A Painting by Rose Mewhort
RCWP Candidate, British Columbia, Canada
to accompany
Bishop Patricia Fresen's Prayerful Reflection
inspired by HIldegard of Bingen's
"Viriditas--All Verdant
The Greening Power of God"
Viriditas - The Greening Power of God (Prayer inspired by Hildegard of Bingen)
(Hildegard made up the word viriditas, or “greening power” to express divine energy filling all of creation, including humanity,
with vitality and creativity. She speaks of God’s love as “greening love” and believes that Christ brings “lush greenness to
shriveled and wilted people and institutions. She speaks of the Divine Word (Dabhar) as “viriditas”: “ The Word is all verdant
greening, all creativity”, she says. Hildegard calls God “the purest spring”. (Matthew Fox)
We will celebrate the ordination of our four new bishops in Springtime, when the greening love of God is freshly evident after
the long winter. Viriditas, says Hildegard, is the power of springtime, a germinating force, a fruitfulness that comes from God
and permeates all creation.
Inspired by Hildegard, let this be our prayer:
Loving, lifegiving God, we pray that you will shower the earth, all of humanity and the church
with greening refreshment, the vitality to bear fruit.
May your Spirit bring to our shriveled and wilted church, lush greenness.
Bless abundantly Dana and the four bishops-elect: Bridget Mary, Joan, Regina and Andrea
with your greening love.
May they be filled with your compassion in their pastoral ministry.
May they bring fresh, creative solutions to old problems and new challenges.
May all of creation, including humanity, the church and all of us in RCWP,
be filled with your divine, greening energy
as you move us forward towards a “new heaven and a new earth”,
towards a human community which is more respectful, more compassionate, more loving.
Patricia Fresen -Bishop- Europe West
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