Dear AGAC whānau,
17th September marks the feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), one of my favourite saints. St. Hildegard grew up with a very personal understanding of God and his love. Her writings include 3 volumes of visionary theology, 70 musical compositions with accompanying poetic texts, a morality play and 9 books on science and medicine. She also created her own alphabet and led her religious community as abbess. It’s almost simpler to list what she didn’t do! We can look at her life and marvel at all she achieved, but I think St. Hildegard would challenge that take: It was not she who accomplished that litany of works, but God who accomplished these and more through her. We might separate these aptitudes into a hierarchy ordered by perceived usefulness. And to what end? When we narrow our understanding of what it means to be creative, we run the risk of minimizing the gifts God has given us and not fully employing them for his glory.
St. Hildegard called attention to the connectedness and the presence of God in all things. Her ability to see the whole picture of creation in such a way surely contributed to how she used her gifts to guide souls toward God and help them strive toward heaven.
This Sunday at Holy Cross, we will celebrate different creative gifts that God has given us. Should our gifts lie in painting, science, business, education, homemaking or elsewhere, may we, with St. Hildegard’s intercession, cultivate and share them in our own varied songs of thanks and praise.
May your joy be full
Yukiko
