Sermon 29 — The angel Gabriel was sent

Pfeiffer Sermon 29Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Missus est Gabriel angelus (Luc. I, 26.).

'In der zît wart der engel Gabriêl gesant von gote.' In weler zît? In dem sehsten mânôte, dô Johannes wabernde was in sîner muoter lîbe. Der mich nû frâgte: war umbe beten wir, oder war umbe vasten wir oder wirken wir al unser werc? sô sprêche ich: durch daz, daz got in unser sêlen geborn werde. War umbe ist alliu schrift geschrieben unde war umbe hât got engels nâtûre und alle welt geschaffen? Dar umbe alleine, daz got in der sêlen geborn werde. Alles kornes nâtûre meinet weizen, alles schatzes nâtûre golt, alliu geberunge meinet mensche. Als ein meister sprichet, daz enhein tier ist, ez enhabe etwaz gemeine mit dem menschen in der zît. Aller êrste dô daz wort enpfangen wirt in mîner vernunft, dô ist ez sô kleinlich unde sô lûter, daz ez ein wâr wort ist, ê ez gebildet werde in mîme gedanke. Zuo dem ander male wirt ez ûzwendic gesprochen mit dem munde und ist niht mêr dan ein offenbârunge des innern wortes. Alsô wirt daz êwige wort gesprochen in dem innegisten und in dem lûteresten und in dem hœhsten der sêlen vernunftikeit, unde dâ geschiht disiu geburt. Der niht dan einen ganzen wân oder eine zuoversiht har zuo hête, der möhte gerne wizzen, wie daz disiu geburt geschehe unde waz har zuo hülfe.

Sant Paulus sprichet 'in der volli der zît sante got sînen sun.' Sant Augustînus wart gevrâget, waz daz sî diu volli der zît? Volli der zît ist, dô des tages niht mê ist: danne ist der tac vol. Ez ist ein gewissiu wârheit, swâ disiu geburt geschehen sol, dô muoz al zît abe sîn: wan niht enist, daz dise gebürte sô sêre hindere als zît unde crêatûre. Ez ist ein nôtwârheit, daz diu zît got noch die sêle niht berüeren mac. Möhte zît die sêle berüeren, sô enwære si niht sêle. Möhte got von zîte berüeret werden, sô enwære er niht got. Möhte aber zît die sêle berüeren, sô enmöhte got in ir niht geborn werden. Diu sêle, in der got geborn sol werden, diu muoz der zît enpfallen, unde diu zît muoz ouch ir enpfallen, jâ zuo dem minnesten ein mit willen oder mit begerunge.

Missus est Gabriel angelus (Luc. I, 26.).

The angel Gabriel was sent (Luke 1:26). ‘At that time the angel Gabriel was sent by God.’ At what time? In the sixth month, when John was stirring in his mother's womb. If someone were to ask me, ‘Why do we pray, or why do we fast, or perform all our works?’ I would answer: so that God may be born in our souls. Why was all Scripture written, and why did God create the nature of angels and the whole world? For this reason alone, that God might be born in the soul. The nature of all grain tends toward wheat, the nature of all treasure toward gold, and all begetting tends toward the human being. As a master says, there is no animal that does not have something in common with the human being in time. When the word is first received in my intellect, it is so subtle and so pure that it is a true word before it takes shape in my thought. The second time, it is spoken outwardly by the mouth, and is nothing more than a revelation of the inner word. Thus the eternal Word is spoken in the innermost, purest, and highest part of the soul's intellect, and there this birth takes place. Whoever had no more than a firm conviction or expectation concerning it would gladly know how this birth takes place and what helps to bring it about.

Saint Paul says, ‘In the fullness of time God sent his Son.’ Saint Augustine was asked what the fullness of time might be. The fullness of time is when none of the day remains; then the day is full. It is a certain truth that wherever this birth is to take place, all time must fall away, for nothing hinders this birth so much as time and creatures. It is a necessary truth that time can touch neither God nor the soul. If time could touch the soul, it would not be a soul. If God could be touched by time, he would not be God. And if time could touch the soul, God could not be born in her. The soul in which God is to be born must fall away from time, and time must also fall away from her, even in the smallest matter of will or longing.

Ein ander völli der zît. Swer die kunst unde die maht hête, daz er zît und allez daz in sehs tûsent jâren ie geschach oder noch geschehen sol biz an daz ende der welte: swer daz har wider kunde geziehen in ein gegenwertic nû, daz wêre völli der zît. Diz ist daz nû der êwikeit, dâ diu sêle alliu dinc in gote bekennet alse niuwe und alse frisch und in der selben lust, als ich sî ieze hân gegenwertic. Diu minneste kraft in mîner sêle ist wîter dan der wîte himel. Ich geswîige der vernunft, in der ist wîte âne wîte, in der bin ich alse nâhe der stat, diu über tûsent mîlen ist, als der stat, dâ ich ieze inne stân. Die meistere sprechent, daz der engel menige sî âne zal, ir zal enmac niht begriffen werden. Swer aber underscheit kunde nemen âne zal und âne menige, dem wêre hundert als einz. Wêren joch hundert persône in der gotheit, sô bekante er doch, daz niht enist dan ein got.

Von den engelen. Die engele, swie hôch sie sint, sie hânt helfe und ein mittewürken, dâ got in der sêle geborn sol werden, daz ist: sie hânt fröude, lust und wunne in der gebürte. Die engele wirkent niht mêr; got wirket dise gebürte alleine, und allez daz ist ein diensthaft werc, daz hie zuo hilfet. Daz got in uns geborn werde, des helf uns got. Âmen.

There is another fullness of time. If anyone had the skill and power to draw time, and everything that has ever happened over six thousand years or will yet happen until the end of the world, back into a single present now, that would be the fullness of time. This is the now of eternity, in which the soul knows all things in God as new and fresh, and in the same delight as I now have them present before me. The lowest power in my soul is wider than the wide heavens. I say nothing of the intellect, in which there is breadth without breadth, where I am as near to a city more than a thousand miles away as to the city in which I now stand. The masters say that the multitude of angels is without number and that their number cannot be comprehended. Yet whoever could perceive distinction without number and without multiplicity would find a hundred to be as one. Even if there were a hundred persons in the Godhead, he would nevertheless know that there is nothing but one God.

Concerning the angels. The angels, however exalted they are, lend assistance and cooperate where God is to be born in the soul. That is to say, they have joy, delight, and bliss in the birth. The angels do no more than this; God alone effects this birth, and everything else is a work of service that helps toward it. May God help us that God may be born in us. Amen.