R253: Adalbert von Disibodenberg an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Salutation and Longing for Zion
Adelbert greets Hildegard with praise for her Spirit-filled life, recalls her ascent from virtue to virtue toward the vision of God, and wonders why she withholds her visionary words from those who have known her from childhood and thirst for them.
Adelbert, prior of the mountain of Saint Disibod, to Hildegard. Hildegard, most truly filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit! Adelbert, an unworthy monk and prior from the mountain of Saint Disibod, with the brothers of that same place, to ascend from virtue to virtue!✦ And to see the God of gods in Zion.✦ When you send words of your admonitions into foreign regions, and cause very many to desire the way of righteousness. We who have known you almost from the cradle, and among whom you lived through very many years, we wonder why you withdraw the words of your heavenly visions from us who thirst for them.
Hidden Formation and Divine Mercy
Adelbert recalls Hildegard's humble monastic upbringing limited to the psalter, notes how divine mercy secretly imbued her and revealed mysteries to her, and confesses the community's grief at God's will in allowing her departure.
After all, we know how you were raised among us, how you were taught. How you conducted yourselves. Because you devoted yourselves to no other work than a woman's work. You were instructed in no other books than the simple psalter, and without reproach you chose a good and holy way of life. But divine mercy, with heavenly dew, imbued you as He willed. And He revealed to you the greatness of His mysteries. And since we ought to rejoice together with you in these things— God snatched you away from us, though we were unwilling.
Grief, Resignation, and Reluctant Joy
Adelbert expresses the community's inability to understand God's purpose, their great inner turmoil, their disappointed hope that Hildegard was their safety, and their eventual submission to God's will mixed with lingering sorrow.
And he has transferred to other people. We can't investigate why he would have done this, or even know. We can't investigate it, and we can't find out. But this much we endure — unwilling and willing alike — in great turmoil. For we had hoped that the safety of our community was placed in you. But God has arranged things differently than we would have wished. Now, though, since we can't resist God's will, we yield — and we rejoice with you. Because up to this point, very many things have been hateful.
Prophetic Gift and Humble Supplication
Adelbert marvels that Hildegard writes unheard-of things from the Holy Spirit without human learning, notes that even holy and learned men are astonished, and humbly begs her to remember their ancient friendship by sending consolation and interceding for them before God.
You are making known things unheard of until now, through divine revelation. You are unlocking what has been closed until now. Filled with the Spirit of God, you write many things you haven't learned from any human being! Things at which holy and learned men marvel. For that reason, although we are far from the holy ones — because we exist as sinners — we humbly beg you as suppliants!1 … so that you may be mindful of us, both for the glory of the Lord and for our ancient and rightful friendship.2 … and extend words of consolation to us. … and come to our aid before God.
Closing Prayer and Farewell
Adelbert confesses human frailty, asks that God supply through Hildegard's prayers what is lacking in them, and sends a final farewell.
So because what is in us falls short. May God deign to make up in us what is lacking through the merits of your prayers. Farewell.
Read the original Latin
Adelbertus prior in monte sancti Dysibodi hildegardi. Hildigardi gratia spiritus sancti uerissime repletę! Adelbertus monachus indignus et prior de monte sancti dysibodi cum fratribus eiusdem loci de uirtute in uirtutem ascendere! et deum deorum in syon uidere. Cum in exteras regiones uerba admonitionum uestrarum mittatis. et quamplurimos uiam rectitudinis desiderare faciatis. nos qui uos fere a cunabulis nouimus et aput quos per plurimos annos fuistis. miramur cur uerba celestium uisionum nobis sitientibus subtrahatis.
Scimus enim quomodo apud nos educata quomodo edocta. quomodo conuersata estis. quia non alio quam muliebri operi institistis. non alijs codicibus quam simplici psalterio imbuta estis et sine querela bonam et sanctam conuersationem dilexistis. Sed diuina pietas celesti rore ut uoluit uos imbuit. et magnitudinem secretorum suorum uobis aperuit. et cum in his uobis congaudere deberemus. deus uos nobis nolentibus eripuit.
et ad alios homines transtulit. quod cur fecerit. perscrutari nec scire possumus. sed tantum hoc nolentes et uolentes in multa perturbatione sufferimus. Nos enim sperabamus salutem loci nostri in uobis sitam esse. Sed deus aliud quam uellemus disposuit. Nunc autem quia uoluntati dei resistere non possumus ipsi cedimus et uobis congaudemus! quoniam plurima hucusque inuisa.
hucusque inaudita per diuinam reuelationem manifestatis. hucusque clausa reseratis. Nam spiritu dei plena multa scribitis quę ab homine non didicistis! quę sancti et docti uiri mirantur. Eapropter quamuis longe a sanctis simus quia peccatores existimus ssupplices rogamus! ut tum pro gloria domini tum pro antiqua et iusta familiaritate memor nostri sitis. et uerba consolationis nobis porrigatis. et nobis apud deum subueniatis.
ita quod in nobis est minus. deus per merita orationum uestrarum in nobis supplere dignetur. Valete.
Scripture echoes
Notes
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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