Sermon 108

Pfeiffer Sermon 108Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Nâch dem âbentezzen, dô der herre Jêsus Kristus daz sacrament sîns lîchames unde sînes bluotes stifte und ûf sazle, stuont er ûf unde wuosch den jungern ir füeze.

Etliche sprechent, er sî des êrsten zuo Pêtrô komen, sîne füeze ze waschenne, unde meinent, solte der herre des êrsten zuo den andern jungern komen sîn, die hêten ouch ein widersprechen dar inne gehabt als Pêtrus unde hêten sich solicher dinge unwirdic zimt. Sô sprechent ander, dô er den andern jungern allen ir füeze gewaschen habe, dô sî er êrste zuo Pêtrô komen, und nâch dem hânt etliche klœster die gewonheit, daz sie an dem antlâztage an den jungisten an hebent ze waschen, und ist nâch dem êwangelio daz gewisser, daz dâ sprichet ‘er stuont ûf von dem âbentezzen unde leite von im sîn gewant unde bant umbe sich ein lînîn tuoch unde nam wazzer in ein becken unde huop an ze waschen die füeze sîner junger unde ze wischen mit dem tuoche, daz er umbe sich gebunden hete. Unde dô er kam zuo Pêtrô, der sprach: herre, weschest dû mir die füeze? Dô sprach der herre: waz ich nû tuon, des enweist dû niht, dû wirst ez aber her nâch wizzen. Dô erschrahte Pêtrus, dô er sach, daz ime der herre Jêsus sîn unsûbern füeze wolte waschen, unde sprach: herre, dû weschest mir mîne füeze êweclîche niht. Dô sprach der herre: wasche ich dich niht, sô enhâst dû ouch kein teil mit mir.’

After supper, when the Lord Jesus Christ had instituted and established the sacrament of his body and his blood, he arose and washed the feet of the disciples.

Some say that he first came to Peter to wash his feet, and they think that if the Lord had first come to the other disciples, they too would have objected to it as Peter did and would have considered themselves unworthy of such a thing. Others say that when he had washed the feet of all the other disciples, only then did he come to Peter; and accordingly some monasteries have the custom on Maundy Thursday of beginning the washing with the youngest. According to the Gospel, however, it is more certain where it says: “He arose from supper and laid aside his garment and bound a linen cloth around himself and took water in a basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples and to wipe them with the cloth that he had bound around himself. And when he came to Peter, Peter said: Lord, do you wash my feet? Then the Lord said: what I am doing now you do not know, but afterward you shall know it. Then Peter was frightened when he saw that the Lord Jesus wished to wash his unclean feet, and said: Lord, you shall never wash my feet. Then the Lord said: if I do not wash you, you have no part with me.”

Bî den worten sol man driu dinc verstên. Daz êrste ist: die volkomene minne, daz ander: den nutz der gâbe, daz dritte: wie sich die halten süllen, an den got diu dinc würket. Des êrsten sol man die minne merken. Wan diu sêle, diu got minnet und in heizer begirde brinnet unde got mit flîze suochet, der ist bitter und unwert allez, daz got niht enist. Unde sô si denne in alle crêatûre gêt unde keine ruowe vindet, unde sô vil si sich âne got in der crêatûre vindet, sô vil hât si an ir selber ein schiuze, wan diu heize begirde der sêle muoz gote von nôt volgen, als daz fiur sîn selbes nâtûre volgen muoz, unz daz ez verzer und in sich verwandel allez, daz ez begrîfet. Dar umbe sprichet sant Augustînus: herre, nimstû dich uns, sô gib uns einen andern für dich, wan unser sêle enmac kein leben âne dich hân, unde swâ dû hin verst, dâ volget si dir nâch, wan âne dich enmac si kein wesen hân. Daz ist diu vollekomniu minne, in der er die sêle hât geminnet unz in sîn ende. Unt dô er sich uns nam, dô er lîdlich unde tœtlich was, dô gab er sich uns unlîdlich und untœtlich in dem sacramente under der gestalt brôtes unde wînes, und in der mâze belîbet er bî uns unz an daz ende der welt.

Daz ander ist der nutz der gâbe. Wan got enmac keine grœzere gâbe geben dan an im selber. Ez sint vil nütze unde frü(h)te geschrieben von unsers herren lîchamen. Dâ von wil ich hie niwan ein wênic sagen. Ich spriche: alliu diu gnâde unde sêlikeit, diu an guoten werken lît und an allen tugenden unde siten, und alliu sêlikeit, die die heiligen in himele besezzen hânt, und alliu sêlikeit, die der einborne sun gotes nâch der menscheit besezzen hât, der ein wesen aller dinge ist nâch der gotheit, daz ist allez beslozzen in gotes lîchamen, wan diu sêle enpfêhet dâ daz ende aller dinge, diu dâ von entspringent unde sich dâ wider endent. Waz mag ein mensche grœzers begern, denne daz er unsers herren lîcham enpfâhe? Wan an im nimt diu sêle eine volkomenheit und aller dinge genüegede. Weste ein krût, daz ez von sîner kranken nâtûre genomen würde unde solte in ein sô gar nâtürlich leben gekêret werden, als der mensche ist, ez begerte von nâtûre mit aller kraft, daz ez dem menschen ein spîse würde. Won alliu spîse, die der mensche enpfêhet, diu wandelt sich in sîn fleisch unde bluot unde wirt ein leben mit ime. Ist aber diu spîse ungeordent unde rôch, sô vereinet si sich an dem menschen niht, sunder si gêt in zwischen hût unde fleisch unde swirt von im unde dâ von kumt meist alliu krankeit. Alsô mac man ez ouch von gotes lîcham verstên: swer den nimt und ist von sünden niht lûter noch rein, der enwirt mit ime niht vereinet, sunder er wirt im ein strengez gerihte. Dar umbe sol diu sêle lûter unde rein sîn unde sol gar schœne werden unde sol mit ganzer begirde aller ir krefte begern, daz si mit ime vereinet werde, sô wirt si allez daz von gnâden, daz got in ime selber von nâtûre ist. Wan wêre si alsô blôz unde ledig aller dinge als got blôz unde ledig aller dinge ist, si würde lûter got mit gote, als vil ez einer crêatûre müglich wêre. Die einunge hât uns der herre Jêsus Kristus allen brâht, dô er sprach ‘vater, ich wil, daz sie alle ein sîn mit uns, als dû und ich ein sîn.’

From these words one should understand three things. The first is perfect love, the second the benefit of the gift, the third how those should conduct themselves in whom God works these things. Firstly, one should observe love. For the soul that loves God and burns with fervent desire and seeks God diligently finds bitter and worthless everything that is not God. And when she then goes among all creatures and finds no rest, insofar as she finds herself among creatures without God, to that extent she feels an aversion within herself; for the fervent desire of the soul must necessarily follow God, just as fire must follow its own nature until it consumes and transforms into itself everything that it grasps. Therefore Saint Augustine says: Lord, if you take yourself from us, then give us another in place of you, for our soul can have no life without you; and wherever you go, there she follows you, for without you she can have no being. This is the perfect love with which he loved the soul unto his end. And when he took himself from us, when he was passible and mortal, he gave himself to us impassible and immortal in the sacrament under the form of bread and wine, and in this manner he remains with us until the end of the world.

The second is the benefit of the gift. For God can give no greater gift than himself. Many benefits and fruits are written concerning the body of our Lord. Of these I wish to say only a little here. I say: all the grace and blessedness that lie in good works and in all virtues and ways of life, and all the blessedness that the saints possess in heaven, and all the blessedness that the only-begotten Son of God possesses according to his humanity, who according to the Godhead is the one being of all things, all this is enclosed in the body of God, for there the soul receives the end of all things that spring from it and return to it as their end. What greater thing can a person desire than to receive the body of our Lord? For in him the soul receives perfection and satisfaction in all things. If an herb knew that it would be taken from its weak nature and transformed into a life as truly natural as that of man, by nature it would desire with all its power to become food for man. For all food that man receives is transformed into his flesh and blood and becomes one life with him. But if the food is disordered and raw, it does not unite itself with man; rather, it passes between skin and flesh and festers within him, and from this most sickness arises. Thus one may also understand the body of God: whoever receives it and is not pure and clean from sin is not united with him; rather, it becomes for him a severe judgment. Therefore the soul should be pure and clean and should become entirely beautiful, and with the whole desire of all her powers should desire to be united with him; then by grace she becomes all that God is in himself by nature. For if she were as bare and free of all things as God is bare and free of all things, she would become pure God with God, insofar as this is possible for a creature. The Lord Jesus Christ brought this union to us all when he said: “Father, I wish that they may all be one with us, as you and I are one.”

Daz dritte ist, wie die menschen sîn süllen, an den diu dinc geschehen sullent, und ist, als der herre Jêsus Kristus zuo Pêtrô sprach ‘wasche ich dich niht, sô enhâst dû keinen teil mit mir.’ Dô sprach Pêtrus ‘herre, niht alleine mîne füeze, sunder ouch hende unde houbet.’ Dâ mite hât er bediutet drîerleie reinekeit. Diu êrste reinekeit sol sîn an den obristen kreften der sêle alsô, daz si blôz und unbekümbert sîn sülle aller zîtlîcher dinge unde sich gote an dem aller hœhsten erbieten müge, sô mac si von gote allez daz enpfâhen, daz er geben mac, unde mac alsô mit ime vereinet werden. Unde nâch den nidristen kreften sol diu sêle den dienst der crêatûre mit mâze enpfâhen unde brûchen, wan an den nidristen kreften hât diu sêle lîden und anweigunge, wan si wandelbêre und unstête ist von den dingen, diu in der zît umbe loufent, unde muoz mit lîden und anvehtunge die gotheit koufen. Wan als vil si der durch gotes willen lîdet, als vil nâhent si sich zuo ime. — Diu ander reinekeit bediutet die hende, daz ist, daz der mensche ein reinez unde geordentez leben sol haben, dâ mite sîniu werc alsô geschehen, daz dâ von nieman geergert werde, sunder daz er dâ mite andern ein lieht unde wec ze gote sî. — Diu dritte reinekeit ist an den füezen, daz ist, daz der mensche diemüetic sî, wan unser frouwe hât sich mêr irre diemüetikeite gerüemet dan keiner andern tugende, die si hâte. Ein ieglîchiu geschicketiu sêle wolte alwege gerne vasten, wachen unde keinen lust des lîbes hân, und als vil ez an ir ist, sô wolte si âne underlâz an got gedenken, von dem si komen ist; unde sît si ein geist unde der engele swester ist, sô wolte si gerne ein engelisch leben hân. Aber die wîle diu sêle beswêret ist mit dem tœtlichen lîchame, sô muoz si jâmer unde nôt lîden mit tegelîchem strîte wider ir viande. Doch ensol man niht gelouben, daz alle bœse neigunge alleine von nâtûre komen, sunder sie koment ouch von bœser gewonheit der sünden. Wir werden alsô von unsern vinden niht überwunden, als man wênet, wan sie sint wol anzünder bœser dinge, aber niht ein sache, sunder in dem menschen ist ein verborgen fiur, daz kan der tiuvel wol schürn und anzünden, aber wer dem wider stêt, der verdienet grôzen lôn, wan daz geistlîche hûs unserr sêle kan niemer verbrinnen, ez sî denne, daz der eckestein, Jêsus, vor vertrîben sî mit tôtsünden. Unt dar umbe sullen wir got biten, daz er uns daz wazzer der riuwe gebe, mit dem wir gewaschen werden von allen unsern sünden unt daz êwige leben verdienen. Âmen.

The third is how those people should be in whom these things are to happen, and this is shown when the Lord Jesus Christ said to Peter: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” Then Peter said: “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” By this he signified three kinds of purity. The first purity should be in the highest powers of the soul, so that she should be bare and free from concern about all temporal things and may offer herself to God in the highest part; then the soul can receive from God everything that he can give and can thus be united with him. According to the lower powers, however, the soul should receive and use the service of creatures with moderation, for in the lower powers the soul has suffering and temptation, because she is changeable and unstable through the things that pass about in time, and must win the Godhead at the cost of suffering and temptation. For insofar as she suffers these for God’s sake, to that extent the lower powers draw near to him. The second purity is signified by the hands, that is, a person should have a pure and ordered life, so that his works are done in such a way that no one is scandalized by them, but rather that through them he may be a light and a way to God for others. The third purity is in the feet, that is, that a person should be humble, for our Lady gloried more in her humility than in any other virtue that she possessed. Every well-ordered soul would gladly always fast and keep vigil and have no bodily pleasure, and insofar as it depended upon her she would wish without interruption to think of God, from whom she came; and since she is a spirit and a sister of the angels, she would gladly have an angelic life. But as long as the soul is burdened with the mortal body, she must suffer misery and distress in daily struggle against her enemies. Yet one should not believe that all evil inclinations come from nature alone; rather, they also come from the evil habit of sin. We are not overcome by our enemies in the way people suppose, for they are indeed kindlers of evil things, but not their cause; rather, there is a hidden fire within man that the devil can stir and kindle. But whoever resists this merits a great reward, for the spiritual house of our soul can never burn unless the cornerstone, Jesus, has first been driven out through mortal sins. Therefore we should ask God to give us the water of contrition, with which we may be washed from all our sins and merit eternal life. Amen.