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.
St. John Chrysostom, Pt. 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 347 AD, Antioch, Turkey
Died: September 14, 407 AD, Comana Pontica
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the ministry of St. John Chrysostom during his time as Archbishop of Constantinople. Known as “Golden Mouth” for his extraordinary preaching, John arrived in the imperial city with a reputation for holiness and reform. He refused pomp in his consecration and redirected wealth toward care for the poor. From the outset, he challenged the excesses of the court, the clergy, and the wealthy elite. His vision for Constantinople was a Christian city modeled on the New Testament, where all—slave, poor, and empress alike—were equal citizens with dignity before God. This radical call to renewal won him admiration from many but stirred resentment among powerful figures, particularly Empress Eudoxia, who saw his words as direct attacks on her lifestyle and influence.
John’s biblical mastery allowed him to present Scripture with clarity, making it both practical and deeply theological. He defended the divinity and humanity of Christ against heresies like Arianism, articulated the reality of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, and laid out the Church’s early social teaching. His clashes with Eudoxia and rival bishops led to his exile and eventual death, yet his legacy endured. Declared a Doctor of the Church in 1568, Chrysostom stands as a model preacher and pastor who combined fidelity to Scripture with a fearless call to conversion. His life shows the cost of proclaiming truth in a culture of power and luxury, but also the enduring fruit of a ministry grounded in love for the poor and the Eucharist.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does St. John Chrysostom’s commitment to caring for the poor challenge the way I use my own resources?
In what ways am I tempted by luxury or comfort at the expense of living the Gospel more fully?
How can I allow Scripture to become a “blueprint” for my daily choices, as Chrysostom encouraged his flock to do?
What does his courage in confronting corruption teach me about speaking truth in love, even when it is costly?
How does Chrysostom’s devotion to the Eucharist invite me to deepen my own reverence for Christ’s real presence?
Am I willing, like him, to endure misunderstanding or opposition for the sake of remaining faithful to Christ?
How can I contribute to building a “Christian city” in my family, parish, or community today?
“The Lord, his biographer explains, intervened with the illness at the right moment to enable John to follow his true vocation. In fact, he himself was later to write that were he to choose between the troubles of Church government and the tranquillity of monastic life, he would have preferred pastoral service a thousand times (cf. On the Priesthood, 6, 7): it was precisely to this that Chrysostom felt called.
It was here that he reached the crucial turning point in the story of his vocation: a full-time pastor of souls! Intimacy with the Word of God, cultivated in his years at the hermitage, had developed in him an irresistible urge to preach the Gospel, to give to others what he himself had received in his years of meditation. The missionary ideal thus launched him into pastoral care, his heart on fire.
Between 378 and 379, he returned to the city. He was ordained a deacon in 381 and a priest in 386, and became a famous preacher in his city’s churches. He preached homilies against the Arians, followed by homilies commemorating the Antiochean martyrs and other important liturgical celebrations: this was an important teaching of faith in Christ and also in the light of his Saints.
The year 387 was John’s “heroic year”, that of the so-called “revolt of the statues”. As a sign of protest against levied taxes, the people destroyed the Emperor’s statues. It was in those days of Lent and the fear of the Emperor’s impending reprisal that Chrysostom gave his 22 vibrant Homilies on the Statues, whose aim was to induce repentance and conversion. This was followed by a period of serene pastoral care (387-397).
Chrysostom is among the most prolific of the Fathers: 17 treatises, more than 700 authentic homilies, commentaries on Matthew and on Paul (Letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians and Hebrews) and 241 letters are extant. He was not a speculative theologian.
Nevertheless, he passed on the Church’s tradition and reliable doctrine in an age of theological controversies, sparked above all by Arianism or, in other words, the denial of Christ’s divinity. He is therefore a trustworthy witness of the dogmatic development achieved by the Church from the fourth to the fifth centuries.
His is a perfectly pastoral theology in which there is constant concern for consistency between thought expressed via words and existential experience. It is this in particular that forms the main theme of the splendid catecheses with which he prepared catechumens to receive Baptism.
On approaching death, he wrote that the value of the human being lies in “exact knowledge of true doctrine and in rectitude of life” (Letter from Exile). Both these things, knowledge of truth and rectitude of life, go hand in hand: knowledge has to be expressed in life. All his discourses aimed to develop in the faithful the use of intelligence, of true reason, in order to understand and to put into practice the moral and spiritual requirements of faith.”
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. John Chrysostom, Pt. 1 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 347 AD, Antioch, Turkey
Died: September 14, 407 AD, Comana Pontica
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses St. John Chrysostom, one of the greatest Doctors of the Church, known as the “golden-mouthed” for his extraordinary eloquence. Born in Antioch in 347, he was raised by his devout mother Anthusa after his father’s early death. She instilled a deep love of the faith and guided him toward an exceptional education. Under the famous pagan teacher Libanius, John excelled in rhetoric and literature, becoming his most gifted pupil. Yet, instead of pursuing a brilliant secular career, John was drawn more fully into the Christian faith, combining his rhetorical brilliance with theology, prayer, and ascetic practice. His early years were marked by rigorous study, memorization of Scripture, fasting, and even periods of eremitical life, all of which prepared him for a greater mission within the Church.
Ordained a deacon in 381 and a priest in 386, John became renowned in Antioch for his powerful preaching, particularly during the “revolt of the statues” when his homilies helped the city avert imperial punishment. His fearless call for conversion and reform soon brought him to Constantinople as archbishop in 397. There, he rejected pomp, redirected Church wealth toward the poor, and spoke boldly against corruption, extravagance, and moral laxity, even at the imperial court. His pastoral vision, love for Scripture, and unflinching proclamation of truth made him both revered and controversial, setting the stage for his enduring legacy as one of the Church’s most luminous teachers.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does St. John Chrysostom’s example challenge me to use my talents for God rather than for personal gain?
In what ways am I called to combine study, prayer, and action in my spiritual life?
How do I respond when the Gospel confronts the comforts or values of the culture around me?
What role has my family played in nurturing my faith, and how do I honor that gift?
Am I attentive to the poor and vulnerable in the way St. John Chrysostom urged his flock to be?
How might I cultivate both eloquence in speech and integrity in living the faith?
Do I embrace times of silence and sacrifice as preparation for God’s greater work in me?
How do I balance respect for authority with the courage to speak truth when it is needed?
This year is the 16th centenary of St John Chrysostom’s death (407-2007). It can be said that John of Antioch, nicknamed “Chrysostom”, that is, “golden-mouthed”, because of his eloquence, is also still alive today because of his works. An anonymous copyist left in writing that “they cross the whole globe like flashes of lightening”.
Chrysostom’s writings also enable us, as they did the faithful of his time whom his frequent exiles deprived of his presence, to live with his books, despite his absence. This is what he himself suggested in a letter when he was in exile (To Olympias, Letter 8, 45).
He was born in about the year 349 A.D. in Antioch, Syria (today Antakya in Southern Turkey). He carried out his priestly ministry there for about 11 years, until 397, when, appointed Bishop of Constantinople, he exercised his episcopal ministry in the capital of the Empire prior to his two exiles, which succeeded one close upon the other – in 403 and 407. Let us limit ourselves today to examining the years Chrysostom spent in Antioch.
He lost his father at a tender age and lived with Anthusa, his mother, who instilled in him exquisite human sensitivity and a deep Christian faith.
After completing his elementary and advanced studies crowned by courses in philosophy and rhetoric, he had as his teacher, Libanius, a pagan and the most famous rhetorician of that time. At his school John became the greatest orator of late Greek antiquity.
He was baptized in 368 and trained for the ecclesiastical life by Bishop Meletius, who instituted him as lector in 371. This event marked Chrysostom’s official entry into the ecclesiastical cursus. From 367 to 372, he attended the Asceterius, a sort of seminary in Antioch, together with a group of young men, some of whom later became Bishops, under the guidance of the exegete Diodore of Tarsus, who initiated John into the literal and grammatical exegesis characteristic of Antiochean tradition.
He then withdrew for four years to the hermits on the neighbouring Mount Silpius. He extended his retreat for a further two years, living alone in a cave under the guidance of an “old hermit”. In that period, he dedicated himself unreservedly to meditating on “the laws of Christ”, the Gospels and especially the Letters of Paul. Having fallen ill, he found it impossible to care for himself unaided, and therefore had to return to the Christian community in Antioch (cf. Palladius, Dialogue on the Life of St John Chrysostom, 5).”
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.
Introductory Rite and the Liturgy of the Word – The Way of Mystery with Deacon James Keating
Deacon James Keating reflects on how the Mass draws us into communion with Christ and one another. The introductory rites are not a mere formality but a spiritual transition, helping us shift focus from worldly concerns to God’s presence. The penitential rite then deepens this awareness by leading us to recognize our sins and our need for mercy, making us receptive to God’s healing love. He stresses that this moment should not be rushed—it is where we confront our unworthiness yet receive Christ’s invitation into holiness. From there, the Liturgy of the Word allows us to enter salvation history. A good way to prepare is by reading the Scriptures beforehand so that, when proclaimed, they resonate more deeply. While homilies play a role in guiding reflection, he reminds listeners that it is ultimately the Holy Spirit who makes God’s word personally transformative.
Deacon Keating confronts misconceptions about the Mass as entertainment. Unlike services built around spectacle, the Catholic liturgy centers on transformation, not distraction. Our interior disposition—through prayer and openness—determines how fully we receive Christ in the Eucharist. This transformation must bear fruit in fellowship. Keating notes that Protestant communities often model a strong sense of shared life, something Catholic parishes can grow in. True fellowship arises when the Eucharist overflows into charity and mutual support, not just private devotion. Staying after Mass, sharing faith conversations, and building community are ways to live out the mystery we receive. The Mass prepares us to hear Christ’s voice of love, to be healed, and to bring that love outward into culture through communion with others.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How do I allow the introductory rites of the Mass to help me shift from daily distractions into awareness of Christ’s presence?
When I pray the penitential rite, do I intentionally recall my sins and open myself to God’s mercy?
How can I prepare for Sunday Mass by spending time with the readings during the week?
Do I listen for the Holy Spirit speaking personally to me during the Liturgy of the Word, beyond what the homilist offers?
Am I seeking entertainment at Mass, or am I open to real transformation through prayer and the Eucharist?
What simple interior prayers can I bring before, during, and after Mass to invite Christ into my heart?
In what ways do I let the Eucharist overflow into charity and fellowship with those in my parish community?
How might I help create or participate in parish life beyond Mass to strengthen true Christian fellowship?
Do I see my parish as the beginning of heaven, even with its flaws, and delight in being with fellow Catholics?
How is Christ calling me through the Mass to bring His love and healing presence into my family, work, and culture?
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.
Special Encore: The Canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta – Building a Kingdom of Love with Msgr. John Esseff
In this special encore, Msgr. Esseff reflects on his pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta. He shares personal stories about the journey, the people he encountered, and the profound spiritual experiences he had during the trip.
In his retelling, he describes how 16 pilgrims, many with personal connections to Mother Teresa, made their way to Rome. He recalls the challenges of the journey, particularly the intense heat, and how enduring those difficulties brought a deeper connection to God’s love, much like Mother Teresa’s own life of sacrifice and how her legacy continues to touch people worldwide, with her humble and selfless love acting as a powerful witness.
The canonization itself was a profound moment, with Msgr. Esseff consecrating himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a devotion encouraged by both Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. He reflects on the universality of the event, with people of all races and backgrounds uniting in faith. This gathering was reminiscent of Pentecost, with a shared sense of joy, love, and the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How does enduring physical or emotional suffering, like the heat during the canonization, bring you closer to God’s love?
In what ways does Mother Teresa’s life inspire you to reach out and touch others with God’s love?
How can Mary’s “emptiness” and total openness to God’s will influence your spiritual life and help you better serve others?
Have you ever received more from a spiritual journey or moment of prayer than you anticipated? How did it deepen your faith?
How does the universality of the Church, as witnessed during the canonization with people from all over the world, enhance your understanding of being part of the Body of Christ?
In what areas of your life can you surrender more fully to God, trusting in His strength to help you endure challenges?
How can you imitate Mary’s spirit of constant praise and openness to God’s will in your everyday actions?
Carrier of God’s Tender Love and Mercy
“Lord Jesus, merciful Face of the Father, you came to give us the Good News of the Father’s mercy and tenderness.
We thank you for the gift of our dearest Mother, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, who will be canonized in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. You chose her to be your presence, your love and compassion to the brokenhearted, the unwanted, the abandoned and the dying. She responded wholeheartedly to your cry, ‘I Thirst,’ by the holiness of her life and humble works of love to the poorest of the poor.
We pray, through her intercession, for the grace to experience your merciful love and share it in our own families, communities and with all our suffering brothers and sisters. Help us to give our “hearts to love and hands to serve” after the example of Mother Teresa. Lord Jesus, bless every member of our family, our parish, our diocese, our country, especially those most in need, that we all may be transformed by your merciful love. Amen.”
Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. Msgr. Esseff served as a retreat director and confessor to Saint Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. 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.
Insights into Rules 10 through 14 – Spiritual Desolation: Be Aware, Understand, Take Action with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor explore St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Rules 10–14. Fr. Gallagher explains how times of consolation are opportunities not only to rejoice in God’s grace but also to gather strength for inevitable periods of desolation, much like Joseph storing grain for famine. Rule 11 invites humility in consolation and trust in God’s power during desolation, helping us avoid overconfidence when prayer feels easy or despair when it feels dry. Such experiences, though painful, can become occasions for deeper prayer and growth. Desolation itself is never from God but permitted in His providence so that, with grace, we may resist discouragement and grow in freedom.
The later rules shift toward understanding temptation. Rule 12 counsels resisting temptation immediately, before it grows overwhelming, while Rule 13 warns against secrecy and highlights the freedom that comes from sharing struggles with a wise confessor or spiritual companion. Rule 14 addresses our most vulnerable points, urging self-knowledge so that weakness can become strength through grace. Fr. Gallagher ties this teaching to a broader message of Christian hope, drawing on Scripture, St. John Paul II, and even Tolkien to show that God’s redemption always surpasses evil. We need to seek accompaniment, cultivate awareness of God’s presence in daily life, and live with humility and trust, becoming agents of renewal through the quiet witness of a discerning life.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
In a season of consolation, how can I “store grain” for the next famine through concrete habits of prayer and virtue?
Where might I be overextending myself when things feel easy, and what humble limit would keep me steady?
When desolation returns, what is one truth about God I will cling to first?
What small, practical action can I take today that contradicts a tempting thought at its very beginning?
Which recurring fear or shame do I still keep hidden, and whom could I safely tell this week (confessor or trusted guide)?
What is the weakest point in my “castle walls,” and what grace-building practice will I place there?
How has the Lord recently shown me His nearness, and how will I remember it when prayer feels dry?
When I notice spiritual heaviness, what change in routine will I avoid making until light returns?
How will I practice the daily Examen to notice God’s movements and the enemy’s suggestions?
What hope from Scripture can I memorize now to pray in dark hours?
“Tenth Rule. The tenth: Let the one who is in consolation think how he will conduct himself in the desolation which will come after, taking new strength for that time.
Eleventh Rule. The eleventh: Let one who is consoled seek to humble himself and lower himself as much as he can, think- ing of how little he is capable in the time of desolation with- out such grace or consolation. On the contrary, let one who is in desolation think that he can do much with God’s sufficient grace to resist all his enemies, taking strength in his Creator and Lord.
Twelfth Rule. The twelfth: The enemy acts like a woman in being weak when faced with strength and strong when faced with weakness. For, as it is proper to a woman, when she is fighting with some man, to lose heart and to flee when the man confronts her firmly, and, on the contrary, if the man begins to flee, losing heart, the anger, vengeance and ferocity of the woman grow greatly and know no bounds, in the same way, it is proper to the enemy to weaken and lose heart, flee- ing and ceasing his temptations when the person who is exer- cising himself in spiritual things confronts the temptations of the enemy firmly, doing what is diametrically opposed to them; and, on the contrary, if the person who is exercising himself begins to be afraid and lose heart in suffering the temptations, there is no beast so fierce on the face of the earth as the enemy of human nature in following out his damnable intention with such growing malice.
Thirteenth Rule. The thirteenth: Likewise he conducts him- self as a false lover in wishing to remain secret and not berevealed. For a dissolute man who, speaking with evil inten- tion, makes dishonorable advances to a daughter of a good father or a wife of a good husband, wishes his words and persuasions to be secret, and the contrary displeases him very much, when the daughter reveals to her father or the wife to her husband his false words and depraved intention, because he easily perceives that he will not be able to succeed with the undertaking begun. In the same way, when the enemy of human nature brings his wiles and persuasions to the just soul, he wishes and desires that they be received and kept in secret; but when one reveals them to one’s good confessor or to another spiritual person, who knows his deceits and malicious designs, it weighs on him very much, because he perceives that he will not be able to succeed with the mali- cious undertaking he has begun, since his manifest deceits have been revealed.
Fourteenth Rule. The fourteenth: Likewise he conducts him- self as a leader, intent upon conquering and robbing what he desires. For, just as a captain and leader of an army in the field, pitching his camp and exploring the fortifications and defenses of a stronghold, attacks it at the weakest point, in the same way the enemy of human nature, roving about, looks in turn at all our theological, cardinal and moral vir- tues; and where he finds us weakest and most in need for our eternal salvation, there he attacks us and attempts to take us.”
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
St. Augustine of Hippo, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 13 November 354
Died: 28 August 430
In part 2 of their conversation, Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the transformative journey of St. Augustine from his baptism in Italy to his return to Africa, where he established a monastic community and eventually became a priest and bishop. Augustine’s profound transformation and commitment to spiritual renewal equipped him to compassionately address heresies like Donatism and Pelagianism, emphasizing the Church’s teachings on the efficacy of the sacraments and grace.
St. Augustine’s pastoral nature, his focus on communicating the faith in accessible ways, show his deep concern for individuals’ relationships with God. They also discuss the challenges Augustine faced during the Vandal invasion of North Africa, his final days filled with prayer and sorrow, and the lasting impact of his works, particularly “The Confessions,” which serves as a roadmap for spiritual growth.
His humility, intellectual brilliance, and dedication to the Church, makes him a timeless figure whose teachings continue to resonate in the Church today.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
How has the sanctifying grace of God transformed your life and deepened your commitment to constant renewal?
In what ways can you, like St. Augustine, approach those in error with compassion rather than intellectual superiority?
How do you understand and appreciate the teaching that Christ is the true minister of the sacraments, regardless of the priest’s worthiness?
How can you apply St. Augustine’s example of pastoral care, balancing intellectual rigor with a deep concern for the well-being of individuals?
In your efforts to evangelize, how can you simplify the message of the Gospel to make it accessible to all, as St. Augustine did?
Reflect on the humility required to confess your sins openly—what lessons can you draw from St. Augustine’s “Confessions” for your own spiritual journey?
How do you seek and experience the true rest that comes from surrendering to God’s love, as St. Augustine expressed in his famous dictum about the restlessness of the human heart?
“After his Baptism, Augustine decided to return to Africa with his friends, with the idea of living a community life of the monastic kind at the service of God. However, while awaiting their departure in Ostia, his mother fell ill unexpectedly and died shortly afterwards, breaking her son’s heart. Having returned to his homeland at last, the convert settled in Hippo for the very purpose of founding a monastery. In this city on the African coast he was ordained a priest in 391, despite his reticence, and with a few companions began the monastic life which had long been in his mind, dividing his time between prayer, study and preaching. All he wanted was to be at the service of the truth. He did not feel he had a vocation to pastoral life but realized later that God was calling him to be a pastor among others and thus to offer people the gift of the truth. He was ordained a Bishop in Hippo four years later, in 395. Augustine continued to deepen his study of Scripture and of the texts of the Christian tradition and was an exemplary Bishop in his tireless pastoral commitment: he preached several times a week to his faithful, supported the poor and orphans, supervised the formation of the clergy and the organization of mens’ and womens’ monasteries. In short, the former rhetorician asserted himself as one of the most important exponents of Christianity of that time. He was very active in the government of his Diocese – with remarkable, even civil, implications – in the more than 35 years of his Episcopate, and the Bishop of Hippo actually exercised a vast influence in his guidance of the Catholic Church in Roman Africa and, more generally, in the Christianity of his time, coping with religious tendencies and tenacious, disruptive heresies such as Manichaeism, Donatism and Pelagianism, which endangered the Christian faith in the one God, rich in mercy.
And Augustine entrusted himself to God every day until the very end of his life: smitten by fever, while for almost three months his Hippo was being besieged by vandal invaders, the Bishop – his friend Possidius recounts in his Vita Augustini – asked that the penitential psalms be transcribed in large characters, “and that the sheets be attached to the wall, so that while he was bedridden during his illness he could see and read them and he shed constant hot tears” (31, 2). This is how Augustine spent the last days of his life. He died on 28 August 430, when he was not yet 76. We will devote our next encounters to his work, his message and his inner experience.”
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 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.
