St. Therese, the Little Flower – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. John Esseff and Kris McGregor discuss the spirituality and life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as “The Little Flower.” Msgr. Esseff reflects on the humble, childlike simplicity and profound love that characterized St. Thérèse’s life. Although she lived a hidden existence in a Carmelite convent and died at the age of 24, she transformed everyday moments into acts of sacrificial love for God, even embracing small annoyances and difficult people as opportunities for spiritual growth.
Her life challenges modern notions of success, showing that prayer, humility, and love for others can lead to spiritual greatness. St. Thérèse’s “Little Way” of love and trust in God has inspired countless people, and she is recognized as a patroness of missions, despite never leaving her convent. Msgr. Esseff shares personal stories of her intercession and the miraculous signs people receive, such as roses, when invoking her in prayer.
Childlike innocence, humility, and prayer are important in the Christian life. St. Thérèse’s example is presented as a model for living with love, simplicity, and faith in God’s hidden work, encouraging us to embrace prayer and spiritual intercession in our lives.
Discerning Hearts Discussion Questions
How can I embrace the hidden and ordinary moments of my life as opportunities to grow in love and holiness, following St. Thérèse’s example?
Am I willing to see everyday frustrations and difficult relationships as occasions for offering sacrificial love to God?
Do I approach God with the trust, humility, and simplicity of a child, as Jesus teaches in the Gospel?
How can I deepen my reliance on prayer and the intercession of the saints and angels in my daily challenges and decisions?
Do I seek recognition and approval from the world, or do I strive to cultivate inner beauty and virtue through humility and love for others?
Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world, especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests, sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders around the world.
St. Jerome – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 347 AD, Štrigova, Croatia
Died: September 30, 420 AD, Bethlehem
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the life and contributions of St. Jerome, a Doctor of the Church best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin, creating the Vulgate. His fiery personality, shaped by his intellectual brilliance and sensitivity, often lead to conflict with others.
St. Jerome, born in 342 AD, had a profound love for scripture, classical literature, and the Christian faith, which led him to Rome and eventually the Holy Land. There, he dedicated himself to the study and translation of scripture, mastering Hebrew and other languages to create an authentic Latin version of the Bible.
His work in revising the Latin New Testament and his deep relationships with notable Roman women, such as Paula, who helped him establish monastic communities in Bethlehem. Despite his irritable temperament, Jerome’s love for Christ and scripture motivated his scholarship and pastoral care. His legacy lies in the reliability of the Vulgate, affirmed by the Council of Trent, and his profound message that ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ. Jerome’s life exemplifies the integration of scholarly pursuit and living out the Gospel. Christians must not only study the Word but live it.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does St. Jerome’s dedication to studying and translating scripture challenge me to deepen my own engagement with the Word of God?
In what ways can I channel my personality and temperament, even if difficult, toward serving Christ and His Church?
How can St. Jerome’s transformation from worldly temptations to a life devoted to God inspire me to reform areas of my own life?
Am I willing to set aside personal achievements and knowledge, as Jerome did, to serve others in practical ways when charity demands it?
How can I apply Jerome’s teaching that to know scripture is to know Christ more fully in my daily spiritual practice?
What steps can I take to live out the truths I encounter in my study of scripture, ensuring that my actions reflect my faith?
“Jerome was born into a Christian family in about 347 A.D. in Stridon. He was given a good education and was even sent to Rome to fine-tune his studies. As a young man he was attracted by the worldly life (cf. Ep 22, 7), but his desire for and interest in the Christian religion prevailed.
He received Baptism in about 366 and opted for the ascetic life. He went to Aquileia and joined a group of fervent Christians that had formed around Bishop Valerian and which he described as almost “a choir of blesseds” (Chron. ad ann. 374). He then left for the East and lived as a hermit in the Desert of Chalcis, south of Aleppo (Ep 14, 10), devoting himself assiduously to study. He perfected his knowledge of Greek, began learning Hebrew (cf. Ep 125, 12), and transcribed codices and Patristic writings (cf. Ep 5, 2). Meditation, solitude and contact with the Word of God helped his Christian sensibility to mature. He bitterly regretted the indiscretions of his youth (cf. Ep. 22, 7) and was keenly aware of the contrast between the pagan mentality and the Christian life: a contrast made famous by the dramatic and lively “vision” – of which he has left us an account – in which it seemed to him that he was being scourged before God because he was “Ciceronian rather than Christian” (cf. Ep. 22, 30).
In 382 he moved to Rome: here, acquainted with his fame as an ascetic and his ability as a scholar, Pope Damasus engaged him as secretary and counsellor; the Pope encouraged him, for pastoral and cultural reasons, to embark on a new Latin translation of the Biblical texts. Several members of the Roman aristocracy, especially noblewomen such as Paula, Marcella, Asella, Lea and others, desirous of committing themselves to the way of Christian perfection and of deepening their knowledge of the Word of God, chose him as their spiritual guide and teacher in the methodical approach to the sacred texts. These noblewomen also learned Greek and Hebrew.
After the death of Pope Damasus, Jerome left Rome in 385 and went on pilgrimage, first to the Holy Land, a silent witness of Christ’s earthly life, and then to Egypt, the favourite country of numerous monks (cf. Contra Rufinum, 3, 22; Ep. 108, 6-14). In 386 he stopped in Bethlehem, where male and female monasteries were built through the generosity of the noblewoman, Paula, as well as a hospice for pilgrims bound for the Holy Land, “remembering Mary and Joseph who had found no room there” (Ep. 108, 14). He stayed in Bethlehem until he died, continuing to do a prodigious amount of work: he commented on the Word of God; he defended the faith, vigorously opposing various heresies; he urged the monks on to perfection; he taught classical and Christian culture to young students; he welcomed with a pastor’s heart pilgrims who were visiting the Holy Land. He died in his cell close to the Grotto of the Nativity on 30 September 419-420.
Jerome’s literary studies and vast erudition enabled him to revise and translate many biblical texts: an invaluable undertaking for the Latin Church and for Western culture. On the basis of the original Greek and Hebrew texts, and thanks to the comparison with previous versions, he revised the four Gospels in Latin, then the Psalter and a large part of the Old Testament. Taking into account the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Septuagint, the classical Greek version of the Old Testament that dates back to pre-Christian times, as well as the earlier Latin versions, Jerome was able, with the assistance later of other collaborators, to produce a better translation: this constitutes the so-called “Vulgate”, the “official” text of the Latin Church which was recognized as such by the Council of Trent and which, after the recent revision, continues to be the “official” Latin text of the Church. It is interesting to point out the criteria which the great biblicist abided by in his work as a translator. He himself reveals them when he says that he respects even the order of the words of the Sacred Scriptures, for in them, he says, “the order of the words is also a mystery” (Ep. 57, 5), that is, a revelation. Furthermore, he reaffirms the need to refer to the original texts: “Should an argument on the New Testament arise between Latins because of interpretations of the manuscripts that fail to agree, let us turn to the original, that is, to the Greek text in which the New Testament was written. “Likewise, with regard to the Old Testament, if there are divergences between the Greek and Latin texts we should have recourse to the original Hebrew text; thus, we shall be able to find in the streams all that flows from the source” (Ep. 106, 2). Jerome also commented on many biblical texts. For him the commentaries had to offer multiple opinions “so that the shrewd reader, after reading the different explanations and hearing many opinions – to be accepted or rejected – may judge which is the most reliable, and, like an expert moneychanger, may reject the false coin” (Contra Rufinum 1, 16).
Jerome refuted with energy and liveliness the heretics who contested the tradition and faith of the Church. He also demonstrated the importance and validity of Christian literature, which had by then become a real culture that deserved to be compared with classical literature: he did so by composing his De Viris Illustribus, a work in which Jerome presents the biographies of more than a hundred Christian authors. Further, he wrote biographies of monks, comparing among other things their spiritual itineraries as well as monastic ideal. In addition, he translated various works by Greek authors. Lastly, in the important Epistulae, a masterpiece of Latin literature, Jerome emerges with the profile of a man of culture, an ascetic and a guide of souls.
What can we learn from St Jerome? It seems to me, this above all; to love the Word of God in Sacred Scripture. St Jerome said: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”. It is therefore important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the Word of God given to us in Sacred Scripture. This dialogue with Scripture must always have two dimensions: on the one hand, it must be a truly personal dialogue because God speaks with each one of us through Sacred Scripture and it has a message for each one. We must not read Sacred Scripture as a word of the past but as the Word of God that is also addressed to us, and we must try to understand what it is that the Lord wants to tell us. However, to avoid falling into individualism, we must bear in mind that the Word of God has been given to us precisely in order to build communion and to join forces in the truth on our journey towards God. Thus, although it is always a personal Word, it is also a Word that builds community, that builds the Church. We must therefore read it in communion with the living Church. The privileged place for reading and listening to the Word of God is the liturgy, in which, celebrating the Word and making Christ’s Body present in the Sacrament, we actualize the Word in our lives and make it present among us. We must never forget that the Word of God transcends time. Human opinions come and go. What is very modern today will be very antiquated tomorrow. On the other hand, the Word of God is the Word of eternal life, it bears within it eternity and is valid for ever. By carrying the Word of God within us, we therefore carry within us eternity, eternal life.
I thus conclude with a word St Jerome once addressed to St Paulinus of Nola. In it the great exegete expressed this very reality, that is, in the Word of God we receive eternity, eternal life. St Jerome said: “Seek to learn on earth those truths which will remain ever valid in Heaven” (Ep. 53, 10).”
Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
The Penitential Rite, Part 2 – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor discuss the role of silence and mercy within the Mass, especially during the penitential rite. Practical concerns, such as time pressures, often cause parishes to rush past important prayers like the Confiteor or the Kyrie. Genuine silence allows people to transition from the busyness of daily life into the sacred encounter of the liturgy. Silence isn’t “dead air” but a sacred space where Christ Himself speaks truth to the heart. To benefit from this gift, the faithful need formation on how to enter silence and discern God’s voice from distractions, guilt, or mere psychological noise. Pastors and parishes should embrace these pauses more generously and to create a rhythm that differs from the entertainment-driven pace of modern culture.
Dcn. Keating also reflects on the Kyrie as the most authentic human prayer, since it acknowledges God’s very identity as mercy and places our sins within the context of Christ’s saving ministry. Even fleeting moments of awareness during Mass can bring profound communion with God, similar to suddenly noticing a spouse’s beauty in an ordinary moment. Families can nurture this capacity by practicing silence and prayer at home with their children, so that when extended silences occur in church, they feel natural. The Mass should never be treated as a performance but as the sober, transformative action of the Holy Spirit drawing the congregation into deeper union with Christ, where both music and silence have their rightful place.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How do I personally prepare to move from the noise of daily life into the silence of the Mass?
When silence is offered during the liturgy, do I truly rest in God’s presence or simply wait for the next part to begin?
How do I understand the words “Lord, have mercy” as both a prayer of need and an encounter with God’s very identity?
In what ways might I be rushing through the liturgy instead of opening space for God to act in me?
How can I practice silence and prayer within my home so that it becomes natural during Mass?
Do I recognize moments, even fleeting, when Christ’s mercy deeply touches me, and do I allow myself to receive them fully?
How might my participation in Mass change if I viewed silence not as absence, but as a sacred form of communion?
Am I open to the Holy Spirit’s quiet work within me during the Eucharist, or do I cling to my own expectations and pace?
Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.
The Reasons for Spiritual Desolation – The Heart of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Fr. Anthony Wieck S.J.
Fr. Anthony Wieck and Kris McGregor explores St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discerning spirits, which are seen as one of the saint’s greatest gifts to the Church. Fr. Wieck explains that thoughts can arise from three sources: ourselves, God and the good angels, or the evil one and his forces. The rules help us recognize these origins, allowing us to receive inspirations that lead toward God and reject those that draw us away. In the first stages of the spiritual life, Ignatius notes that the evil spirit encourages people to remain in sin by appealing to comfort, vanity, and pride, while the Holy Spirit unsettles the conscience to draw the soul back. As one grows in virtue, this dynamic reverses—the Holy Spirit consoles and strengthens, while the evil spirit creates obstacles, discouragement, and confusion.
Consolation brings inner joy, a deepening of faith, hope, and charity, and a greater desire for God. Desolation, on the other hand, feels heavy and dry, with temptations toward sadness, doubt, or giving up. St. Ignatius teaches not to make changes during desolation, but rather to resist by continuing prayer, even adding to it, and by remembering hopeful truths. God allows desolation for three reasons: to show us when we have strayed, to strengthen spiritual “muscles” through resistance, and to remind us that consolation is pure gift, not something earned. Both states, when lived faithfully, draw us deeper into freedom and love of God, helping us persevere in the daily choice to follow Christ.
Discerning Hearts Catholic Reflection Questions:
When I notice my thoughts, can I pause to ask whether they come from myself, God, or the evil one?
How have I experienced the difference between thoughts that leave me consoled versus those that leave me restless or discouraged?
Do I sometimes confuse false humility or self-criticism with authentic movements of the Holy Spirit?
How do I respond when I fall into desolation—do I give up, or do I remain faithful to prayer and trust in God’s timing?
Can I recognize times when God used dryness or struggle to strengthen my spiritual life?
Do I remember that every consolation I experience is pure gift from God, not something I can claim as my own achievement?
In my daily choices, how do I discern whether I am moving toward deeper praise, reverence, and service of God or away from Him?
Fr. Anthony Wieck is a Jesuit priest of the Central & Southern province. Sixth of nine children, raised on a farm in Oregon, Fr. Anthony began religious life in 1994, spending his first five years of formation in Rome, Italy, studying at the Casa Balthasar and the Gregorian. The former was under the watchful patronage of Pope Benedict XVI (then-Card. Joseph Ratzinger). Fr. Anthony currently acts as retreat master at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis, Missouri. He also offers spiritual direction at the St. Louis diocesan seminary for 25 future priests there.
St. Padre Pio and the Healing of the Church – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. John Esseff reflects on his encounters with Padre Pio, especially the suffering and rejection that marked the saint’s life. He recalls visiting him during the years when Padre Pio was silenced and confined to a remote monastery, accused of falsifying his wounds. In spite of this, Padre Pio remained obedient, serving tirelessly in the confessional and carrying both the visible stigmata and the hidden wounds of abandonment. He shares personal experiences—such as being looked at deeply by Padre Pio, attending his Mass, and witnessing the Eucharistic sacrifice marked by blood—that profoundly shaped his priesthood. Padre Pio promised his ongoing help through prayer and angelic intercession, a gift Esseff has leaned on throughout his ministry, especially in confession and spiritual direction.
Just as the saint’s hidden suffering could not keep his light concealed, so too God works through rejection, weakness, and silence to reveal truth and love. The example of Padre Pio demonstrates humility, prayer, and complete union with Christ’s cross, which leads to resurrection glory. Sainthood is not about perfection but about reliance on grace. Even the holiest figures struggled with weakness and sin, yet God’s power was revealed through them.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does Padre Pio’s hidden suffering challenge me to accept moments of rejection or misunderstanding in my own life?
In what ways am I called to remain obedient and faithful when silenced or limited by circumstances beyond my control?
Do I recognize the Eucharist as the place where Christ unites my own struggles with his sacrifice?
How do I allow the light of Christ within me to shine when I feel hidden or forgotten?
When faced with weakness or temptation, do I turn to prayer as Padre Pio did in his “Stay with me, Lord” prayer?
What does Padre Pio’s example teach me about relying on God’s grace rather than my own strength?
How can I participate in the rebuilding of the Church today through humility, love, and fidelity to Christ?
St. Padre Pio Communion Prayer:
Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have you present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and alway be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes, death, judgment and eternity approach. It is necessary to renew my strenth, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.
St. Robert Bellarmine – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: October 4, 1542, Montepulciano, Italy
Died: September 17, 1621, Rome, Italy
Full name: Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmino
Feast: 17 September; 13 May (General Roman Calendar, 1932–1969)
Place of burial: Rome, Italy, Chiesa di Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola, Rome, Italy
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor discussing St. Robert Bellarmine, a lesser-known but pivotal figure in the Catholic Church, especially during the Counter-Reformation. Known for his gentle demeanor, he was also a fierce defender of Catholic doctrine. Born in 1542 in Tuscany, he demonstrated early intellectual brilliance, mastering Greek as a Jesuit novice and quickly becoming an expert in theology.
St. Robert lived during a period of theological giants, including Ignatius of Loyola and John of Avila. Despite his father’s aspirations for him to rise to high rank, he chose the Jesuit path, ultimately becoming a cardinal. His deep knowledge and methodical approach made him an influential preacher and theologian, who articulated three key qualities for a preacher: zeal for God’s honor, wisdom, and eloquence.
His role in defending Catholic teachings, particularly against Protestantism, was remarkable. His most famous work, The Controversies, objectively analyzed Protestant doctrines and refuted them charitably. This earned him admiration and even the name “Bellarmist” for those who defended the Church’s teachings.
St. Robert’s humility was a hallmark of his character. He refused multiple papal opportunities, focusing instead on his responsibilities, including as Archbishop of Capua. His devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and his extensive writings, including spiritual works like The Art of Dying Well, reveal his deep piety.
Despite his intellectual prowess, St. Robert remained humble, caring for the poor and showing great respect to everyone, regardless of status. His humility, paired with his intellectual contributions, continues to serve as a model for Christian living.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How can I emulate St. Robert Bellarmine’s example of combining gentleness and humility with a passionate defense of the faith?
In what ways can I better use the intellectual and spiritual gifts God has given me to serve the Church and those around me?
How does St. Bellarmine’s humility in refusing higher positions inspire me to embrace humility in my own responsibilities and aspirations?
How can I, like St. Bellarmine, engage in discussions about faith and truth while maintaining a charitable and respectful attitude toward those with differing beliefs?
What role does devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary play in my own spiritual life, and how can I deepen this devotion?
Am I living with an awareness of the “art of dying well,” as St. Bellarmine teaches, by reflecting on how I can prepare spiritually for my eventual encounter with God?
How can I grow in my ability to recognize Christ in the poor and respond to their needs with the same love and respect that St. Bellarmine showed?
From the General Audience on St. Robert Bellarmine:
“His preaching and his catechesis have that same character of essentiality which he had learned from his Ignatian education, entirely directed to concentrating the soul’s energies on the Lord Jesus intensely known, loved and imitated. In the writings of this man of governance one is clearly aware, despite the reserve behind which he conceals his sentiments, of the primacy he gives to Christ’s teaching.
St Bellarmine thus offers a model of prayer, the soul of every activity: a prayer that listens to the word of God, that is satisfied in contemplating his grandeur, that does not withdraw into self but is pleased to abandon itself to God.
A hallmark of Bellarmine’s spirituality is his vivid personal perception of God’s immense goodness. This is why our Saint truly felt he wasa beloved son of God. It was a source of great joy to him to pause in recollection, with serenity and simplicity, in prayer and in contemplation of God.
In his book De ascensione mentis in Deum — Elevation of the mind to God — composed in accordance with the plan of the Itinerarium [Journey of the mind into God] of St Bonaventure, he exclaims: “O soul, your example is God, infinite beauty, light without shadow, splendour that exceeds that of the moon and the sun. He raised his eyes to God in whom is found the archetypes of all things, and of whom, as from a source of infinite fertility, derives this almost infinite variety of things. For this reason you must conclude: whoever finds God finds everything, whoever loses God loses everything”.
In this text an echo of the famous contemplatio ad amorem obtineundum — contemplation in order to obtain love — of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola can be heard. Bellarmine, who lived in the lavish and often unhealthy society of the end of late 16th and early 17th centuries, drew from this contemplation practical applications and applied them to the situation of the Church of his time with a lively pastoral inspiration.
In his book De arte bene moriendi — the art of dying a good death — for example, he points out as a reliable norm for a good life and also for a good death regular and serious meditation that should account to God for one’s actions and one’s way of life, and seek not to accumulate riches on this earth but rather to live simply and charitably in such a way as to lay up treasure in Heaven.
In his book De gemitu columbae — the lament of the dove — in which the dove represents the Church, is a forceful appeal to all the clergy and faithful to undertake a personal and concrete reform of their own life in accordance with the teachings of Scripture and of the saints, among whom he mentions in particular St Gregory Nazianzus, St John Crysostom, St Jerome and St Augustine, as well as the great founders of religious orders, such as St Benedict, St Dominic and St Francis.
Bellarmine teaches with great clarity and with the example of his own life that there can be no true reform of the Church unless there is first our own personal reform and the conversion of our own heart.
Bellarmine found in the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius recommendations for communicating the profound beauty of the mysteries of faith, even to the simplest of people. He wrote: “If you have wisdom, may you understand that you have been created for the glory of God and for your eternal salvation. This is your goal, this is the centre of your soul, this the treasure of your heart. Therefore consider as truly good for you what leads you to your goal, and truly evil what causes you to miss it. The wise person must not seek felicitous or adverse events, wealth or poverty, health or sickness, honours or offences, life or death. They are good and desirable only if they contribute to the glory of God and to your eternal happiness, they are evil and to be avoided if they hinder it” (De ascensione mentis in Deum, grad. 1).”
Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
The Penitential Rite – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon James Keating and Kris McGregor explore how the Eucharist is intimately tied to reconciliation and moral renewal. The Mass is truly the celebration of those who have been reconciled with God. Grave sin blocks intimacy with Christ, and so the sacrament of reconciliation is essential before receiving the Eucharist. He acknowledges past tendencies to downplay the need for confession to avoid scrupulosity but cautions against neglecting reconciliation, since true love for Christ motivates us to seek restored communion. The penitential rite at the beginning of Mass then becomes an act of deep honesty, where we name venial sins, accept responsibility without excuses, and open ourselves to the mercy of God, so that we can receive the Word and Eucharist with greater attentiveness and freedom.
There is a spiritual and psychological importance of naming sins; using the example of a marriage: when harm is done, reconciliation restores intimacy and peace. Avoiding the pain of self-examination leads to inner turmoil, but bringing sins into the light always encounters mercy, never condemnation. This process echoes Christ’s fidelity on the cross—meeting evil with love—and allows grace to heal what blocks union with God. Over time, the practice of reconciliation becomes less burdensome and more joyful, much like spouses who quickly seek forgiveness out of love. The Mass, especially through the penitential rite and the Eucharist, thus becomes a place of ongoing conversion, drawing us more deeply into the mystery of salvation.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How do I approach the sacrament of reconciliation as preparation for receiving the Eucharist?
In what ways might I avoid or resist the pain of self-examination in my spiritual life?
Do I take responsibility for my sins without excuses, or do I tend to rationalize them?
How can I enter more fully into the penitential rite at Mass instead of rushing through it?
What habits of venial sin most often block my openness to God’s grace?
How does the image of marriage help me understand reconciliation with God?
Do I see the naming of my sins as a gift that leads me closer to Christ?
How do I experience the mercy of God in contrast to feelings of self-condemnation?
In what ways can I slow down during the liturgy to be more attentive to God’s presence?
How does Christ’s meeting of evil with love on the cross shape the way I face my own struggles with sin?
Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.
St. Hildegard von Bingen, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: September 16, 1098, Bermersheim vor der Höhe, Germany
Died: September 17, 1179, Bingen am Rhein, Germany
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor continue their discussion on St. Hildegard of Bingen, one of the great Doctors of the Church. They look at her contributions to the Church through her mystical visions, writings, and spiritual reforms. Dr. Bunson explains St. Hildegard’s deep intellectual curiosity, her commitment to the Church’s authority, and her role as a Benedictine nun in shaping her spirituality and sainthood. They focus on her three major works, Scivias, The Book of the Merits of Life, and The Book of Divine Works, which describe her visions in great detail, exploring themes of virtue, vice, and the Christian life.
It’s important to view St. Hildegard’s writings through the lens of Church authority, cautioning us to be skeptical of modern interpretations that distort her true intentions. Far from being a feminist icon, she submitted her mystical experiences to the Church for validation, which is key to understanding her authentic mysticism.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
In what ways does Hildegard’s submission of her visions to the Church invite us to reflect on the importance of obedience and discernment in our own spiritual lives?
How does Hildegard’s balance of mystical visions with practical reform inspire us to combine deep spirituality with actionable changes in the world around us?
How should we discern and interpret mystical or prophetic works, ensuring they align with the teachings and authority of the Church?
In what ways does Hildegard’s humility, especially in questioning her own visions, offer a model for how we should receive and use God’s gifts?
How can we apply the lessons from Hildegard’s call for Church reform, particularly her critique of vice and call to virtue, to address current challenges within the Church today?
“5. Hildegard’s anthropology begins from the biblical narrative of the creation of man (Gen 1:26), made in the image and likeness of God. Man, according to Hildegard’s biblically inspired cosmology, contains all the elements of the world because the entire universe is recapitulated in him; he is formed from the very matter of creation. The human person can therefore consciously enter into a relationship with God. This does not happen through a direct vision, but, in the words of Saint Paul, as “in a mirror” (1 Cor 13:12). The divine image in man consists in his rationality, structured as intellect and will. Thanks to his intellect, man can distinguish between good and evil; thanks to his will, he is spurred to action.
Human beings are seen as a unity of body and soul. The German mystic shows a positive appreciation of corporeity and providential value is given even to the body’s weaknesses. The body is not a weight from which to be delivered. Although human beings are weak and frail, this “teaches” them a sense of creatureliness and humility, protecting them from pride and arrogance. Hildegard contemplated in a vision the souls of the blessed in paradise waiting to be rejoined to their bodies. Our bodies, like the body of Christ, are oriented to the glorious resurrection, to the supreme transformation for eternal life. The very vision of God, in which eternal life consists, cannot be definitively achieved without the body.
The human being exists in both the male and female form. Hildegard recognized that a relationship of reciprocity and a substantial equality between man and woman is rooted in this ontological structure of the human condition. Nevertheless the mystery of sin also dwells in humanity, and was manifested in history for the first time precisely in the relationship between Adam and Eve. Unlike other medieval authors who saw Eve’s weakness as the cause of the Fall, Hildegard places it above all in Adam’s immoderate passion for her.
Even in their condition as sinners, men and women continue to be the recipients of God’s love, because God’s love is unconditional and, after the Fall, acquires the face of mercy. Even the punishment that God inflicts on the man and woman brings out the merciful love of the Creator. In this regard, the most precise description of the human creature is that of someone on a journey, homo viator. On this pilgrimage towards the homeland, the human person is called to a struggle in order constantly to choose what is good and avoid evil.
The constant choice of good produces a virtuous life. The Son of God made man is the subject of all virtues, therefore the imitation of Christ consists precisely in living a virtuous life in communion with Christ. The power of virtue derives from the Holy Spirit, poured into the hearts of believers, who brings about upright behaviour. This is the purpose of human existence. In this way man experiences his Christ-like perfection.
So as to achieve this goal, the Lord has given his Church the sacraments
6. So as to achieve this goal, the Lord has given his Church the sacraments. Salvation and the perfection of the human being are not achieved through the effort of the will alone, but rather through the gifts of grace that God grants in the Church.
The Church herself is the first sacrament that God places in the world so that she may communicate salvation to mankind. The Church, built up from “living souls”, may rightly be considered virgin, bride and mother, and thus resembles closely the historical and mystical figure of the Mother of God. The Church communicates salvation first of all by keeping and proclaiming the two great mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation, which are like the two “primary sacraments”; and then through administration of the other sacraments.
The summit of the sacramental nature of the Church is the Eucharist. The sacraments produce the sanctification of believers, salvation and purification from sin, redemption and charity and all the other virtues. However, to repeat, the Church lives because God within her has manifested his intraTrinitarian love, which was revealed in Christ. The Lord Jesus is the mediator par excellence. From the Trinitarian womb he comes to encounter man and from Mary’s womb he encounters God. As the Son of God, he is love incarnate; as the Son of Mary, he is humanity’s representative before the throne of God.
The human person can have an experience of God. Relationship with him, in fact, is not lived solely in the sphere of rationality, but involves the person totally. All the external and internal senses of the human being are involved in the experience of God. “But man was created in the image and likeness of God, so that he might act through the five bodily senses; he is not divided by them, rather through them he is wise, knowledgeable and intelligent in doing his work (…). For this very reason, because man is wise, knowledgeable and intelligent, he knows creation; he knows God — whom he cannot see except by faith — through creation and his great works, even if with his five senses he barely comprehends them” (Explanatio Symboli Sancti Athanasii in PL 197, 1073). This experiential process finds once again, its fullness in participation in the sacraments.
Hildegard also saw contradictions in the lives of individual members of the faithful and reported the most deplorable situations. She emphasized in particular that individualism in doctrine and in practice on the part of both lay people and ordained ministers is an expression of pride and constitutes the main obstacle to the Church’s evangelizing mission to non-Christians.
One of the salient points of Hildegard’s magisterium was her heartfelt exhortation to a virtuous life addressed to consecrated men and women. Her understanding of the consecrated life is a true “theological metaphysics”, because it is firmly rooted in the theological virtue of faith, which is the source and constant impulse to full commitment in obedience, poverty and chastity. In living out the evangelical counsels, the consecrated person shares in the experience of Christ, poor, chaste and obedient, and follows in his footsteps in daily life. This is fundamental in the consecrated life.
The monastic liturgy and the interiorization of sacred Scripture are central to her thought
7. Hildegard’s eminent doctrine echoes the teaching of the Apostles, the Fathers and writings of her own day, while it finds a constant point of reference in the Rule of Saint Benedict. The monastic liturgy and the interiorization of sacred Scripture are central to her thought which, focusing on the mystery of the Incarnation, is expressed in a profound unity of style and inner content that runs through all her writings.
The teaching of the holy Benedictine nun stands as a beacon for homo viator. Her message appears extraordinarily timely in today’s world, which is especially sensitive to the values that she proposed and lived. For example, we think of Hildegard’s charismatic and speculative capacity, which offers a lively incentive to theological research; her reflection on the mystery of Christ, considered in its beauty; the dialogue of the Church and theology with culture, science and contemporary art; the ideal of the consecrated life as a possibility for human fulfilment; her appreciation of the liturgy as a celebration of life; her understanding of the reform of the Church, not as an empty change of structure but as conversion of heart; her sensitivity to nature, whose laws are to be safeguarded and not violated.
For these reasons the attribution of the title of Doctor of the Universal Church to Hildegard of Bingen has great significance for today’s world and an extraordinary importance for women. In Hildegard are expressed the most noble values of womanhood: hence the presence of women in the Church and in society is also illumined by her presence, both from the perspective of scientific research and that of pastoral activity. Her ability to speak to those who were far from the faith and from the Church make Hildegard a credible witness of the new evangelization.
By virtue of her reputation for holiness and her eminent teaching, on 6 March 1979 Cardinal Joseph Höffner, Archbishop of Cologne and President of the German Bishops’ Conference, together with the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops of the same Conference, including myself as Cardinal Archbishop of Munich and Freising, submitted to Blessed John Paul II the request that Hildegard of Bingen be declared a Doctor of the Universal Church. In that petition, the Cardinal emphasized the soundness of Hildegard’s doctrine, recognized in the twelfth century by Pope Eugene III, her holiness, widely known and celebrated by the people, and the authority of her writings.
Doctor of the Universal Church
As time passed, other petitions were added to that of the German Bishops’ Conference, first and foremost the petition from the nuns of Eibingen Monastery, which bears her name. Thus, to the common wish of the People of God that Hildegard be officially canonized, was added the request that she be declared a “Doctor of the Universal Church”.
With my consent, therefore, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints diligently prepared a Positio super Canonizatione et Concessione tituli Doctoris Ecclesiae Universalis for the Mystic of Bingen. Since this concerned a famous teacher of theology who had been the subject of many authoritative studies, I granted the dispensation from the measures prescribed by article 73 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus. The cause was therefore examined and approved by the Cardinals and Bishops, who met in Plenary Session on 20 March 2012. The proponent (ponens) of the cause was His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
At the audience of 10 May 2012, Cardinal Amato informed us in detail about the status quaestionis and the unanimous vote of the Fathers at the above-mentioned Plenary Session of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On 27 May 2012, Pentecost Sunday, I had the joy of announcing to the crowd of pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Saint Peter’s Square the news of the conferral of the title of Doctor of the Universal Church upon Saint Hildegard of Bingen and Saint John of Avila at the beginning of the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and on the eve of the Year of Faith.
Today, with the help of God and the approval of the whole Church, this act has taken place. In Saint Peter’s Square, in the presence of many Cardinals and Prelates of the Roman Curia and of the Catholic Church, in confirming the acts of the process and willingly granting the desires of the petitioners, I spoke the following words in the course of the Eucharistic sacrifice: “Fulfilling the wishes of numerous brethren in the episcopate, and of many of the faithful throughout the world, after due consultation with the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, with certain knowledge and after mature deliberation, with the fullness of my apostolic authority I declare Saint John of Avila, diocesan priest, and Saint Hildegard of Bingen, professed nun of the Order of Saint Benedict, to be Doctors of the Universal Church. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
St. Hildegard von Bingen, Part 1 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: September 16, 1098, Bermersheim vor der Höhe, Germany
Died: September 17, 1179, Bingen am Rhein, Germany
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor discuss St. Hildegard of Bingen, one of the newer Doctors of the Church, declared so by Pope Benedict XVI. They explore her remarkable life, her profound mysticism, obedience to the Church, and contributions to theology, medicine, and music.
St. Hildegard, often called the “Sybil of the Rhine,” was misunderstood by some as a proto-feminist, but she was deeply committed to the Church’s teachings. Her mystical visions, referred to as the “shadow of the living light,” shaped much of her extensive writings. Pope Benedict XVI highlighted her global vision of salvation history, touching on topics like creation, the sacraments, and the last judgment. Her gifts extended beyond theology, as she composed over 70 hymns and developed a keen understanding of natural medicine, combining her intellectual and spiritual genius to serve her community.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does St. Hildegard’s example of obedience to the Church’s authority challenge our own attitudes toward submission in our faith life?
In what ways can we ensure that we stay true to the authentic teachings of the Church while engaging with figures like Hildegard who have been misinterpreted by secular agendas?
How can we, like Hildegard, integrate our intellectual pursuits with our spiritual life, ensuring that both serve the greater glory of God?
What lessons can we learn from Hildegard’s hesitancy to share her visions, and how can we discern the authenticity of spiritual experiences in our own lives?
How does Hildegard’s vast range of contributions, from theology to medicine to music, inspire us to use our own gifts fully in service to the Church and others?
In what ways does Hildegard’s humility despite her vast genius encourage us to approach our own talents with a spirit of humility and service?
How does Hildegard’s balance of spiritual contemplation and active service inform how we approach our vocation and daily life as Catholics?
1. A “light for her people and her time”: in these words Blessed John Paul II, my Venerable Predecessor, described Saint Hildegard of Bingen in 1979, on the occasion of the eight-hundredth anniversary of the death of this German mystic. This great woman truly stands out crystal clear against the horizon of history for her holiness of life and the originality of her teaching. And, as with every authentic human and theological experience, her authority reaches far beyond the confines of a single epoch or society; despite the distance of time and culture, her thought has proven to be of lasting relevance.
“In Saint Hildegard of Bingen there is a wonderful harmony between teaching and daily life. In her, the search for God’s will in the imitation of Christ was expressed in the constant practice of virtue, which she exercised with supreme generosity and which she nourished from biblical, liturgical and patristic roots in the light of the Rule of Saint Benedict. Her persevering practice of obedience, simplicity, charity and hospitality was especially visible.
In her desire to belong completely to the Lord, this Benedictine Abbess was able to bring together rare human gifts, keen intelligence and an ability to penetrate heavenly realities.
2. Hildegard was born in 1098 at Bermersheim, Alzey, to parents of noble lineage who were wealthy landowners. At the age of eight she was received as an oblate at the Benedictine Abbey of Disibodenberg, where in 1115 she made her religious profession. Upon the death of Jutta of Sponheim, around the year 1136, Hildegard was called to succeed her as magistra. Infirm in physical health but vigorous in spirit, she committed herself totally to the renewal of religious life. At the basis of her spirituality was the Benedictine Rule which views spiritual balance and ascetical moderation as paths to holiness. Following the increase in vocations to the religious life, due above all to the high esteem in which Hildegard was held, around 1150 she founded a monastery on the hill of Rupertsberg, near Bingen, where she moved with twenty sisters. In 1165, she established another monastery on the opposite bank of the Rhine. She was the Abbess of both.
Within the walls of the cloister, she cared for the spiritual and material well-being of her sisters, fostering in a special way community life, culture and the liturgy. In the outside world she devoted herself actively to strengthening the Christian faith and reinforcing religious practice, opposing the heretical trends of the Cathars, promoting Church reform through her writings and preaching and contributing to the improvement of the discipline and life of clerics. At the invitation first of Hadrian IV and later of Alexander III, Hildegard practised a fruitful apostolate, something unusual for a woman at that time, making several journeys, not without hardship and difficulty, to preach even in public squares and in various cathedral churches, such as at Cologne, Trier, Liège, Mainz, Metz, Bamberg and Würzburg. The profound spirituality of her writings had a significant influence both on the faithful and on important figures of her time and brought about an incisive renewal of theology, liturgy, natural sciences and music. Stricken by illness in the summer of 1179, Hildegard died in the odour of sanctity, surrounded by her sisters at the monastery of Rupertsberg, Bingen, on 17 September 1179
3. In her many writings Hildegard dedicated herself exclusively to explaining divine revelation and making God known in the clarity of his love. Hildegard’s teaching is considered eminent both for its depth, the correctness of its interpretation, and the originality of its views. The texts she produced are refreshing in their authentic “intellectual charity” and emphasize the power of penetration and comprehensiveness of her contemplation of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, the Incarnation, the Church, humanity and nature as God’s creation, to be appreciated and respected.
These works were born from a deep mystical experience and propose a perceptive reflection on the mystery of God.
The Lord endowed her with a series of visions from childhood, whose content she dictated to the Benedictine monk Volmar, her secretary and spiritual advisor, and to Richardis von Stade, one of her women religious. But particularly illuminating are the judgments expressed by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, who encouraged her, and especially by Pope Eugene III, who in 1147 authorized her to write and to speak in public. Theological reflection enabled Hildegard to organize and understand, at least in part, the content of her visions. In addition to books on theology and mysticism, she also authored works on medicine and natural sciences. Her letters are also numerous — about four hundred are extant; these were addressed to simple people, to religious communities, popes, bishops and the civil authorities of her time. She was also a composer of sacred music. The corpus of her writings, for their quantity, quality and variety of interests, is unmatched by any other female author of the Middle Ages.
Her main writings are the Scivias, the Liber Vitae Meritorum and the Liber Divinorum Operum. They relate her visions and the task she received from the Lord to transcribe them. In the author’s view her Letters were no less important; they bear witness to the attention Hildegard paid to the events of her time, which she interpreted in the light of the mystery of God. In addition there are 58 sermons, addressed directly to her sisters. They are her Expositiones Evangeliorum, containing a literary and moral commentary on Gospel passages related to the main celebrations of the liturgical year. Her artistic and scientific works focus mainly on music, in the Symphonia Harmoniae Caelestium Revelationum; on medicine, in the Liber Subtilitatum Diversarum Naturarum Creaturarum and in the Causae et Curae, and on natural sciences in the Physica. Finally her linguistic writings are also noteworthy, such as the Lingua Ignota and the Litterae Ignotae, in which the words appear in an unknown language of her own invention, but are composed mainly of phonemes present in German.
Hildegard’s language, characterized by an original and effective style, makes ample use of poetic expressions and is rich in symbols, dazzling intuitions, incisive comparisons and evocative metaphors.
4. With acute wisdom-filled and prophetic sensitivity, Hildegard focused her attention on the event of revelation. Her investigation develops from the biblical page in which, in successive phases, it remains firmly anchored. The range of vision of the mystic of Bingen was not limited to treating individual matters but sought to offer a global synthesis of the Christian faith. Hence in her visions and her subsequent reflections she presents a compendium of the history of salvation from the beginning of the universe until its eschatological consummation. God’s decision to bring about the work of creation is the first stage on this immensely long journey which, in the light of sacred Scripture, unfolds from the constitution of the heavenly hierarchy until it reaches the fall of the rebellious angels and the sin of our first parents.
This initial picture is followed by the redemptive Incarnation of the Son of God, the activity of the Church that extends in time the mystery of the Incarnation and the struggle against Satan. The definitive Coming of the Kingdom of God and the Last Judgement crown this work.
Hildegard asks herself and us the fundamental question, whether it is possible to know God: This is theology’s principal task. Her answer is completely positive: through faith, as through a door, the human person is able to approach this knowledge. God, however, always retains his veil of mystery and incomprehensibility. He makes himself understandable in creation but, creation itself is not fully understood when detached from God. Indeed, nature considered in itself provides only pieces of information which often become an occasion for error and abuse. Faith, therefore, is also necessary in the natural cognitive process, for otherwise knowledge would remain limited, unsatisfactory and misleading.”
Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
Msgr. John Esseff reflects on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. He explains how, for the first centuries of Christianity, the cross was not the central symbol of the faith, since crucifixion was still a horrifying reality in the Roman world. Instead, the fish served as the identifying sign. Over time, the Church came to embrace the cross as the true sign of salvation, recognizing that Jesus’ death was not merely an execution but a free offering of His life. Msgr. Esseff vividly describes the brutality of scourging and crucifixion, noting the suffering Christ endured in body and spirit. Yet, the mystery of His death lies not only in the horror of the method but in His triumph over death itself. By laying down His life, Jesus revealed that the Father’s will—not human power—was the reason for His sacrifice.
Msgr. Esseff then connects the cross to baptism, teaching that in baptism we are joined to Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. Death no longer has mastery over the baptized, for we share in His victory. The cross, once a symbol of shame, becomes a sign of triumph and eternal life. Drawing on the Old Testament account of the bronze serpent raised by Moses, he highlights how Christ’s lifting up on the cross brings healing and redemption. The sign of the cross itself carries deep spiritual power in prayer, blessings, and daily life. For this reason, he encourages keeping a crucifix present in homes and reverencing it as the sign of our salvation, union with Christ, and assurance of eternal life.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does understanding the brutality of crucifixion deepen my appreciation for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross?
In what ways does baptism connect me personally to Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection?
How do I experience freedom from the fear of death through Christ’s victory over it?
When I make the sign of the cross, do I truly recognize its power as a proclamation of redemption?
How can I allow my daily sufferings to be united with Christ’s passion for the sake of my salvation and the salvation of others?
Do I keep the cross present in my home and heart as a reminder of Christ’s triumph and my eternal destiny?
How does the image of the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses help me understand the meaning of Christ lifted on the cross?
In what ways am I called to witness to the cross publicly, even when it may cause discomfort or hesitation?
Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He served as a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the missionaries of charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical missions, a Catholic organization established by Pope St. John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians, and other religious leaders.
The human being exists in both the male and female form. Hildegard recognized that a relationship of reciprocity and a substantial equality between man and woman is rooted in this ontological structure of the human condition. Nevertheless the mystery of sin also dwells in humanity, and was manifested in history for the first time precisely in the relationship between Adam and Eve. Unlike other medieval authors who saw Eve’s weakness as the cause of the Fall, Hildegard places it above all in Adam’s immoderate passion for her.
“In Saint Hildegard of Bingen there is a wonderful harmony between teaching and daily life. In her, the search for God’s will in the imitation of Christ was expressed in the constant practice of virtue, which she exercised with supreme generosity and which she nourished from biblical, liturgical and patristic roots in the light of the Rule of Saint Benedict. Her persevering practice of obedience, simplicity, charity and hospitality was especially visible.