Today, September 17, is the feast of Hildegard of Bingen, a Benedictine sister, composer, healer, and mystic who lived in the early 1100s in what is now Germany.
Sr. Annie Killian, OP, a member of the Pax Christi USA national council, was invited by the theology department at University of Notre Dame to preach today at their vespers service; her sermon, which connects Hildegard’s feast to the season of creation and our work of peacemaking, is posted below.
Wisdom from above is first of all innocent. It is also peaceable, lenient, docile, rich in sympathy and the kindly deeds that are its fruits, impartial and sincere. The harvest of justice is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.
James 3:17-18
Today we celebrate the feast of St Hildegard von Bingen, visionary theologian of the 12th century and doctor of the church. Her feast occurs, fittingly, during the liturgical season of creation, when we remember our collective responsibility to care for earth and neighbor. Hildegard is a saint for our times who models deep reverence for the whole of creation and the individual person. She perceived Divine Wisdom at work throughout the universe: creating, animating, and sustaining life. Through her letter writing and preached, she offered spiritual guidance and prophetically addressed the moral challenges facing church and society in her day.
Hildegard combined contemplation and study with public teaching and pastoral ministry. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis called us to do likewise. He encouraged the church to listen to the “cry of Earth and the cry of the poor,” then engage in dialogue and ecological education rooted in spirituality. When we turn toward earth and neighbor, we turn away from violence and injustice. Cultivating peace with justice is one of the attributes of Wisdom described in today’s reading. What does that peacemaking look like in practice?
I recently saw an interview with Ms. Rachel, the early childhood educator and creator of a hugely popular children’s show, followed by millions of parents and toddlers around the world. Ms. Rachel is using her media platform to advocate for Palestinian children who are being starved and killed in Gaza. She told the interviewer, “I see all children as precious and equal. My deep care for children doesn’t stop at any border … I want to honor the 18,000 children who have been killed because these children mattered. They’re not just numbers. They’re 18,000 precious children, and they were somebody’s whole world.” Like Wisdom, Ms. Rachel is impartial and rich in sympathy for all children, regardless of where they were born. She is utterly sincere when she says, “I love all kids. We need to protect children always.” Ms. Rachel is listening to the cries of God’s little ones and responding peaceably.
Friends, each of us, in our own way, can sow seeds of peace that will yield a harvest of justice. As this season of creation continues, we pray for the vision and moral clarity needed to protect the world’s children and the future of life on earth. Creation is God’s precious gift—and our sacred responsibility.
Season of Creation liturgical guide
Download “Peace with Creation,” the 2025 Season of Creation Catholic liturgical guide, using this link. It is a beautiful resource worth reading any time of the year.
The guide is written by Fr. Jim Hug, SJ, with contributing writer Amy Woolam Echeverria. Organizational partners include the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Missionary Society of St. Columban, the Laudato Si Movement, Pax Christi International, and the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative.