Sacred Heart #26

Holy Spirit,
giving life to all life,
moving all creatures,
root of all things,
washing them clean,
wiping out their mistakes,
healing their wounds,
you are our true life,
luminous, wonderful,
awakening the heart
from its ancient sleep.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179) was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath, active during the High Middle Ages as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary and medical writer.

The Holy Spirit is the most mysterious of the Trinity. It was once described as the “look of love” that passed between the Father and Son, or to move beyond the patriarchic, between Creator and Created. This love cleans, erases and heals all wounds.

Hildegard says Holy Spirit awakens “the heart from its ancient sleep.” The image of sleeping heart is a powerful one; something that sleeps is not participating in  life. This sleeping state of the heart has continued from ancient times and needs the Holy Spirit to awaken it to its true purpose.

In the Gospels it was the descent of the Holy Spirit that encourage the apostles to undertake their missions. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to awaken our hearts and give us courage.