R279: Mönchskonvent von Höningen an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Greeting to the Beloved Teacher
The congregation of Höningen greets Hildegard with honor, rejoicing in the renown of her holiness and longing to be raised to eternal glory through her.
The congregation of Höningen monastery. To Hildegard. To the temple of the Holy Spirit and the revered, God-beloved bride of Christ. To Hildegard and the sisters from Saint-Robert at Pingis, most longed-for teacher! The whole harmonious congregation of Höningen monastery. With humility and persistence in good works. To be raised up into eternal glory. Gracious revelation of your reputation, as if sprinkled with the inestimable flower of a paradisal narcissus.
Joy in God’s Work and a Plea for Help
Moved by God’s grace, the monks rejoice in Hildegard’s holiness as a mirror of divine piety and urgently seek her counsel and prayers in their present need.
We are so delighted that we are, as it were, compelled to say with the Apostle: Thanks to him who always triumphs in us! through whom the fragrance of his own acquaintance with you is made known in every place.✦ For as we contemplate the whole structure of the immense body of the Church, in which one Spirit distributes to each person as he wills,✦ we rejoice together that the abundance of this grace flows out in the excellence of your holiness. Because we contemplate you, after the times of the apostles, as a kind of mirror of divine piety, therefore at this critical moment, fleeing as if to the firmest refuge of an impregnable stronghold, we take refuge in your counsel and prayers, and we beseech you to come to our aid.
Humble Request for a Written Memorial
In humility, the monks ask Hildegard to leave them, beyond the Rule of Benedict, a written memorial of her piety for their benefit.
Our order indeed. Though in every respect we are unlike you. Through you it is honored and blessed. And so it has been reported to us about your works: that briefly and clearly you have bestowed on the churches' sons, as desirable riches, a memorial of your piety. And because you lack not this gift either. We have prostrated ourselves at the feet of your holiness. We all together ask for the kindness of your piety. That you might leave behind something beyond the rule of blessed Benedict, our father, as your memorial.
Accusations and the Breakdown of Obedience
The monks describe how they are slandered as transgressors of the Rule and synodal decrees because their prelates follow private judgment rather than canonical order.
This is exceedingly necessary for us. For we are called liars and perjurers. and transgressors of the aforementioned rule. and despisers of synodal decrees and statutes. This has come about for this very reason above all. because each one of our prelates, following the whim of his own mind, looks down on both the institutions of the canons and the rule. so that, while they are a law unto themselves—✦1 —by the testimony of that very rule.
Drifting Teachings and Human Presumption
Under arbitrary leadership, the community is tossed about by every wind of teaching and burdened by human presumption, even in matters of worship.
Whatever they want, they call holy and just! And whatever they don't want, they consider forbidden. And so we get tossed about by every wind of teaching.✦2 And we are weighed down by human presumptions. These, blessed Father Augustine also shunned, and spoke of them in this way. Although it is not, in fact, against the faith— nevertheless, our religious life itself — by very few and most manifest sacraments of worship —3
The Weight of Servile Burdens
The monks lament that their burdens are so severe that even the condition of the Jews would seem more tolerable, and they plead for relief more precious than worldly riches.
God's mercy wanted to be free. They oppress with servile burdens to such an extent. So that the condition of the Jews might be more tolerable. Which, although they have not known the time of true freedom. Nevertheless, by the legal sacraments. They are not subjected to human presumptions. More precious, therefore, than the riches of Croesus — nay, than the treasures of the whole world. You will show a work more dear.
Final Appeal and Blessing
The monks urgently request that Hildegard explain Scripture for the good of all cloisters, pray for their community’s protection, and commend themselves to her maternal love.
If you will strive to meet our request — which is greatly needed in all cloisters everywhere — For if you were to explain all of holy Scripture! You could show us nothing so useful and so dear. For the rest, pray for us, that our gathered community, in the Holy Spirit, may never be disturbed by any hostile scheming of fraud. But may the one who has begun a good work in us deign to persevere in us, by working in ways pleasing to himself.✦ May your maternal love flourish.
Read the original Latin
Congregatio hunniensis cenobij. hildegardi. Templo spiritus sancti et reuerendę ac deo dilectę sponsę christi. hildegardi et sororum de sancto Roberto in pingis magistrę exoptatissimę! tota concors congregatio hunniensis cenobij. cum bonorum operum humilitate et instantia. eterna sublimari gloria. Graciosę reuelantia opinionis uestrę tanquam paradysiaci narcissi inestimabili flore respersi.
usque adeo delectamur. ut cum apostolo dicere cogamur. Gratias ei qui semper triumphat in nobis! in quibus odorem noticię suę manifestat in omni loco. Contemplantes enim totam compagem inmensi corporis ęcclesię in qua unus spiritus diuidit singulis prout uult! eius exuberantiam in uestrę sanctitatis excellentia congaudemus effluitare. Quia igitur uos post tempora apostolorum quasi quoddam speculum diuinę pietatis contemplamur. ideo in necessitatis articulo tanquam ad firmissimum inexpugnabilis municipij asylum confugientes consilio et orationibus uestris ut nobis succurratis deprecamur.
Ordo quippe noster. licet per omnia simus uobis dissimiles. per uos honoratur et beatificatur. Itaque relatum est nobis de operibus uestris quoniam breuiter et lucide ęcclesię filijs tanquam desiderabiles diuicias contulistis. et quia nec hoc dono caretis. pedibus sanctitatis uestrę prouoluti. omnes in commune petimus pietatis uestrę almitatem. ut aliquid super regulam beati benedicti patris nostri memoriale uestrum relinquatis.
admodum nobis necessarium. Dicimur enim mendaces periuri. predictęque regulę transgressores. sinodaliumque decretorum contemptores. Quod ideo maxime euenit. quia quisque prelatorum nostrorum pro libitu mentis suę tam instituta canonum quam regulę despicit. ut dum ipsi sibi sunt lex. secundum eiusdem regulę testimonium.
quod uolunt hoc dicunt sanctum et iustum! et quod nolunt hoc putant non licere. Vnde fit quod omni uento doctrinę circuferamur. et ualde presumptionibus hominum aggrauemur. Quas et beatus pater augustinus abhorrens. de eis sic loquitur. Quamuis enim contra fidem non sit. ipsam tamen religionem nostram quam paucissimis et manifestissimis celebrationum sacramentis.
misericordia dei uoluit esse liberam. adeo seruilibus oneribus premunt. ut tollerabilior sit conditio iudeorum. Quę quamuis uerę libertatis tempus non cognouerunt. legalibus tamen sacramentis. non humanis presumptionibus subiciuntur. Preciosius itaque opibus cresi immo totius mundi gazis. opus carius exhibebitis.
si peticioni nostrę in hoc admodum uniuersis claustris necessaria satageritis. Si enim totam sanctam scripturam exponeretis! nichil tam utile et tam carum nobis exhibere possetis. De reliquo orate pro nobis ut spiritu sancto nostra collecta societas nulla unquam hostilis fraudis machinatione disturbetur. sed qui cepit in nobis bonum opus perseuerare in nobis dignetur in beneplacita sibi operatione. Valeat materna dilectio uestra.
Scripture echoes
- ↩2Cor.2.14-2Cor.2.15 — But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place. 2Cor.2.15 — For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
- ↩1Cor.12.11 — But the one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills.
- ↩Rom.2.14 — For whenever Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves.
- ↩Eph.4.14 — so that we are no longer children, tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the trickery of men, in craftiness with a view to the error
- ↩Phil.1.6 — I am confident of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Notes
- 1 ↩Possible allusion to Romans 2:14 ('a law unto themselves'); candidate status pending Moses resolution.
- 2 ↩Allusion to Ephesians 4:14 (Vulgate: 'ut iam non simus parvuli fluctuantes et circumferamur omni vento doctrinae'). Candidate; final resolution deferred.
- 3 ↩The sentence is incomplete in the source (a participial or relative clause is expected to follow). The translation preserves the fragmentary state. The sense appears to be that Augustine shunned human presumptions because they burden religious life with excessive sacramental celebrations rather than keeping worship simple and manifest.
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