Sermon 39 — Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights

Pfeiffer Sermon 39Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum descendit a patre luminum (Jac. I, 17.).

Ich habe ein wort für geleit in latîne, daz schrîbet uns mîn herre sant Jacob in der epistel unde sprichet ‘alliu gift diu beste unde gâbe vollebrâht diu ist nider vallende von enboben von dem vater der liehte. Bî dem enist kein wandelunge noch kein schatwe zîtlich.’ Disiu zwei wort, daz er sprichet ‘alliu gift diu beste unde gâbe vollebrâht’, sprechent unser meister, daz sie tragen underscheit. Daz wortelîn ‘gift’ vellet in zît; daz wortelî ‘gâbe’ denket der zît niht. Gift suochet alle wege daz ir an den dingen, aber gâbe ist frî unde blôz und alzemâle lôs alles warumbe. Daz heizet gâbe, daz niht enmeinet dan lûter willekeit. Dar umbe ist gâbe alzemâle frî. Gâbe ist daz, daz friunt gebe ist, ob man ez niemer gegêbe, daz ez doch in ime selber ein gâbe ist. Sprechent unser meister, alse verre als sie tragent minne, sô ist ez eine gâbe; aber gift diu ist als ein koufman unde hât alle wege warumbe. Ein heilige sprichet: bluot des heiligen geistes unde sîn glimmen ist ein wîse êwig, ein ander wîse zîtlich. Wêre mîn antlütze êwig unde hielt ez für einen spiegel, sô würde ez enpfangen in dem spiegel zîtlich unde wêre doch êwig in ime selber. Der heilige geist hât sîn glimmen. Daz êwig glimmen heizet ein gâbe an sîner êwigen blüete; swâ ime diu sêle wirdig ist, daz si enpfenclîch ist, iz wirt ein gift. Er wil sprechen, daz beide zîtlich, die in uns zîtlich ist, daz ist in ime selber êwic. Got wil uns niht aleine geben gift, er wil uns geben gâbe, diu der heilige geist selber ist. Dar umbe sprichet er ‘alliu gift diu beste unde gâbe vollebrâht diu kumet von oben her nider von dem vater der liehte.’

In eim andern sinne dunket mich des, wie er meinde, daz gâbe mac heizen der heilige geist, wan ez blôz würket in der vernunft. Aber swanne ez ûz brichet in üebunge ûzerlîcher werke, diu doch gotlich ist, oder noch in eime gedanc, sô ist ez gift. Aber gâbe heizet ez in dem, daz diu sêle in got lebet unde von gote in eime liehte und in eime gesmacke blîbet înhangende unde ûfhangende in einer lûterkeit des liehtes unbewegelich. Dar umbe sprichet sant Paulus ‘iu sol smecken, daz dâ enoben ist. der heilige geist ist gâbe, dâ ir inne belîbet in der lûterkeit des liehtes.’ Nû sprichet er ‘iu sol smecken diu dinc, diu enoben sint, niht diu enoben der erde sint. Swenne diu sêle hanget in eime lûtern liehte vernünftikeit, sô smacket si der dinge diu oben sint. Unser meister sprechent: waz lîphaftic ist daz heizet materie. Sprechen wir, daz daz lieht vernünftikeit fliuhet materie, aleine si in sich aller dinge beroubet sî, si hât doch eine mügelicheit, ein noch zuo der materie. Nû sprichet er ‘iu sol smecken diu dinc, diu oben sint’; niht diu oben der erde sint. Sprechen wir: alse verre ez verret von materie, alsô verre ist ez lûter verstentnüsse. Wenne mîn ouge in eime liehte ruochet die grâwe varwe von der want, sô bekenne ich. Wêre dâ gegen vernünftikeit, sô sêhe ich nie mê. Sprechen wir: ein ander kraft tritet verre von materie. Alse wie? Habe ich einen menschen gesehen vor zweinzic jâren, ist er joch tôt, ich nime ein glîchnisse sînes bildes, als er vor mir stê. Diu kraft darf der materie niht, aber doch sô hât si einen gebresten, daz si nimet von materie als in eime bilde. Aber sprechen wir, daz daz lieht vernünftikeit fliuhet, daz ein noch ist oder ein mügelicheit hât ze materie. Swenne diu sêle blîbet in got hangende in eime vernünftigen liehte, sô enhât si niht der materie gegenwertikeit noch gelîchnisse noch kein mügelicheit. Dar umbe sprichet er ‘alliu gift diu beste und gâbe vollebrâht diu kumet von enboben von dem vater der liehte.’

Omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum descendit a patre luminum (Jac. I, 17.).

Every best gift and every perfect giving descends from the Father of lights (James 1:17). I have placed before you a word in Latin, written for us by my lord Saint James in his epistle, who says: “Every best gift and perfect giving comes down from above, from the Father of lights, in whom there is neither change nor any temporal shadow.” Our masters say that the two words, “every best gift and perfect giving,” carry a distinction. The little word “gift” falls within time, but the word “giving” takes no account of time. A gift seeks in every way what belongs to it in things, but giving is free and bare and wholly released from every why. Giving is what intends nothing but pure willing. Therefore giving is altogether free. Giving is that which a friend gives, even if he were never to give it, for in itself it is nevertheless a giving. Our masters say that insofar as they bear love, it is a giving; but a gift is like a merchant and always has a why. A saint says that the blood of the Holy Spirit and his shining are eternal in one mode and temporal in another. If my face were eternal and I held it before a mirror, it would be received in the mirror temporally, while nevertheless remaining eternal in itself. The Holy Spirit has his shining. This eternal shining is called a giving in his eternal blossoming; wherever the soul is worthy of him and receptive, it becomes a gift. He means that what is temporal in us is, in itself, eternal in him. God wishes to give us not only a gift but also the giving that is the Holy Spirit himself. Therefore he says: “Every best gift and perfect giving comes down from above, from the Father of lights.”

In another sense, it seems to me that he means that the Holy Spirit can be called giving when he works purely in the intellect. But when this breaks forth into the practice of outward works, which nevertheless is divine, or even into a thought, it is a gift. It is called giving, however, when the soul lives in God and remains attached to him, and held up by him, in a light and in a savor, unmoved in the purity of that light. Therefore Saint Paul says: “You should savor what is above. The Holy Spirit is giving, in which you remain within the purity of the light.” Now he says: “You should savor the things that are above, not those that are above the earth.” When the soul is suspended in the pure light of the intellect, she savors the things that are above. Our masters say that what is bodily is called matter. Suppose we say that the light of the intellect flees matter. Although in itself it is stripped of all things, it nevertheless has a possibility, a certain relation to matter. Now he says: “You should savor the things that are above,” not the things upon the earth. We say that the further it withdraws from matter, the more purely it is understanding. When my eye, in a certain light, perceives the grey color of the wall, I know it. If the intellect were set against it, I would never see it again. We may say that another power withdraws far from matter. How so? If I saw a person twenty years ago, even if he is dead, I can summon a likeness of his image, as though he stood before me. That power has no need of matter, yet it has this deficiency: it takes something from matter in the form of an image. But we say that the light of the intellect flees even the remaining possibility or potential for matter. When the soul remains suspended in God in an intellectual light, she has neither the presence of matter nor a likeness of it nor any possibility of it. Therefore he says: “Every best gift and perfect giving comes from above, from the Father of lights.”

Waz meinet er, daz er ez ist nemende ein gift? Zwischen den dingen, der wesen unde werc ist in der êwikeit, unde zwischen den dingen, der wesen unde werc ist in der zît, muoz von nôt ein mitel sîn. Er wil sprechen: diu dinc, daz got ist, der wesen unde werc ist gâbe, unde wesen unde werc der gâbe ist in der êwikeit. Aber wesen unde werc der gift ist in der zît; daz muoz von nôt sîn, daz diu sêle gesatzet werde in ein êwic leben. Waz meinet, daz er gelobet hêt gift unde gâbe? Swenne got gibet den heiligen geist selbe, des wesen unde werc ist in der êwikeit, sô ist gâbe, und swenne iz ûz luoget in eime gedanke, sô ist gift.

Sant Augustînus sprichet, und ouch die meister: diu sêle hât eteliche kraft, diu offen stêt gegen gote, dâ sprichet er aleine în und in die ander dâ sprichet wol crêatûre în. In die obreste kraft, dâ got aleine în sprichet, dâ sprichet er în wisheit, daz ist gâbe. Aber in die andern dâ sprichet wol crêatûre în, diu wirt erfüllet mit kunst. Diu selbe gâbe heizet ein gâbe âne zît unde gift, als si volbringet daz zîtlich ist. Daz in uns zîtlich ist, daz ist in gote êwic. Daz in uns gift ist, daz ist in got ein gâbe. Daz in uns vermenget ist unde zîtlich ist und ein gift ist, volge ich dem, daz wirt im ein gâbe. Waz wir sîn entfân mügen, daz ist alzemâle klein wider dem, daz er ist. Swes er joch erkennet, sô kennet er got niht.

What does he mean by calling it a gift? Between the things whose being and work are in eternity and the things whose being and work are in time, there must necessarily be a means. He means that the things which are God, whose being and work are giving, have the being and work of giving in eternity. But the being and work of a gift are in time. Consequently the soul must be set into eternal life. What does he mean by praising gift and giving? When God gives the Holy Spirit himself, whose being and work are in eternity, this is giving; but when it looks outward into a thought, it is a gift.

Saint Augustine, and the masters as well, say that the soul has a certain power that stands open toward God. Into it he alone speaks, while into the others creatures may also speak. Into the highest power, where God alone speaks, he speaks wisdom, and this is giving. But the other powers, into which creatures may speak, are filled with knowledge. This same giving is called a giving without time, and a gift insofar as it brings to completion what is temporal. What is temporal in us is eternal in God. What is a gift in us is a giving in God. What is mingled and temporal in us, and is a gift, becomes a giving in him, as I understand it. What we can receive of him is altogether small compared with what he is. Whatever one may know, one does not thereby know God.

Nû sprichet er ‘er ist nider gangen von der hoehe von dem vater der liehte.’ Waz meinet er? Der sun unde der heilige geist habent einen ursprunc von dem vater, unde der heilige geist unde der sun sint ein lieht unde die zwêne die sint lieht. Got ist ein vater der liehte. Sant Augustînus sprichet, waz diu sêle smeket under got. Er wil sprechen, daz diu zunge in der spîse smeket ein verborgen lieht; er wil sprechen, daz diu sêle niht begirlîch sî noch smeklîch; si muoz haben ein verborgen werc und ein kraft des liehtes.

Nû sprechent die meister, die engel sîn ein lieht: got, der ein ganz lieht ist, bî dem kein anderunge noch wandelunge ist noch zît ist. Ie edelre diu crêatûre, ie nâher si gote sippe ist. Aber alle crêatûre der wesen unde werc ist in zît. Aber die engel, die hoeher sint, habent in ir wesen kein zît noch in sich kein anderunge. Diu werc, diu sie in gote üebent, habent kein zît. Aber daz sie her abe luogent, dâ hânt sie ein schouwe der zît. Aber got in allen sînen werken hât kein schatwe keiner zîtlîcheit noch keiner anderunge. Alse verre als kein wandelunge, kein schatwe ist an dem menschen, alse verre glîchet er sich gotlîchem wesenne. Alliu crêatûre hât daz unt daz, ein unt daz ander, mêr: in gote enist niht ein noch ander noch diz noch daz, mêr: ob niht ist in dem menschen daz zwei unt zwei sint, daz ander und ander ist, rehte als verre waz in mich vallen mac, blîbet alleine liep unde leit. Swaz iht ein und ander ist, daz ist niht bî dem vater der liehte. Daz uns alsus geben werde gift diu aller beste unde gâbe vollebrâht, in der wir erhaben werden oben zît bî dem vater der liehte, bî dem kein anderunge ist noch kein stundunge, des helf uns got. Âmen.

Now he says: “It has come down from the height, from the Father of lights.” What does he mean? The Son and the Holy Spirit have their origin in the Father, and the Holy Spirit and the Son are one light, and both are light. God is a Father of lights. Saint Augustine speaks of what the soul savors beneath God. He means that the tongue savors in food a hidden light; he means that the soul must not be merely desirous or given to savoring. She must possess a hidden operation and a power of the light.

Now the masters say that the angels are a light, and God is a complete light, in whom there is no alteration, no change and no time. The nobler a creature is, the nearer it is in kinship to God. But the being and work of all creatures are in time. The higher angels, however, have neither time in their being nor change in themselves. The works they perform in God have no time. But insofar as they look down here, they have a contemplation of time. Yet in all his works God has no shadow of temporality or of change. Insofar as a person has neither change nor shadow in him, to that extent he is like the divine being. Every creature has this and that, one thing and another. But in God there is neither one thing nor another, neither this nor that. Rather, when in a person there are no longer two and two, one thing and another, however far anything may fall within me, only love and suffering remain. Whatever is one thing or another is not with the Father of lights. May God help us to receive in this way every best gift and perfect giving, in which we shall be raised above time to the Father of lights, in whom there is neither change nor any succession of moments. Amen.