“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” 

This powerful quote has been attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, Confucius, John F. Kennedy, Francis of Assisi, and many others. What matters more is how we apply it to our lives. 

There is plenty of darkness in this world. It seems to get closer every day. The question is: What are we going to do about it? 

It wasn’t until later in her life, but Saint Hildegard of Bingen learned what it meant to follow Jesus’ teaching: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” 

Everyone considered the sickly girl Hildegard a hopeless case. They didn’t know the spiritual depths she held inside. From the young age of three, Hildegard had mystical experiences of God. She would later give these experiences a name: Umbra Viventis Lucis. It means “Reflection of the Living Light.”

Until she was 42 years old, Hildegard kept these experiences mostly to herself. Even though she was raised in a Benedictine convent, she felt wary of sharing her light. But then she felt God call her to write down and share all that she received from him.

She hesitated at first, but eventually Hildegard began to write prolifically on subjects ranging from theology to natural science. Everyone was shocked. The brilliance and accuracy of her writing were undeniable. Hildegard knew exactly where her brilliance came from. God was giving her knowledge of music, theology, medicine, poetry, Scripture, and much more. 

Hildegard’s scientific writings, religious chants, poems, plays, and theological advancements have glorified God for hundreds of years. But only because she had the courage to stop hiding her light and let it shine.

You possess an incredible power. It is the light of Christ alive within you. But are you sharing it with the world? And why is this light within you so powerful? Because darkness cannot stand light. It only takes a tiny ray of light to destroy a whole bunch of darkness.



Feast Day: September 17

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Robert Bellarmine and Saint Columbia

Patron Saint of: Musicians and Writers

Also Known As: The Sibyl of the Rhine

Symbols: A Flame Settled Upon Her Head

Canonized: May 10, 2012

Canonized By: Pope Benedict XVI