06.06.24 EChurch@Wartburg Dr. Lori Branch, University of Iowa: Can Literature and Christianity Help Us Make Sense of Human Existence?

Photo by Fer Velazquez:

Prayer by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179AD) link

Holy Spirit,
Comforting fire,
Life of all creation.
Anointing the sick, cleansing body and soul,
Fill this body!

Holy Spirit,
Sacred breath, Fire of love,
Sweetest taste, Beautiful aroma,
Fill this heart!

Holy Spirit,
Filling the world,
from the heights to the deep,
Raining from clouds, filling rivers and sea,
Fill this mind!

Holy Spirit,
Forgiving and giving,
uniting strangers, reconciling enemies,
Seeking the lost, and enfolding us together,
Fill these gathered here!

Holy Spirit,
Bringing light into dark places, igniting praise,
Greatest gift, our Hope and Encourager,
Holy Spirit of Christ,
I praise you!

Amen.

Prayer by Hildegard of Bingen link

O comforting fire of Spirit,
Life, within the very Life of all Creation.
Holy you are in giving life to All.

Holy you are in anointing
those who are not whole;
Holy you are in cleansing
a festering wound.

O sacred breath,
O fire of love,
O sweetest taste in my breast
which fills my heart
with a fine aroma of virtues.

O most pure fountain
through whom it is known
that God has united strangers
and inquired after the lost.

O breastplate of life
and hope of uniting
all members as One,
O sword-belt of honor,
enfold those who offer blessing.

Care for those
who are imprisoned by the enemy
and dissolve the bonds of those
whom Divinity wishes to save.

O mightiest path which penetrates All,
from the height to every Earthly abyss,
you compose All, you unite All.

Through you clouds stream, ether flies,
stones gain moisture,
waters become streams,
and the earth exudes Life.

You always draw out knowledge,
bringing joy through Wisdom’s inspiration.

Therefore, praise be to you
who are the sound of praise
and the greatest prize of Life,
who are hope and richest honor
bequeathing the reward of Light.

Amen

O Great Father by Saint Hildegard of Bingen link

O Great Father we are in great need;
Now therefore we implore, we implore you
Through your Word, by which you have
Filled us with [those things] we need;
Now it may please you Father for it befits you
To consider us with your help,
So that we might not fail and lest your name
Might be blackened in us
And through your name, deign to help us.
O Eternal Lord

O eternal Lord,
it is pleasing to you
to burn in that same fire of love,
like that from which our bodies are born,
and from which you begot your Son
in the first dawn before all of Creation.
So consider this need which falls upon us,
and relieve us of it for the sake of your Son,
and lead us in joyous prosperity.

Amen

Benediction: Partly by Hildegard of Bingen link

All living creatures are sparks from the radiation of God’s brilliance,
Emerging from God like the rays of the sun.

So go and shine with and in the light of our Lord.

Amen

Comments

06.06.24 EChurch@Wartburg Dr. Lori Branch, University of Iowa: Can Literature and Christianity Help Us Make Sense of Human Existence? — 2 Comments


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    Dee, thanks so much for featuring prayers from a Doctor of the Church, Hildegard of Bingen, and bringing us the talk by Dr. Branch.


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    Branch’s talk at veritas is a bit muddled (my opinion).
    She and others have gazed at their navels for so long that they can’t even decide if they even have one or not.