An Advent Story: The Peace of Hildegard
A winter solstice (900 years ago)...
Imagine yourself in the remote monastery of Disibodenberg, enduring the frozen German midwinter. Your church's Advent demands strict fasting and penitence. With nothing but a cloak and an extinguished candle, you shiver in the dark. On this longest night of the year, the surrounding forest teems with fearsome demons and evil magic. Will Christmas ever come?
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), was consigned to the church as a young, sickly girl and shut up in a cell with Jutta, an older, solitary nun.
By God's grace, Hildegard grew up to be an innovative leader of her community: a composer, theologian and natural scientist versed in healing arts.
To a fearful church that preached wrath and condemnation, Hildgard shared astonishing visions: cosmic images of creation's vitality and Christ's redeeming power. Of peace.
To us this Advent, Hildegard speaks peace to our own dark, troubled world. "O Branch, coming into leaf just as dawn advances. Rejoice, be glad, and deem us helpless ones worthy; free us from evil habits, and reach out your hand to lift us."
Words from Hildegard von Bingen
The Man of Peace
The most radiant star of all rose and flamed, and a light like dawn sparkled on earth. In the brightness of that morning, God’s Spirit rose…
Then I saw a Man of Peace walk out of this bright dawn. He emptied His light out into the darkness, and the darkness pushed back, until He bled.
The person who lay prostrate in death felt the warmth of His finger, started shimmering, got up, and walked out.
This Man of Peace who walked out of the sunrise kept walking until He came into His glory, where everything is illuminated by the light of love and perfumed with His holiness.
Mary, whatever is small and unnoticed is like you --
growing, the greenest twig stirring in the rainy gusts that were all those questions asked by those who lived before your time
and spent their lives looking for God’s son to come.
The sun warmed you, and when the time was ripe,
you blossomed, smelling like balsam,
and the fragrance of your Bloom
renewed the spices’ dry perfume.
The earth rejoiced when your body grew wheat.
The sky celebrated by giving the grass dew,
and the birds built nests in your wheat,
and the food of the Eucharist was made for all humanity.
We feast on it, full of joy!
