R269: Propst R. von St. Peter in Trier an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Greeting and Prayerful Regard
The provost R. and the clergy of Trier greet Hildegard, honor her as God's servant, and give thanks to God for her with outstretched hands.
The provost of Saint Peter and the whole clergy of Trier. to Hildegard. R. a sinner and provost of the greater church of Saint Peter. and the whole clergy of Trier! to Hildegard, God's servant and of her very many mysteries, of conscience. living devoutly in the monastery of blessed Robert! Since with thanksgiving, hands outstretched to God for her.
Recognition of Her Hidden Life in God
The writers acknowledge that God reveals thoughts and that they love Hildegard, recognizing through the Holy Spirit her indwelling in God and her secret revelations, and recall her Pentecost warning of coming dangers to churches and people.
Since, by God's permission, thoughts are revealed from many hearts! Our [intentions] toward you, by God's will.1 Since with every effort of the body and every devotion of the mind we love you.2 For we know, through the Holy Spirit, that you dwell in [him].3 And very many other things, unknown to other people, are revealed to you through him. From the time you departed from us, when you came to us recently in the days of Pentecost by heavenly arrangement— where you foretold us that God's threat hung over us. Many losses for the churches, many dangers for people.
Confession of Neglect and Mercy Received
Having seen the fulfillment of her warnings with their own eyes, the writers confess their failure to heed her counsel, acknowledge God's mercy in averting fuller vengeance, and earnestly ask her to send in writing what she had spoken by living voice.
We have seen it with our own eyes and experienced it firsthand — both around us and among us! Because we failed to act on the good counsel you gave us for appeasing the wrath of the Lord. And had God's mercy not held back his vengeance, we might well have succumbed to those same dangers now threatening us, falling into utter despair. And because God is in you. And his words resound from your mouth. How earnestly we implore your deeply maternal love. So that those things which you then disclosed to us by a living voice — you may send them to us in writing through the bearer [REDACTED] this letter.
Blessing for Generations and for Hildegard
The letter closes with a blessing that future generations may see God's judgment and mercy, that Hildegard may be known as a true sharer in divine secrets, and that God's protection and completion may rest upon her.
May the generation that comes after us see both God's judgment and his mercy directed down upon us. And may he know you to be true and beloved sharers in his secrets. May the Lord's protection always rest upon you. And may he bring to completion what he has begun in you. May he bring it to a good end in you.
Read the original Latin
Prepositus sancti petri totusque clerus treuirorum. hildegardi. R. peccator et prepositus maioris ęcclesię sancti petri. ac totus treuirorum clerus! hildegardi dei famulę ac misteriorum ipsius quamplurimorum conscię. in cenobio beati roberti deuote uiuenti! cum gratiarum actione manus extensas ad deum pro ipsa.
Cum per diuinam permissionem reuelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes! nostrę ad uos per diuinam uoluntatem. cum toto annisu corporis tota deuotione mentis uos diligamus. Scimus enim per spiritum sanctum uos inhabitare. et plurima ceteris hominibus incognita per ipsum uobis manifestari. Nam ex quo a nobis recessistis cum in diebus pentecostes nuper ad nos superna dispositione uenissetis. ubi comminationem dei nobis imminere predixistis. multa dispendia ęcclesiarum multa pericula hominum.
circa nos et apud nos uidimus et experti sumus! quia secundum bonum consilium quod nobis dedistis iram domini placare negleximus. et nisi per misericordiam dei uindicta ipsius retracta fuisset forsitan eisdem periculis imminentibus in desperatione succubuissemus. Et quia deus in uobis est. et uerba ipsius ab ore uestro sonant. quam intime maternalem dilectionem uestram exoramus. ut ea quę uiua uoce nobis tunc propalastis. per presentem baiulum scripta nobis transmittatis.
quatenus succedens posteritas et uindictam dei et misericordiam eius super nos directam uideat! et uos consciam secretorum ipsius ueracem et dilectam esse cognoscat. Protectio domini super uos semper maneat! et quod in uobis cepit. bono fine in uobis perficiat.
Notes
- 1 ↩nostrę is truncated/abbreviated (likely nostrae); the exact noun it modifies is uncertain, so the sense is rendered as a general interior disposition toward the recipients.
- 2 ↩annisu is a rare/uncertain form, possibly 'effort' or 'striving'; the exact nuance is unclear.
- 3 ↩The sense may be 'that the Holy Spirit dwells in you' or 'that you dwell in the Spirit'; the Latin is compressed and the exact construction is ambiguous.
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