The Household of Truth and Joy

1Tim 3:14-16, Psalm: 110, Lk 7:31-35

Memorial of Saint Hildegard of Bingen, virgin and doctor of the Church

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, on this memorial of the great Saint Hildegard of Bingen, a Doctor of the Church, the Word of God invites us to reflect on two profound realities: the unchanging truth of the Church as the household of God, and the ever-surprising, joyful wisdom of Christ that calls us to conversion.

Saint Paul writes to Timothy with a stirring declaration: “I write you so you will know how to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” This is our identity. We are not a loose collection of individuals but a family, a household, founded by God and entrusted with the sacred duty of upholding the truth. And what is this truth? It is the “mystery of devotion,” the stunning story of our salvation: Christ, revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. This is the core of our faith, the unshakable pillar we cling to in a world of shifting opinions.

This timeless truth, however, is often met with the fickle response we see in the Gospel. Jesus describes a generation that is like children in a marketplace, refusing to join in either the mournful dirge or the joyful flute. They rejected John the Baptist for his asceticism, and they reject the Son of Man for his association with sinners. They refuse to play the game unless it is on their own terms. The wisdom of God, embodied in both the prophet and the Messiah, is thus proven right by the very diversity of its approaches. God’s mercy is relentless; it meets us in the desert of penance and at the banquet of reconciliation. But it requires an open heart, one willing to respond.

Saint Hildegard of Bingen, a mystic, composer, naturalist, and theologian, embodies this beautiful unity of truth and joy. She was a pillar, fearlessly proclaiming God’s truth to popes and emperors, guiding the household of the Church with wisdom. Yet, she was also a fountain of creativity, composing sublime music—the “symphony of harmony of celestial revelations”—because she understood that truth is not just defended with arguments, but also celebrated with beauty and song. She did not shy away from the cross, but she always saw it in the light of the Resurrection. She teaches us that a life grounded in the truth of Christ is a life of immense joy and creativity, not one of grim rigidity.

This World speaks directly to us. In an age that often pressures us to compromise the Church’s teaching or to see it as a burden, we are called to be that pillar of truth, especially in our families and communities. We do this not with harshness, but with the joyful conviction of those who have been saved by a magnificent mystery.

Yet, we must also examine our own hearts. Are we sometimes like the children in the marketplace? Do we reject God’s voice when it comes to us through the penitential call of John the Baptist—challenging us to simplify our lives or repent of a sin? Or do we ignore it when it invites us, like Jesus, to the joyful, merciful, and sometimes uncomfortable task of sharing our table with those who are different from us?

As Pope Benedict XVI said of Saint Hildegard, she “truly speaks to us today.” Let us ask for her intercession. May we be steadfast pillars of truth, and may our lives be a joyful symphony that plays the Lord’s song for all generations, attracting a weary world to the beauty of the Gospel. Amen.