R35: Rudolf von Zähringen an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Salutation and Suffering
Bishop Rudolf greets Hildegard and confesses his distress of mind and body, writing from great turmoil and need of God's mercy.
The bishop of Liège. To Hildegard. Rudolf, by the grace of God, bishop of the Liègeois! To Hildegard, handmaid of Christ, at Saint-Robert in Pingis. To serve the King of kings unceasingly.✦ And to seize the eternal prize of blessedness.✦ Placed in the greatest turmoil of mind and body, I have resolved to write to you. Because I am in exceeding need of God's mercy!
Confession and Appeal for Intercession
Rudolf confesses his wrongs, acknowledges God's presence with Hildegard, and urgently begs her intercession, prayers, and a written response to rouse his spiritual drowsiness.
I don't deny that I've offended and provoked her with countless wrongs. Because I've come to know, therefore, most beloved sister, that God is truly with you. I urge you, and I ask you, by his mercy, to reach out your holiness to me.1 that I might wholly, wavering as I am and taking refuge in you,2 extend your hand. Be careful, then, through devout prayers to be watchful for the negligence that must be removed from me.3 and whatever will have been revealed to you from the unfailing and living light, write back to me, to rouse my drowsiness.
Closing Prayer for Consolation and Rest
Rudolf closes by praying that God grant him true consolation through Hildegard's writings and that her intercession may secure for him the eternal dwelling place of rest.
May the most merciful God grant that I may receive, through your writings, the truest consolation through you! and that, through the merit of your intercession, I may obtain the final, eternal dwelling place of rest.4
Read the original Latin
Episcopus leodicensis. hildegardi. Rudolfus dei gratia leodicensium episcopus! hildegardi famulę christi de sancto ruberto in pingis. regi regum incessanter seruire. et brauium eternę beatitudinis apprehendere. In maxima mentis et corporis fluctuatione constitutus tibi scribere disposui. quia clementia dei nimis indigeo!
quam innumeris malis me offendisse et irritasse non abnego. Quia igitur dilectissima soror ueraciter deum tecum esse noui! admoneo et rogo per misericordiam ipsius sanctitatem tuam. ut omnino michi fluctuanti et ad te confugium facienti. manum porrigas. Cura namque tibi sit pro negligentia a me remouenda deuotis precibus inuigilare! et quicquid ex indeficienti et uiuenti lumine tibi ostensum fuerit. ad excitandum somnolentiam meam mihi rescribas.
Concedat clementissimus deus ut scriptis tuis certissimam per te consolationem percipiam! et ut intercessionis tuę obtentu uel ultimam eternę quietis sortiar mansionem.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Tim.6.15;Rev.19.16 — which he will display in his own time—the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign and Lord of those who rule. Rev.19.16 — And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.
- ↩1Cor.9.24-1Cor.9.25;Phil.3.14 — Do you not know that those who run in a stadium all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 1Cor.9.25 — Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. Phil.3.14 — I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Notes
- 1 ↩Latin 'per misericordiam ipsius sanctitatem tuam' is compressed: 'ipsius' likely refers to God's mercy and 'sanctitatem tuam' to Hildegard's holiness as the means of intercession.
- 2 ↩The Latin clause 'ut omnino michi fluctuanti et ad te confugium facienti' is incomplete — a purpose clause without a main verb, likely completed in the next sentence.
- 3 ↩The construction 'Cura...sit...inuigilare' is unusual; the sense is that Hildegard should devote herself to vigilant, devout prayer for Rudolf's healing from his negligence.
- 4 ↩Obtentu rendered as 'merit' in the sense of the efficacy/worth of intercession; could also mean 'through the means of'.
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