Chronicling the Future: The Apocalyptic Visions of St. Hildegard

[Vouthon]

In her Liber Divinorum Operum (Book of Divine Works), St. Hildegard of Bingen - whom Pope Benedict XVI declared a Doctor of the Church in 2012 - revised and expanded an earlier prophetic vision from her Scivias concerning five distinct future epochs between her own time in the twelfth century and the Eschaton, or End Times: all labelled, in veiled metaphors, under animal signs:

(1) The Age of the Fiery Hound (2) The Age of the Yellow Lion (3) The Age of the Pale Horse (4) The Age of the Black Pig and (5) The Age of the Grey Wolf.

Summarizing Hildegard’s complete programme from the LDO into the form of a schedule, we get a detailed system of good and bad times to come–and much to come–before Antichrist. Below I rely on a summary of her periodization of the future formulated by the scholar Kathryn Kerby-Fullton:

**

1. Fiery Hound

Description of Time Period:

Time of spiritual weakness or “feminine debility” (tempus mul i ebre) --clergy are "perversi mercenarii are forerunners of Antichrist
–both secular and spiritual leaders and pope) simoniacs and heretics are corrupt (emperor --Church has fallen away from pristine apostolic discipline

1. Yellow Lion

Description of Time Period:

Time of chastisement and disendowment of Church and purgation through tribulation for all
–“tempus utile” or “tempus virile”
–renewal of spiritual strength revealed through prophecy, abundance and peace–utopian vision
–conversion of pagans

1. Pale Horse

Description of Time Period:

Time of sorrows

–Church polluted
–persecution of Christians by heathens
–Christians saved by miracle and conversion of heathens
–Papacy and Empire dispersed
–Church returns to pristine discipline --renewal of spiritual strength again revealed through prophecy, abundance and peace black

1. Black Pig

Description of Time Period:

Reign of heretics and forerunners of Antichrist

–many Christians desert orthodoxy
–moral decay and spiritual decline
–signs of the End

1. Grey Wolf

Description of Time Period:

Antichrist’s “ministry”
–persecution of faithful and traditional eschatological events

Death of Antichrist
Second Coming and Last Judgement **

In this thread, I am going to quote from some of these writings and would like to reflect with other posters on their significance.

Upon proclaiming Saint Hildegard of Bingen a “Doctor of the Church” in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI noted in respect of her legacy:

w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apl_20121007_ildegarda-bingen.html

**APOSTOLIC LETTER

Proclaiming Saint Hildegard of Bingen,
professed nun of the Order of Saint Benedict,
a Doctor of the Universal Church

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
FOR PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE**

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…

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…

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…

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”…

I hereby decree the present Letter to be perpetually valid and fully effective, and I establish that from this moment anything to the contrary proposed by any person, of whatever authority, knowingly or unknowingly, is invalid and without force.

Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, under the ring of the Fisherman, on 7 October 2012, in the eighth year of my Pontificate.

 

[MikeWest]

We are in the age of the grey wolf.

The final assault by satan on the church is the
ongoing assault on the family.

Hildegard is one of dozens of saints that foresaw
our 21st century.

 

[Casilda]

Lord, have mercy.

 

[dmar198]

Thank you for posting this, I have never heard of this before now and I am grateful to know St. Hildegard’s thoughts on this matter, because I greatly admire her.

A few things I’d like to point out: first, she avoided identifying “the day or the hour,” which is good because only false prophets do that. It might Seem like her timeline can be exactly fixed on the historical timeline and thus come up with a date…but we actually can’t do that without speculating.

Second: speaking of speculating, specifically about how to fix her timeline to the historical one, I’m about to try to do that very thing. But keep in mind that this is just fun speculation.

Third: the Church never says that private revelations are definitely true. So don’t take St. Hildegard’s vision as gospel truth, nor speculative attempts (like mine below) to fix it to certain points on a timeline. This is all theory…not necessarily true.

Now for my attempt to Speculatively affix this Not-infallible vision to a timeline:

The Fiery Hound age might be the 1100s. The Albigensians were forerunners of the antichrist and could be the perverse mercenaries of whom St. Hildegard speaks. The corrupt secular leaders could include Emperor Henry V, who persecuted the Church over the investiture controversy, King Henry II, who wanted to make the Church an arm of the State and martyred St. Thomas Becket in the process, and Emperor Frederick I, who persecuted Pope Alexander III. The corrupt spiritual leaders and pope could include the many English clergy who cooperated with King Henry II, the many other European clergy who cooperated with Emperors Henry V and Frederick I, Pope Paschal II, who compromised with Henry V over the issue of lay investiture, and Pope Celestine II, who compromised with France when the king there tried to illegally appoint a bishop.

The Yellow Lion age might be the 1500-1600s. The “time of chastisement and disendowment of Church” could be the Protestant Revolt. In England, Northern Germany, and the Netherlands, the Church was disendowed and its buildings were transferred to protestants. Catholics were persecuted in these territories and forced underground. “Tempus utile” and “tempus virile” seem to mean “time of usefulness” and “time of manliness,” and there were many great saints during these ages who made great use of the time to convert the protestants back to the Faith, institute the Catholic counter-reformation, and oversee the Council of Trent. This could be the “renewal of spiritual strength” St. Hildegard mentions. The “conversion of pagans” could be from the missionaries to South America who converted the continent to Christ, to North America where Mexico and Florida were converted, and Asia where Catholic missionaries such as St. Francis Xavier had great success in Japan and India.

The Pale Horse age might be the 1700-1800s. “Church polluted” could be a reference to the time right before the French Revolution, when France had many atheist bishops and almost the whole clergy subscribed to the anti-papal demands of the French. The 1800s also saw the heresies of Americanism and its child Modernism threaten the Church in America and some of its poison has continued to this day. “Persecution of Christians by heathens” could be a reference to the Revolution in France, the No Nothing party in America, the Kulturkampf in Germany, the Unification of Italy, and the Boxer Rebellion in China. “Christians saved by miracle and conversion of heathens” could be a reference to Lourdes and the restoration of Catholicism in France with Napoleon (who was a persecutor overall, but did re-legalize Catholicism…his successors in France were a bit better and restored Catholicism more fully). “Papacy and Empire dispersed” could refer to the dissolution of Holy Roman Empire, the kidnapping of the pope by Napoleon, and the annexation of the Papal States by Italy. “Church returns to pristine discipline” could refer to the reigns of Blessed Pius IX and Leo XIII, who also brought back the pope’s “spiritual strength” in part through their widely-read and influential encyclicals. The Church in Europe began to reattain dominance under them.

The Black Pig age could be the 1900-2000s. “Reign of heretics and forerunners of Antichrist” could refer to rampant atheism, modernism, and protestantism. “many Christians desert orthodoxy” could refer to the gains evangelicalism has made and cafeteria Catholicism within the Church. “moral decay and spiritual decline” could refer to sexual revolution with its fruits, rampant abortion, contraception, sexual deviance, and triumphalist hedonism. We are still in the 2000s, so we might be waiting for the “signs of the End.”

Again: that’s all speculative!

 

[TK421]

I don’t know how much this is compatible with the theological view that Christ will be triumphant in the end, in the literal sense. Meaning that the Church will be successful in her mission to bring the gospel of Christ to the entire world and - though there will always be sin in every age - her teachings will be acknowledged as good and true.

Maybe what we will see will be a polemic: a world corrupted with sin and a Church - at the end of a long road and after many generations - tested and fully doctrinally developed.

 

[RomanoAmerio]

Dear Vouthon and dmar198,

This is fascinating.

It is quite possible that we are in the age of the “Black Pig”, and have been so since 1960 or so. Time will tell.

 

[GEddie]

We are in the age of the grey wolf.

The final assault by satan on the church is the
ongoing assault on the family.

Hildegard is one of dozens of saints that foresaw
our 21st century.

Every time someone brings forth a “prophetic timeline” of sorts, the assumption is that we are at or near the end.

Hey, I yearn for HIS return as much as anybody, but didn’t three successive Popes say we are NOT in the end times?

ICXC NIKA

 

[Vouthon]

Hello everyone,

Many interesting replies to my OP, particularly from dmar198 and GEddie. I would just like to answer some of their excellent points first:

Thank you for posting this, I have never heard of this before now and I am grateful to know St. Hildegard’s thoughts on this matter, because I greatly admire her.

Yes, everything you say above is accurate. This is a private revelation and St. Hildegard studiously avoided fixing any dates to her prophetic timeline of the future. She described only vaguely defined “times…” characterised by certain epochal events that distinguished them from preceding “times”. Any attempt to correlate her schema, therefore, with history is bound to be a purely speculative endeavour.

I find your speculations fascinating. My own interpretation is somewhat different, based upon my reading of some specific details in her main works and letters not referred to in my (necessarily condensed) aforementioned summary. I will raise these details in a subsequent post and quote the relevant sections, enabling us to come to our own conclusions.

St. Hildegard predicted that the peace during the “age of the Lion” would be preceded by terrible wars resulting from the emergence of a new class of heretics during the earlier “age of the Fiery Hound/Dog” who encouraged secular princes to secularize/confiscate ecclesiastical property, dissolve the monasteries and reject the sacral authority of the priesthood in favour of lay rule.

The majority of commentators have understood this prophecy to have possibly been an anticipation of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation, centuries before it took place and correct as to its main particulars as a movement.

As such, the Age of the Lion would likely begin with the Thirty Years War during the sixteenth century, which culminated in the Treaty of Westphalia. I would argue that we presently remain in the last days of this “Westphalian era” typified by war between national kingdoms. The Westphalian era was a direct outgrowth of the Protestant Revolt.

St. Hildegard gives multiple conditions for her “peace” in the second half of the Age of the Lion which have not been fulfilled yet, implying that - if her visions be recognised as in any sense accurate - this period must still lie in our future (or else, she was just wrong!).

**(1) Complete abolition of war by a congress of all the secular rulers of the world - all weapons of war are illegal to be held. No implement that can be used to do violence to another human being is permitted

(2) Springtime of the Church and mass conversion of non-Christians

(3) Jews come into the Church and embrace Christ

(4) The Earth and creation, which before had been “in the elements, harmed by the sins of men and women” and “totally fallen into the service of disorder” according to St. Hildegard will “overflow with the power of greenness and fertility,” an environmentalist’s dream.

(6) There will be “a great plenty of temporal things and a great abundance of spiritual goods” such that no human being will be hungry or lack food.

(5) Most people will live thoroughly moral and up right lives

(7) “brave men full of the gift of prophecy will arise so that in this time every seed of justice will come to flower among the sons and daughters of the human species”**

For instance, she states that according to her Vision,

**"Then so many new and unknown arrangements with respect to order and peace will occur that people will be amazed and talk about them. For such things have not in the past been heard of or known.

And because peace before the Day of Judgement to these Christians may be given, just as indeed peace came before the first advent of the Son of God…they will seek all justice in the Catholic Faith from the Omnipotent God, rejoicing with the Jews who formerly denied Christ. That peace which preceded the advent of Christ, in these days will be fully perfected because strong men will arise then in great prophecy so that all the buds of justice in the sons and daughters of men will flourish…

The Princes and everyone else will put God’s decrees into proper practice. They will forbid all weapons used to kill people and only tolerate such iron tools as are needed in farming and for the benefit of humanity. Those who disobey this command will be killed and cast away in some remote place".**

This has never occured in the entire scope of human history thus far.

Every time someone brings forth a “prophetic timeline” of sorts, the assumption is that we are at or near the end.

ICXC NIKA

Well noted.

My personal (and purely speculative) interpretation of St. Hildegard’s prophecy, if one works under the assumption that it could be a genuine revelation, would have it that we are presently in her “age of the Yellow Lion”, namely between the first and second stages of this epoch. A long time away from the “end times”.

In this context, I think it worth pointing out something from Pope St. John Paul II’s magisterium which counteracts the idea that we are living in the last century, namely his encyclical on the Millenium, Tertio Millenio Adveniente in 1994:

"… The future of the world and the Church belongs to the younger generation, to those who, born in this century, will reach maturity in the next, the first century of the new millennium. Christ expects great things…If they succeed in following the road which he points out to them, they will have the joy of making their own contribution to his presence in the next century and in the centuries to come, until the end of time: “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever”…"

Notice the operative wording “in the next century and in the centuries to come”.

 

[jaimeleglise]

These type of predictions tend to upset me so I try to focus on staying in a state in a grace rather than worry about gloomy predictions. At the same time, if others choose to reflect on this and it helps them spiritually, then why not.

 

[Vouthon]

These type of predictions tend to upset me so I try to focus on staying in a state in a grace rather than worry about gloomy predictions. At the same time, if others choose to reflect on this and it helps them spiritually, then why not.

No need to be upset!

It is simply the prophetic musings of a very holy lady and Doctor of the Church. As you say, one can take or leave them.

And, to be fair, her vision of the future is fairly optimistic - she predicts two great eras of peace and church renewal following tribulations, including one at the beginning of the Age of the Black Pig that precedes the coming of Antichrist in the Age of the Grey Wolf.

Her vision of the future was not bleak, with the exception of the very last Age of the Grey Wolf but even then she describes great comforts from God for the faithful on earth during their trials.

I have never felt depressed while reading her Liber Divinorum Operum. Rather, whether she was right or not, I feel encouraged.

 

[M-Dent]

Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday, 1st September 2010

Saint Hildegard of Bingen

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In 1988, on the occasion of the Marian Year, Venerable John Paul II wrote an Apostolic Letter entitled Mulieris Dignitatem on the precious role that women have played and play in the life of the Church. “The Church”, one reads in it, "gives thanks for all the manifestations of the feminine “genius’ which have appeared in the course of history, in the midst of all peoples and nations; she gives thanks for all the charisms that the Holy Spirit distributes to women in the history of the People of God, for all the victories which she owes to their faith, hope and charity: she gives thanks for all the fruits of feminine holiness” (n. 31).

Various female figures stand out for the holiness of their lives and the wealth of their teaching even in those centuries of history that we usually call the Middle Ages. Today I would like to begin to present one of them to you: St Hildegard of Bingen, who lived in Germany in the 12th century. She was born in 1098, probably at Bermersheim, Rhineland, not far from Alzey, and died in 1179 at the age of 81, in spite of having always been in poor health. Hildegard belonged to a large noble family and her parents dedicated her to God from birth for his service. At the age of eight she was offered for the religious state (in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, chapter 59), and, to ensure that she received an appropriate human and Christian formation, she was entrusted to the care of the consecrated widow Uda of Gölklheim and then to Jutta of Spanheim who had taken the veil at the Benedictine Monastery of St Disibodenberg. A small cloistered women’s monastery was developing there that followed the Rule of St Benedict. Hildegard was clothed by Bishop Otto of Bamberg and in 1136, upon the death of Mother Jutta who had become the community magistra (Prioress), the sisters chose Hildegard to succeed her. She fulfilled this office making the most of her gifts as a woman of culture and of lofty spirituality, capable of dealing competently with the organizational aspects of cloistered life. A few years later, partly because of the increasing number of young women who were knocking at the monastery door, Hildegard broke away from the dominating male monastery of St Disibodenburg with her community, taking it to Bingen, calling it after St Rupert and here she spent the rest of her days. Her manner of exercising the ministry of authority is an example for every religious community: she inspired holy emulation in the practice of good to such an extent that, as time was to tell, both the mother and her daughters competed in mutual esteem and in serving each other.

During the years when she was superior of the Monastery of St Disibodenberg, Hildegard began to dictate the mystical visions that she had been receiving for some time to the monk Volmar, her spiritual director, and to Richardis di Strade, her secretary, a sister of whom she was very fond. As always happens in the life of true mystics, Hildegard too wanted to put herself under the authority of wise people to discern the origin of her visions, fearing that they were the product of illusions and did not come from God. She thus turned to a person who was most highly esteemed in the Church in those times: St Bernard of Clairvaux, of whom I have already spoken in several Catecheses. He calmed and encouraged Hildegard. However, in 1147 she received a further, very important approval.

Pope Eugene iii, who was presiding at a Synod in Trier, read a text dictated by Hildegard presented to him by Archbishop Henry of Mainz. The Pope authorized the mystic to write down her visions and to speak in public. From that moment Hildegard’s spiritual prestige continued to grow so that her contemporaries called her the “Teutonic prophetess”. This, dear friends, is the seal of an authentic experience of the Holy Spirit, the source of every charism: the person endowed with supernatural gifts never boasts of them, never flaunts them and, above all, shows complete obedience to the ecclesial authority. Every gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit, is in fact intended for the edification of the Church and the Church, through her Pastors, recognizes its authenticity.

I shall speak again next Wednesday about this great woman, this “prophetess” who also speaks with great timeliness to us today, with her courageous ability to discern the signs of the times, her love for creation, her medicine, her poetry, her music, which today has been reconstructed, her love for Christ and for his Church which was suffering in that period too, wounded also in that time by the sins of both priests and lay people, and far better loved as the Body of Christ. Thus St Hildegard speaks to us; we shall speak of her again next Wednesday. Thank you for your attention.

w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20100901.html

 

[M-Dent]

Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday, 8th September 2010

Saint Hildegard of Bingen (2)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today I would like to take up and continue my Reflection on St Hildegard of Bingen, an important female figure of the Middle Ages who was distinguished for her spiritual wisdom and the holiness of her life. Hildegard’s mystical visions resemble those of the Old Testament prophets: expressing herself in the cultural and religious categories of her time, she interpreted the Sacred Scriptures in the light of God, applying them to the various circumstances of life. Thus all those who heard her felt the need to live a consistent and committed Christian lifestyle. In a letter to St Bernard the mystic from the Rhineland confesses: “The vision fascinates my whole being: I do not see with the eyes of the body but it appears to me in the spirit of the mysteries… I recognize the deep meaning of what is expounded on in the Psalter, in the Gospels and in other books, which have been shown to me in the vision. This vision burns like a flame in my breast and in my soul and teaches me to understand the text profoundly” (Epistolarium pars prima I-XC: CCCM 91).

Hildegard’s mystical visions have a rich theological content. They refer to the principal events of salvation history, and use a language for the most part poetic and symbolic. For example, in her best known work entitled Scivias, that is, “You know the ways” she sums up in 35 visions the events of the history of salvation from the creation of the world to the end of time. With the characteristic traits of feminine sensitivity, Hildegard develops at the very heart of her work the theme of the mysterious marriage between God and humanity that is brought about in the Incarnation. On the tree of the Cross take place the nuptials of the Son of God with the Church, his Bride, filled with grace and the ability to give new children to God, in the love of the Holy Spirit (cf. Visio tertia: PL 197, 453c).

From these brief references we already see that theology too can receive a special contribution from women because they are able to talk about God and the mysteries of faith using their own particular intelligence and sensitivity. I therefore encourage all those who carry out this service to do it with a profound ecclesial spirit, nourishing their own reflection with prayer and looking to the great riches, not yet fully explored, of the medieval mystic tradition, especially that represented by luminous models such as Hildegard of Bingen.

The Rhenish mystic is also the author of other writings, two of which are particularly important since, like Scivias, they record her mystical visions: they are the Liber vitae meritorum (Book of the merits of life) and the Liber divinorum operum (Book of the divine works), also called De operatione Dei. In the former she describes a unique and powerful vision of God who gives life to the cosmos with his power and his light. Hildegard stresses the deep relationship that exists between man and God and reminds us that the whole creation, of which man is the summit, receives life from the Trinity. The work is centred on the relationship between virtue and vice, which is why human beings must face the daily challenge of vice that distances them on their way towards God and of virtue that benefits them. The invitation is to distance themselves from evil in order to glorify God and, after a virtuous existence, enter the life that consists “wholly of joy”. In her second work that many consider her masterpiece she once again describes creation in its relationship with God and the centrality of the human being, expressing a strong Christo-centrism with a biblical-Patristic flavour. The Saint, who presents five visions inspired by the Prologue of the Gospel according to St John, cites the words of the Son to the Father: “The whole task that you wanted and entrusted to me I have carried out successfully, and so here I am in you and you in me and we are one” (Pars III, Visio X: PL 197, 1025a).​

The popularity that surrounded Hildegard impelled many people to seek her advice. It is for this reason that we have so many of her letters at our disposal. Many male and female monastic communities turned to her, as well as Bishops and Abbots. And many of her answers still apply for us. For instance, Hildegard wrote these words to a community of women religious: "The spiritual life must be tended with great dedication. At first the effort is burdensome because it demands the renunciation of caprices of the pleasures of the flesh and of other such things.​

w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20100908.html

 

[M-Dent]

The fact Pope Benedict XVI noted her “mystical visions have a rich theological content” does add weight to the writings having some spiritual value. Yet, I would be careful trying to read it as future predictions. The purpose is to live today correctly. Not worry about tomorrow. St. Hildegard was also known for being a poet and composer as well. Amazing gifts given that she may have lacked a formal education.

 

[mikekle]

Every time someone brings forth a “prophetic timeline” of sorts, the assumption is that we are at or near the end.

Hey, I yearn for HIS return as much as anybody, but didn’t three successive Popes say we are NOT in the end times?

ICXC NIKA

For the most part, discussing or even mentioning end times today in church is taboo. In my parish, I do not think I have heard mention of this topic for a very long time, despite the world outside spiraling downwards at a fast rate.

I guess they avoid the topic as to not cause a panic, I mean, what would happen if the Pope or priests actually did start suggesting we are in end times, people would get scared, do crazy things, make important decisions based on, etc.

Its kind of like if a huge asteroid was heading for earth and they knew it was going to hit, it would not be in the best interest of the public to inform them months or weeks ahead of time, it would just cause too many other problems, best to make it public days or even hours before its expected.

 

[M-Dent]

For the most part, discussing or even mentioning end times today in church is taboo. In my parish, I do not think I have heard mention of this topic for a very long time, despite the world outside spiraling downwards at a fast rate.

I guess they avoid the topic as to not cause a panic, I mean, what would happen if the Pope or priests actually did start suggesting we are in end times, people would get scared, do crazy things, make important decisions based on, etc.

Its kind of like if a huge asteroid was heading for earth and they knew it was going to hit, it would not be in the best interest of the public to inform them months or weeks ahead of time, it would just cause too many other problems, best to make it public days or even hours before its expected.

Frankly, because people get concerned about wacky conspiracy theories when the only thing that truly matters to God is how that person is cooperating with grace, how they are orientating their own life and if they are sharing the gifts given to them. Being fallen, we would prefer to live how we want now and have tomorrow’s paper to know when to get serious.

I hear plenty from my Pastor and the Church that my life will end at some point and I need to be prepared. Today.

 

[Vouthon]

The fact Pope Benedict XVI noted her “mystical visions have a rich theological content” does add weight to the writings having some spiritual value. Yet, I would be careful trying to read it as future predictions. The purpose is to live today correctly. Not worry about tomorrow. St. Hildegard was also known for being a poet and composer as well. Amazing gifts given that she may have lacked a formal education.

A very good and enlightening post, thank you.

I concur that the ultimate purpose of spiritual writings is to aid us in more faithfully following our consciences and living in God’s grace. Nonetheless, the portions of the Liber Divinorum Operum that I am referring to are (purported) prophecies of future periods based upon her earlier work Scivias.

And I agree - she wrote theological, botanical, and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, and poems. Incredible repertoire indeed.

 

[HOTI]

Very intriguing. Thanks for posting. I don’t know what to make of it, but am glad for the information.

Makes me think about how I view the Book of Revelation. I always thought the unfolding of events (think story) in Revelation was something that has happened, is happening and will happen again and that when the earth passes away and we look at the entire timeline of humanity we will see that story as the overall war whereas from man’s point of view we were only able to see each cycle. Maybe each individual lives through their own Revelation chain of events, but St Hildegard was gifted with seeing the overall war. Don’t know.

Regardless of whether this is just our cycle or the last cycle (if I had to guess, it sure does feel like stage IV), I think Western civilization is falling. World events and the messages of our Post-Christian culture have only sharpened my sight as to the spiritual war we are in and I know which side I want to make sure I am on. Many Catholics are waking up from their lukewarm slumber, thank God. Even so, the power of the global human secularists is growing. They have overtaken the public school systems and have conditioned millions of people into their worldview via control of the media. Let us never forget how they continue to attack us from within. Our safe refuge has always been the Catholic Church and will continue to be, but the goats in the Church need to be removed. Pray, pray and then pray some more for their conversion.

Holy Mary and St. Hildegard pray for us.

 

[frumacat]

People really get excited with all this eschatological speculation. Every generation and time there are some who like to theorize and analyze events and trends of their day as signs of the end times. But guess what? Everyone who is writing in this thread and everyone reading it is going to die someday.

Someday life will end. Focus on your relationship with God now and your life now.

 

[mikekle]

. But guess what? Everyone who is writing in this thread and everyone reading it is going to die someday.

Someday life will end. Focus on your relationship with God now and your life now.

This is true, but someones death and the second coming of Christ are going to be 2 very different things, the second coming will effect everyone drastically, even those who have long been dead.

One day, we will all find ourselves standing on the field of Megido in Israel, preparing for battle!

 

[Vouthon]

People really get excited with all this eschatological speculation. Every generation and time there are some who like to theorize and analyze events and trends of their day as signs of the end times. But guess what? Everyone who is writing in this thread and everyone reading it is going to die someday.

Someday life will end. Focus on your relationship with God now and your life now.

I don’t believe we are living in the “end times”. Neither did St. Hildegard. Her presentation of future epochs is extensive, including two great eras of peace, plenty and renewal before the Second Coming. I’m trying to show people that the genuine prophets take a far more nuanced approach to the future.

And to be fair to St. Hildegard - who, I will reiterate, is a Doctor of the Church and thus worthy of our respect even if one does not believe in her purported revelations - she stated quite plainly in the preamble to her Book of Divine Works that:

"…the depth of the mysteries of God has completely permeated [me], to transmit for the benefit of humanity an accurate account of what I see with my inner eye and what I hear with the inner ear of my soul. As a result, human beings should learn how to know their Creator and should no longer refuse to adore God worthily and reverently. Therefore [God says],

‘Write this down, not as your heart is inclined but rather as My testimony wishes. For I am without any beginning or end of life. This vision has not been contrived by you, nor has it been conceived by any other human being. Instead, I have established all of it from before the beginning of the world. And just as I knew the human species even before its creation, I also saw in advance everything that humanity would need’…"​

So her primary purpose in transmitting these visions was so that, “human beings should learn how to know their Creator and should no longer refuse to adore God worthily and reverently.”

The vast majority of the text concerns human nature and morality, only section three concerns itself with “the history of salvation” and of that section only the tenth vision concerns itself with predictions of the future - from which I have selected the portions I am currently discussing with others in this thread.

St. Hildegard, clearly, did not regard “speculations” about the future state of humanity in succeeding epochs to be in any way antagonistic to living a godly life in the here and now.