When the words come, they are merely empty shells without the music. They live as they are sung, for the words are the body and the music the spirit.
Hildegard Of BingenRead
The fire has its flame and praises God._x000D_ _x000D_ The wind blows the flame and praises God._x000D_ _x000D_ In the voice we hear the word which praises God._x000D_ _x000D_ And the word, when heard, praises God._x000D_ _x000D_ So all of creation is a song of praise to God.
Interpretation
All aspects of creation contribute to the divine and offer praise to God.
This quote by Hildegard of Bingen illustrates the concept that everything in the natural world, from the fire and wind to the very words we speak, serves as a form of worship and praise to the divine. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of all creation and how each element plays a role in the greater symphony of existence that glorifies God.
In practice
In a sermon about the beauty of nature and spirituality.
When the words come, they are merely empty shells without the music. They live as they are sung, for the words are the body and the music the spirit.
O, You who are ever 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.
Every creature is a glittering, glistening mirror of Divinity.
There is the music of Heaven in all things.
I welcome all creatures of the world with grace.
Don't let yourself forget that God's grace rewards not only those who never slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don't stop singing.
Prayer is the easiest and hardest of all things; the simplest and the sublimest; the weakest and the most powerful; its results lie outside the range of human possibilities-they are limited only by the omnipotence of God.
Sainthood lies in the habit of referring the smallest actions to God.
Let Christ turn your natural optimism into Christian hope, your energy into moral virtue, your good will into genuine self-sacrificin g love! This is the path you are called to take. This is the path to overcoming all that threatens hope, virtue and love in your lives and in your culture. In this way your youth will be a gift to Jesus and to the world.
The spiritual rest, which God particularly intends in this Commandment, is this: that we not only cease from our labor and trade, but much more, that we let God alone work in us and that we do nothing of our own with all our powers.
Before we go to our knees to receive the Baptism of Fire, let me beg of you to see to it that your souls are in harmony with the will and purpose of the Holy Spirit whom you seek.
Maybe I was praying for him then, in my own way. Does God have a set way of prayer, a way that He expects each of us to follow? I doubt it. I believe some people-- lots of people-- pray through the witness of their lives, through the work they do, the friendships they have, the love they offer people and receive from people. Since when are words the only acceptable form of prayer?
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.