Day 18 – Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179)

Saint Hildegard was born in Germany and from childhood experienced visions of light and truth. Offered to the church at a young age, she grew up in a convent, where her gifts of music, leadership, and spiritual insight began to flourish. In time, she became abbess, guiding her community with wisdom and courage.

Hildegard’s life was extraordinary in its breadth. She was a visionary mystic, receiving revelations that she recorded in works such as Scivias (“Know the Ways of the Lord”). She was a composer, leaving behind hauntingly beautiful hymns and chants that still enrich Christian worship. She was a healer and naturalist, writing about medicine, plants, and the created world. She was also a preacher, corresponding with popes, emperors, and bishops, urging reform and calling people back to holiness.

What shines most in Hildegard is her sense that all creation is charged with the glory of God. Her visions are filled with images of light, fire, and harmony, seeing the world as a living testimony to its Creator. She embodied the truth that God’s Spirit equips women and men alike to lead, teach, and proclaim His word.

For us today, Saint Hildegard reminds us that the Spirit of God is not bound by convention. Her life calls us to see creation as a gift, to use our talents boldly, and to listen for the Spirit’s voice. She challenges us to live fully into the calling God has placed upon us, with courage, creativity, and faith.