen.12.3;Num.24.9 — And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Num.24.9 — He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness—who will rouse him? Those who bless you are blessed, and those who curse you are cursed.
Notes
- 1 ↩The subject of fugiat is benedictio (blessing), not the cursers: blessing itself is to depart from those who curse you, rather than a curse being pronounced on them. This preserves Hildegard's distinctive construction.
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