R277: Konvent von Hane an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Greeting to the Chaste Dove
The brothers at Hane greet Hildegard as a chaste dove hidden in the rock, commend their needs to her prayers, and glorify God for the light and witness he has given her, even amid their own sinfulness.
Brothers at Hane. To Hildegard. To Hildegard, a chaste dove hiding in the clefts of the rock.✦ Brothers—alas, troubled at Hane—we commend the devotion of your prayers. And this concerns your eternal salvation. Since by the grace of God your light shines beneficially before others.✦ We glorify your father, who placed you as a burning lamp for the illumination of the Church.✦ And although we are sinners.
Longing for the Heavenly Bridegroom
The brothers rejoice in Hildegard's unique union with Christ the Bridegroom, confess their love and constant desire to see her, remember her in prayer, embrace her in spirit though she is absent, and rest securely under the protection of her Bridegroom.
To your holiness, however. In this you cling heartily to the embraces of the heavenly Bridegroom by a singular privilege, and we rejoice with you.✦ We do not wish to ignore your love for us. Because day and night we long to see you face to face!✦ And we make continual mention of you in our prayers. Though you are absent in body, we sometimes embrace you in spirit as if you were present.✦ Therefore we humbly entreat your perfection. We rest securely under your Bridegroom, in whose shadow you find safety.✦✦
Petition Amid Community Dissension
The brothers beg Hildegard's prayers as they journey, ask to be healed of inner blindness, explain that dissension has arisen in their community, and urgently request her Spirit-led counsel and admonitory letters before the conflict brings danger to souls and bodies.
As we beg alongside the road, commend us — so that a passing crowd doesn't drown out our cries. But led to the Lord by your prayers. May we deserve to be illuminated from the blindness of our hearts. We say this precisely so that you may know how the dissension that arose in our community first began. With the Holy Spirit teaching you, do not fail to calm and root out this dissension. And for this reason as well, send us admonitory letters. Because unless it is quickly extinguished, we will easily incur great danger for souls as well as bodies.
Blessing of the Holy Spirit
The letter closes with a blessing that the Holy Spirit who teaches Hildegard inwardly would also reveal these matters to her, followed by a final farewell.
The grace of the Holy Spirit, which teaches you from within and reveals many secrets to you — may it also be pleased to reveal these things to you, just as it has willed in its own judgment.1 Farewell.
Read the original Latin
Fratres in hagenhe. hildegardi. Hildigardi castę columbę in foraminibus petrę latitanti. fratres heu conturbati in hagenhe orationum suarum deuotionem. et quod spectat ad eternam salutem. Quoniam dei gratia lux uestra coram hominibus salubriter lucet. patrem uestrum qui uos ardentem lucernam ad illuminationem ęcclesię superposuit glorificamus. et quamuis peccatores.
sanctitati tamen uestrę. qua celestis sponsi amplexibus singulari priuilegio inheretis cordialiter congaudemus. Caritatem etiam uestram ignorare nolumus. quod die noctuque uos facie tenus uidere desideramus! et assidue uestri memoriam in orationibus nostris facientes. uos absentem corpore quasi presentem interdum amplectimur mente. Ergo perfectionem uestram humiliter deprecamur. ut sponso uestro sub cuius umbra secure requiescitis.
nos iuxta uiam mendicantes commendetis ne tpreteriens turba clamores nostros compescat! sed orationibus uestris ad dominum adducti. mereamur a cecitate cordium nostrorum illuminari. Hoc autem idcirco dicimus ut dissensionem quam in loco nostro ortam esse scitis quemadmodum incepistis. spiritu sancto uos docente sedare et extirpare non omittatis. et ut pro hoc quoque litteras commonitorias nobis transmittatis. quia nisi citius extinguatur. periculum magnum tam animarum quam corporum facile incurremus.
Gratia spiritus sancti quę uos interius docet et multa secreta uobis demonstrat. hęc etiam uobis secundum quod sibi placuerit manifestare dignetur. Valete.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Song.2.14 — O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding place of the steep path, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
- ↩Matt.5.16 — In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens.
- ↩John.5.35 — He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a time in his light.
- ↩Song.2.3-Song.2.4 — Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my palate. Song.2.4 — He brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me is love.
- ↩1Thess.2.17 — But we, brothers, having been torn away from you for the short time — face to face, not in heart — all the more we were eager to see your face with great longing.
- ↩1Cor.5.3 — For though I am absent in body, yet present in spirit, I have already passed judgment on the one who did this deed, just as if I were present.
- ↩Song.2.3 — Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my palate.
- ↩Ps.91.1 — Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Notes
- 1 ↩The clause 'secundum quod sibi placuerit' expresses God's sovereign pleasure; 'sibi' is dative of reference, not reflexive self-pleasing. Rendered 'in its own judgment' to preserve the sense of divine will without anthropomorphism.
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