Connectedness

I recently joined social media. Reconnecting can be wonderful, and stories shared help me understand my friends and family more completely. When I made my final Benedictine oblation I chose the name of a patron saint after much thought and prayer. I felt a connection to Hildegard of Bingen for many reasons. Inspired by her faithfulness and life, Hildegard became my chosen name. A Medieval Christian mystic, St. Hildegard communicated creation spirituality through music, art, poetry, medicine, gardening, and reflection on nature. She saw all things in the light of God through the five senses and offers assurance that there is more to God’s creation than what our limited senses can perceive. Richard Rohr states, “She recognized that there is also an inherent connection between the physical world and the divine Presence. This connection translates into an inner energy that is the soul and seed of everything, an inner voice calling you to ‘Become who you are, become all that you are.'” When I move in a direction where I feel God is leading me, I feel great joy. My heart doesn’t lie.

O Holy Spirit, you are the mighty way in which every thing that is in the heavens, in the earth, and under the earth, is penetrated with connectedness, penetrated with relatedness. ~Hildegard of Bingen