"Woman Bishop Talks Compassion, Rather than Ordination" by Jamie Manson/NCR/Feminine Love Births Creation/Hildegard/Meditation

Bishop Patricia addresses Mary Mother of Jesus
Inclusive Catholic Community on "Compassion" on April 9, 2011
http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/woman-bishop-talks-compassion-rather-ordination

"As the progressive Catholic world continues to lament the imminent expulsion of Fr. Roy Bourgeois from the Maryknoll community, Bishop Patricia Fresen stands as a quiet reminder that many Catholic women have already suffered a similar fate for publicly supporting women's ordination"...
..."Many of Fresen's thoughts were drawn from one of Hildegard of Bingen's icons, sometimes called "The Compassionate Person." ...In The Hidden History of Women's Ordination, scholar Gary Macy demonstrates that throughout the Middle Ages, popes and bishops referred to the commissioning of abbesses as an ordination. "Early abbesses were powerful and acted independently not only of the papacy, but also of the local bishop," writes Macy.
Hildegard's image shows a Christ figure in the center of an egg-colored mandala. The mandala is surrounded on four sides by sapphire blue, which is meant to evoke the sky and sea. Because of their vast, all-encompassing nature, the sky and sea are a perfect symbol for the compassion of God.... In this gesture, Hildegard's Christ figure reminds us that, like Jesus, our bodies are meant to radiate goodness and healing throughout our world..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Our community was deeply touched by Bishop Patricia's inspiring presentation. The power of compassion connects us to our fellow human beings on the planet and all beings in the cosmos. We are all one, loved and held in the dynamic, all-encompassing, overflowing love of the Holy One pulsing through all in the circle of life.
In 1991, in my book on feminine imagery of God, Exploring the Feminine Face of God, p. 67. I wrote a meditation based on this vision in Hildegard's Illuminations, entitled: "Feminine Love Births Creation"
" Hildegard describes God birthing creation and holding all of creation in perfect harmony and balance. Hildegard shared this vision of what she saw in a letter with Abbot Ebrach: "an extraordinary beautiful young woman... wearing shoes which seemed of purest gold whom the whole creation called Lady. The image spoke to a person pictured in sapphire blue and said: "Dominion is yours on the day of your power in the radiance of the saints. I have brought you forth from my own womb before the daystar."
According to Hildegard's vision, feminine love births creation.
"But why does the whole creation call this maiden 'Lady'?
Because "it was from her that all creation proceeded since love was the first.
She made everything." Love created humankind...Love was in eternity and it brought forth in the beginning all holiness, all creatures..."
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com