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Sermon 21 — Whoever hates their soul in this world will keep it for eternal life

Pfeiffer Sermon 21Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)
English Translation
Qui odit animam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam aeternam custodiat eam (Joh. XII, 25.).

Ich hab ein wort in latîne gesprochen, daz sprichet unser herre in sînem êwangelîô ‘swer sîne sêle hazzet in dirre welt, der behüetet sî in dem êwigen leben.’ Nû merkent an disen worten, waz unser herre meinet, daz er sprichet, man sulle hazzen sîne sêle. Swer sîne sêle minnet in disem tœtlichen leben und als sî in der welt ist, der verliuset sî in dem êwigen leben; swer sî aber hazzet als sî tœtlich ist, der behüetet sî in daz êwige leben.

Zwô sache sint hie inne, war umbe er sprichet: sêle. Ez sprichet ein meister: daz wort sêle daz nennet den grunt, unde die nâtûre der sêle enrüeret ez niht. Dâ von sprichet ein meister: swer dâ sprichet von bewegelîchen dingen, der rüeret die nâtûre noch den grunt der sêle niht. Swer nâch der lûterkeit unde der blôzheit die sêle, als si ist in ir selber, nennen sol, der kan ir enkeinen namen vinden. Si sprechent ir: sêle, daz ist als der ein zimberman nennet, der nennet in niht ein mensche noch niht nâch sîme wesende eigenlîche, mêr: man nennet in nâch sînem werke. Hie meinet unser herre: swer die sêle minnet in der lûterkeit, daz der sêle einvaltig nâtûre ist, der hazzet sî und ist ir vîgent in disem kleide. Daz hazzet sî unde hât trûrikeit und ist vîgent, daz si alsô verre stât dem lûteren liehte, daz si in ir selber ist.

Qui odit animam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam aeternam custodiat eam (Joh. XII, 25.).

Whoever hates his soul in this world shall preserve it unto eternal life (John 12:25). I have spoken a word in Latin which our Lord says in his Gospel: “Whoever hates his soul in this world preserves it in eternal life.” Now take note of these words and of what our Lord means when he says that one should hate one's soul. Whoever loves his soul in this mortal life, insofar as it is in the world, loses it in eternal life; but whoever hates it insofar as it is mortal preserves it unto eternal life.

There are two things to consider here concerning why he says “soul.” A master says that the word “soul” names the ground, yet it does not touch the nature of the soul. Therefore a master says that whoever speaks of things that are subject to movement touches neither the nature nor the ground of the soul. Whoever would name the soul according to its purity and bareness, as it is in itself, can find no name for it. They call it “soul,” just as one calls a carpenter by that name: one does not thereby name him as a human being, nor properly according to his being, but names him according to his work. Here our Lord means that whoever loves the soul in the purity that is the soul's simple nature hates it and is its enemy in this garment. The soul hates this, grieves over it and is its enemy: that it stands so far away from the pure light that it is in itself.

Unser meister sprechent: diu sêle heizet ein fiur dur die kraft unde dur die hitze unde dur den schîn, der an ir ist. Die andern sprechent, si sî ein fünkelîn himelscher nâtûre. Die dritten sprechent, si sî ein lieht. Die vierden sprechent, si sî ein geist. Die fünften sprechent, si sî ein zal. Dâ wolten sie die sêle nennen etwâ bî, daz blôz unde lûter wære. In dem engel ist zal, in dem liehte ist ouch zal, dar umbe nennet man sî bî dem hœhsten unde bî dem lûtersten und ez enrüeret doch den grunt der sêle niht. Got der âne namen ist ist unsprechlich, unde diu sêle in ir grunde ist sî ouch unsprechlich, als er unsprechlich ist. Ez ist noch anders, war umbe er sprichet, daz si hazzet. Daz wort, daz die sêle nennet, daz meinet die sêle, als si in dem kerker des lîbes ist, und dâ von meinet er, swaz diu sêle in ir selber ist, dâ si noch bedenken mac, dâ ist si noch in ir kerker. Dâ si noch zuoversiht hât zuo disen nideren dingen unde si iht mit sinne in sich ziuhet, dâ wirt si zehant enge: want wort mügent enkeiner nâtûre, diu ob ir ist, namen geben.

Ez sint drî sachen, war umbe diu sêle hazzen sol sich selber. Diu eine sache, als verre si mîn ist, als verre ist si gotes niht. Daz ander: wande mîn sêle niht alzemâle in got gesatzet unde gepflanzet unde widerbildet ist. Augustînus sprichet: swer wil, daz got sîn eigen sî, der sol ê gotes eigen werden, unde daz muoz von nôt sîn. Diu dritte sache ist: smecket diu sêle ir selber als si sêle ist, unde smecket ir got mit der sêle, dem ist unreht. Ir sol got in ir selber smecken, wan er ist al zemâle ir. Diz ist daz Kristus sprach ‘swer sîne sêle minnet, der verliuset sî.’ Swaz der sêle in dirre welt ist oder in dise welt luoget unde swâ ir iht begriffen ist und ûz luoget, daz sol si hazzen.

Our masters say that the soul is called a fire because of the power, the heat and the radiance that are in it. Others say that it is a little spark of heavenly nature. A third group says it is a light; a fourth, that it is a spirit; a fifth, that it is a number. In this way they wished to name the soul by something bare and pure. There is number in the angel, and there is number in light as well. Thus they name the soul by what is highest and purest, yet none of this touches the ground of the soul. God, who is without a name, is ineffable, and the soul in its ground is also ineffable, as he is ineffable. There is yet another reason why he says that one should hate it. The word by which the soul is named refers to the soul insofar as it is in the prison of the body. By this he means that whatever the soul can still conceive within itself, there it is still in its prison. Wherever it still has expectation of these lower things and draws anything into itself through the senses, it immediately becomes constricted, for words cannot name any nature that is above them.

There are three reasons why the soul should hate itself. The first is that insofar as it is mine, to that extent it is not God's. The second is that my soul has not been wholly set and planted in God and imaged anew in him. Augustine says: Whoever wishes God to be his own must first become God's own, and this must necessarily be so. The third is that if the soul savors itself as soul, and savors God by means of the soul, this is wrong. It should savor God within itself, for he is wholly its own. This is what Christ meant when he said, “Whoever loves his soul loses it.” Whatever of the soul is in this world or looks toward this world, and wherever anything of it is caught up in something and looks outward, that is what it should hate.

Ein meister sprichet, daz diu sêle in ir hœhstem unde lûterôstem sî, sô ob der welte niht treit die sêle denne minne alleine. Etwenne hât si ein nâtûrlîche minne, die si zem lîbe hât. Etwenne hât si eine willige minne, die si ze der crêatûre hât. Ein meister sprichet: als wênic daz ouge ze tuon hât mit dem gesange unde daz ôre mit der varwe, alsô wênic hât diu sêle in ir nâtûre ze tuon mit allem dem, daz in dirre welt ist. Dar umbe sprechent unser nâtûrlîchen meister, daz der lîchame vil mê sî in der sêle denne diu sêle in dem lîbe. Als daz vaz den wîn mê enthaltet denne der wîn daz vaz, alsô haltet diu sêle den lîp mê in ir denne der lîp die sêle. Swaz diu sêle minnet in dirre welte, des ist si in ir nâtûre blôz.

Ein meister sprichet: der sêle nâtûre unde nâtûrlichiu volkomenheit ist, daz si in ir selber würke ein vernünftic werc, dâ got in si gebildet hât aller dinge bilde. Swer dâ sprichet, daz er zuo sîner nâtûre komen sî, der sol alliu dinc in ime gebildet vinden in der lûterkeit, als sie in gote sint, niht als sie sint in ir nâtûre, mêr: als sie sint in gote. Noch geist noch engel enrüeret den grunt der sêle niht noch die nâtûre der sêle. In dem kumt si in daz êrste, in den begin, dâ got ûz brichet mit güeti in alle crêatûre. Dâ minnet si alliu dinc in gote, niht in der lûterkeit als sie in ir nâtûrlicher lûterkeit sint, mêr: in der lûteren einvaltikeit, als sie sint in gote. Got hât gemachet alle dise welt als in eime kol. Daz bilde, daz in golde ist, daz ist vester denne daz in dem kol ist. Alsô sint alliu dinc in der sêle lûterr unde edeler denne sie sîn in der welte. Diu materie, dâ got alliu dinc ûz gemachet hât, daz ist snœder denne ein kol wider dem golde. Der einen hafen machen wil der nimet ein wênig erden: daz ist sîn materie, dâ er an wirket. Sô gibet er im ein forme, diu in ime ist, diu ist edeler denne diu materie. Hie meine ich, daz alliu dinc unzallich edeler sint in der vernünftiger welt, daz diu sêle ist, denne sie sîn in dirre welte; reht als daz bilde, daz in golt gehouwen unde durgraben ist, alsô sint aller dinge bilde einvaltig in der sêle. Ein meister sprichet: diu sêle hât ein mügelicheit in ir, daz aller dinge bilde in sî gedrücket wirt. Ein ander sprichet: niemer ist diu sêle komen in ir blôze nâtûre, si envinde alliu dinc in ir gebildet in der vernünftigen welt, diu unbegrîfenlich ist, enkein dank hœret dar zuo. Gregorius sprichet: waz wir von götlîchen dingen reden, daz müezen wir stamelen, wan man muoz im wort geben.

A master says that, in its highest and purest state, the soul bears nothing above the world but love alone. At times it has a natural love, which it bears toward the body; at times it has a voluntary love, which it bears toward creatures. A master says: Just as the eye has as little to do with song as the ear has with color, so the soul in its nature has as little to do with everything that is in this world. Therefore our natural philosophers say that the body is far more in the soul than the soul is in the body. Just as a vessel contains the wine more than the wine contains the vessel, so the soul holds the body within itself more than the body holds the soul. Whatever the soul loves in this world, it is bare of that in its nature.

A master says that the soul's nature and its natural perfection consist in its performing an intellectual work within itself, where God has formed within it the images of all things. Whoever says that he has attained to his nature must find all things imaged within himself in the purity in which they are in God, not as they are in their own nature, but as they are in God. Neither spirit nor angel touches the ground or the nature of the soul. In this the soul comes into the first, into the beginning, where God breaks forth in goodness into all creatures. There it loves all things in God, not in the purity in which they exist in their own natural purity, but in the pure simplicity in which they are in God. God has made this whole world as though in coal. An image in gold is more enduring than one in coal. So all things are purer and nobler in the soul than they are in the world. The matter from which God has made all things is baser than coal in comparison with gold. Someone who wishes to make a pot takes a little earth: this is the matter upon which he works. Then he gives it a form that is within himself, and this form is nobler than the matter. By this I mean that all things are immeasurably nobler in the intellectual world, which is the soul, than they are in this world. Just as an image is carved and engraved in gold, so the images of all things are present in simplicity within the soul. A master says that the soul has within it a capacity by which the images of all things are impressed upon it. Another says that the soul has never come into its bare nature without finding all things imaged within itself in the intellectual world, which is incomprehensible and to which no thought belongs. Gregory says: Whatever we say concerning divine things, we must stammer, for we have to give them words.

Noch ein wörtelîn von der sêle unde denne niht mê. ‘Ir töhteren von Jêrusalem, niht enmerkent niht, daz ich brûn bin! diu sunne hât mich entverwet unde diu kint mîner muoter hânt wider mich gestriten’ (Cant. I, 5.). Hie meinet si diu kint der welte, zuo den sprichet diu sêle. Diu sunne daz ist lust der welt: swaz mich der beschînet und berüeret, daz machet mich dunkel unde brûn. Brûn ist niht ein ganze varwe: ez hât etwaz liehtes und ouch tunkelheit. Swaz diu sêle gedenket oder würket mit iren kreften, swie lieht diu in ir sint, doch ist ez gemenget. Dar umbe sprichet si ‘diu kint mîner muoter hânt wider mich gestriten.’ Diu kint daz sint alle die nideren krefte der sêle: die strîtent alle wider sî unde vehtent sî an. Der himelsche vater ist unser vater unde diu kristenheit ist unser muoter. Swie schœne unde wie gezieret si sî unde nütze mit iren werken, ez ist noch allez unvolkomen. Dâ von sprichet er ‘ô schœneste under den frouwen, ganc ûz unde ganc abe!’ Disiu welt ist als ein frouwe, wande si kranc ist. War umbe sprichet er aber: schœneste under den frouwen? Die engel sint schœne unde sint verre ob der sêle. Dar umbe sprichet er ‘schœneste:’ in irme nâtûrlichen liehte; ‘ganc ûz unde ganc abe’: ganc ûz dirre welt unde ganc abe allem dem, dâ dîn sêle noch zuo geneiget ist. Unde swâ iht begriffen ist, daz sol si hazzen.

One more little word about the soul, and then no more. “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not take notice that I am brown! The sun has discolored me, and my mother's children have fought against me” (Song of Songs 1:5). By this she means the children of the world, to whom the soul speaks. The sun is the pleasure of the world: whatever of me it shines upon and touches it makes dark and brown. Brown is not a complete color: it has something of light and also of darkness. Whatever the soul thinks or does with its powers, however luminous those powers are within it, is nevertheless mixed. Therefore she says, “My mother's children have fought against me.” These children are all the lower powers of the soul: they all fight against it and assail it. The heavenly Father is our father, and Christendom is our mother. However beautiful and adorned she may be, and however useful in her works, all this is still imperfect. Therefore he says, “O fairest among women, go out and go down!” This world is like a woman, for it is weak. But why does he say, “Fairest among women”? The angels are beautiful and stand far above the soul. Therefore he says “fairest” with regard to its natural light; “go out and go down” means: go out from this world and descend from everything toward which your soul is still inclined. And wherever anything is grasped, that is what the soul should hate.