I have really enjoyed getting to know about St. Hildegard this week. I was not familiar with her before, so her story has been a pleasant surprise for me. I am repeatedly surprised at how much I am enjoying my exploration of some of our great Christian female role models.
I think back to dinner with my husband on my birthday. I had been playing around with the idea of starting a blog with some kind of focus on faith, and over dinner he suggested that maybe I could write about the female saints. I have no idea what led him to that suggestion, but it appealed to me right away. It suddenly gave me focus and got me started on this adventure.
But why the female saints? Why not just the saints, in general? Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t remember what our conversations had been that made him suggest it, and I’m not sure what I was thinking that made me like it. I know I had been contemplating ways that I could become more involved in some kinds of lay ministries. I had talked about the fact that, if I were a man, I would be considering becoming a deacon. So I suppose I was starting to reflect on the roles of women in faith.
So here I am. I am exploring, historically, the roles that women have played in our faith. It is early in my journey, but I have already discovered how many women there are to study. I could go a long time without running out of subjects. I do think I will stop to consider some important male role models, as well, from time to time. But I am enjoying this path right now.
Meanwhile, I think it is worth repeating a sentiment that has been clear to me during my study of the female saints. Certainly God has called upon women for very important tasks throughout the history of Christianity. The story of St. Hildegard falls in that category, too. No matter how the Church or society at large sees women, God frequently finds important roles for women to play.
In a reflection at the Franciscan Media site they discuss Pope Benedict’s observations of Hildegard: “During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI said, ‘Let us always invoke the Holy Spirit, so that he may inspire in the Church holy and courageous women like Saint Hildegard of Bingen who, developing the gifts they have received from God, make their own special and valuable contribution to the spiritual development of our communities and of the Church in our time.” (found here, para 9)
So for those of you reading this post today who happen to be women, I ask: what is your special contribution going to be? How will you follow in the footsteps of the women God gave us as role models? What can we do in the context of our lives to share the faith?
Lord God, thank you for sharing such wonderful role models with us. Help us to discover what You want for us. Guide us to do Your will