Sermon 40 — Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights

Pfeiffer Sermon 40Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

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

Sant Jacob sprichet in der epistel 'die aller beste gâbe unde vollekomene gâbe koment von oben her abe von dem vater der liehte.' Nû merkent. Ir sunt daz wizzen, die menschen, die sich zuo gote lânt unde sînen willen suochent mit allem flîze: swaz got den menschen gît, daz ist daz beste; dû siest des gewis alse got lebet, daz ez von nôt daz aller beste muoz sîn unde daz kein wîse anders möhte gesîn, diu bezzer wêre. Swie daz sî, daz doch ein anderz bezzer schînet, sô enwêre ez dir doch niht alse guot, wan got wil dise unde niht ein ander wîse unt disiu wîse muoz von nôt dir diu beste wîse sîn. Ez sî siechtage, armuot, hunger, turst oder swaz ez sî, daz got über dich verhênget oder niht verhênget, oder swaz dir got gît oder niht engît, daz sî dir allez daz beste, ez sî andâht oder innekeit, daz dû der leider niht enhâst, unde swâz dû hâst oder niht enhâst, setze eht dû dich rehte dar în, daz dû gotes êre meinest in allen dingen, unde swaz er dir denne tuot, daz ist daz beste.

Nû möhtest dû vil lîhte sprechen: waz weiz ich, ob ez sî der wille gotes oder niht? Daz wizzent, wêre ez gotes wille niht, sô enwêre ez ouch niht. Dû enhâst noch siechtage noch nihtes niht, got enwelle ez. Und wande dû denne weist, daz ez gotes wille ist, sô soltû alse vil wollust drinne hân und genüegede, daz dû keiner pîne ahtest alse pîne; nochdanne kêmest dû ûf daz aller hœhste der pîne, gefüellest dû dekeiner pîne oder lîdens, ime wêre unreht alzemâle, wan dû solt ez nemen von gote in dem aller besten, wan ez muoz von nôt dîn aller bestez sîn. Sîn wesen swebet dar an, daz er daz beste welle. Dar umbe sol ichz ouch wellen noch ensol mir dekein dinc baz behagen. Wêre ein mensche, dem ich mit allem flîze wolte gevallen, wiste ich denne für wâr, daz ich dem menschen baz geviele in eime grâwen kleide dan in keim andern, swie guot ez joch wêre, des ist kein zwîvel, mir enwêre daz kleit lüstlicher unde lieber dan kein anderz, swie guot ez joch wêre. Wêre denne, daz ich eim ieclîchen wölte gevallen: swaz ich dan wiste, daz er gerne hête an worten oder an werken, daz tête ich unde niht anders. Eyâ nû merkent iuch selber, wie iuwer minne gestalt sî! Minnent ir got, sô möhte iu kein dinc lüstlicher gesîn, dan daz ime aller beste geviele unde sîn wille an uns aller meist vollebrâht würde. Swie swêre diu pîne schîne oder daz ungemach, hâstû niht dar inne alse grôzen wollust als in gemache und in volle, sô ist ime unreht.

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

Saint James says in the epistle, “The very best gift and the perfect gift come down from above, from the Father of lights.” Now take note. You should know that those people who entrust themselves to God and seek his will with all diligence must recognize that whatever God gives a person is best. Be as certain of this as you are that God lives: it must necessarily be the very best, and no other mode could be better. Even if something else appears better, it would not be as good for you, for God wills this mode and not another, and this mode must necessarily be the best for you. Whether it be sickness, poverty, hunger, thirst or whatever it may be that God permits or does not permit to befall you, whatever God gives or does not give you, let all of it be the best for you. Whether it be devotion or inwardness, which unfortunately you do not have, and whatever you have or do not have, only set yourself rightly in this: intend God's honour in all things. Then whatever he does to you is the best.

Now you might easily say, “How do I know whether it is God's will or not?” Know this: if it were not God's will, it would not be. You have neither sickness nor anything at all unless God wills it. And since you know it is God's will, you ought to find so much delight and contentment in it that you would not regard any pain as pain. Yet if you were to reach the very height of suffering without feeling any pain or distress, you would be doing him a complete wrong, for you ought to receive it from God as the very best, since it must necessarily be best for you. His being rests upon his willing the best. Therefore I too ought to will it, and nothing else should please me better. Suppose there were someone whom I wished with all diligence to please, and I knew for certain that he liked me better in a grey garment than in any other, however good it might be. There is no doubt that this garment would be more delightful and dearer to me than any other, however fine. If I wished to please anyone, I would do whatever I knew he liked in my words or deeds, and nothing else. Ah, now consider within yourselves what form your love takes! If you love God, nothing could be more delightful to you than what most pleases him and the fullest accomplishment of his will in us. However severe the pain or discomfort may appear, if you do not find in it as great a delight as in ease and abundance, you do him wrong.

Ich pflige dicke ein wörtelîn ze sprechen und ist ouch wâr: wir ruofen alle tage und schrîen in dem pater noster: herre, dîn wille werde! Sô denne sîn wille wirt, sô wellen wir zürnen unde genüeget uns niht an sînem willen. Swaz er tête, daz solte uns daz beste dünken und aller beste gevallen. Die ez alsus nement in dem besten, die blîbent aller dinge in eime ganzen fride. Nû sprechent ir underwîlen: ach, wêre ez anders komen, sô wêr ez bezzer, oder wêr ez niht alsô komen, sô wêr ez vil lîhte baz komen. Alsô lange sô dich des dunket, sô gewinnest dû niemer fride. Dû solt ez nemen in dem aller besten. Diz ist der êrste sin von disem worte.

Noch ist ein ander sin, den merkent mit flîze. Er sprichet 'alle gâbe.' Waz daz aller beste ist unt daz aller hœhste, daz sint eigenlich gâbe und in dem aller eigensten. Got engît niht sô gerne sô grôze gâbe. Ich sprach einest an der stat, daz got joch gerner vergît grôze sünde dan kleine. Sô sie ie grœzer sint, sô er sie ie gerner vergît unde sneller. Und alsô ist ez umbe die gnâde und gâbe unde tugende: sô sie ie grœzer sint, sô er sie ie gerner gît, wan sîn natûre swebet dar an, daz er grôziu dinc gebe. Unt dar umbe, sô diu dinc ie grœzer sint unde bezzer, sô ir ie mê ist. Die edelsten crêatûre daz sint die engele unde sint ze mâle vernunftic unde enhânt niht lîplicheit an in und ir ist allermeist mêr dan aller lîplicher zal sî. Grôziu dinc heizent eigenlich gâbe unde sint mir aller eigenst und aller innegest.

I often say a little saying, and it is true: every day we call and cry out in the Our Father, “Lord, thy will be done!” But when his will is done, we want to be angry and are not satisfied with his will. Whatever he might do ought to seem best to us and please us best of all. Those who receive things in this way, as the best, remain in complete peace in all things. Sometimes you say, “Ah, if it had happened differently, it would have been better,” or “If it had not happened like this, it might very well have turned out better.” As long as you think this, you will never gain peace. You must receive it as the very best. This is the first meaning of this saying.

There is another meaning, which you should attend to diligently. He says, “every gift.” What is best and highest is a gift in the proper sense and in the most proper way. God is never so willing to give as when he gives great gifts. I once said here that God is even more willing to forgive great sins than small ones: the greater they are, the more willingly and quickly he forgives them. It is the same with grace, gifts and virtues: the greater they are, the more willingly he gives them, for it belongs to his nature to give great things. Therefore the greater and better the things are, the more of them there are. The noblest creatures are the angels, entirely intellectual, with no bodily nature in them, and their multitude is far greater than the whole number of bodily creatures. Great things are properly called gifts and are closest and most inward to me.

Ich sprach einest: swaz eigenlich gewortet mac werden, daz muoz von innen har ûz komen unde sich bewegen von sîner forme unde niht von ûzen în komen, mêr: von inwendic her ûz komen. Daz lebet eigenliche in sîme innegesten der sêlen. Dâ sint dir alliu dinc gegenwertic und inner lebende unde suochende unde sint in dem besten unde sint in dem hœhsten. War umbe bevindest dû des niht? dâ enbistû heime niht. Sô daz dinc ie edelre ist, sô ez ie gemeiner ist. Den sin hân ich gemeine mit den tieren unde daz leben mit den boumen. Daz wesen ist mir noch inner, daz hân ich gemeine mit allen crêatûren. Der himel ist mêrre dan allez, daz der nebent ist, dar umbe ist er ouch edeler. Ie diu dinc edelre sint, ie mêre unde ie gemeiner sie sint. Diu minne ist edel, wan si gemeine ist. Ez schînet swêre, daz unser herre geboten hât, daz man den ebenkristen minne als sich selben. Diz sprechent gemeinlich grobe liute, man sülle sie zuo dem guote minnen, dâ man sich selber zuo minnet. Nein, ez ensol niht alsô sîn. Man sol sie alse sêre minnen als sich selber, unt daz ist niht swêre. Wellent irz eben merken, sô ist ez mê lônes wert dan ein gebot. Daz gebot schînet swêre unde der lôn ist begirlich. Swer got minnet, als er in minnen sol unde muoz (er welle oder erwelle) und als in alle crêatûre minnent, der muoz sînen ebenmenschen minnen als sich selben unde sich sîner fröuden und êren fröuwen und begern als sîner eigener êren, und dem frömeden als sîme. Und alsô ist der mensche alzît in fröuden, in êren und in nutze, sô ist er reht als in himelrîche, und alsô hât er dicker fröuden denne ob er sich alleine sînes guotes fröuwete.

Unde wizzest in der wârheit, ist dir genühliclicher dîn eigen êre dan eins andern, sô ist im unreht. Wizzest daz, swenne dû iht suochest des dînen, sô vindestû got niemer, wan dû got niht lûterlîchen suochest. Dû suochest etwaz mit gote, unde tuost reht als der von gote ein kerze machete, daz man etwaz dâ mite suoche; unt sô man daz dinc vindet, sô wirfet man die kerze enwec. Alsô tuost dû: swaz dû mit gote suochest, daz enist niht, swaz ez joch sî, ez sî nutz, lôn, innerkeit oder swaz ez joch sî; dû suochest niht, dar umbe vindest dû ouch niht. Daz dû niht vindest, daz enist kein sache anders, wan daz dû niht suochest. Alle crêatûre sint ein lûter niht. Ich spriche niht, daz sie kleine sîn oder iht sîn: sie sint ein lûter niht. Swaz niht wesens hât, daz ist niht. Alle crêatûre hânt kein wesen, wan ir wesen swebet an der gegenwertikeit gotes. Kêrte sich got abe einen ougenblik, sie würden ze nihte. Ich sprach etwenne und ist ouch wâr: der al die welt nême mit gote, der enhête niht mê denne ob er got alleine hête. Alle crêatûre hânt niht mê âne got, denne der ein mücke hête âne got, reht glîch noch minre noch mê.

I once said: whatever can properly be brought into being must come forth from within and move from its own form, not enter from outside, but come forth from within. This truly lives in the innermost part of the soul. There all things are present to you, inwardly living and seeking, and they are in what is best and in what is highest. Why do you not experience this? Because you are not at home there. The nobler a thing is, the more common it is. I share the senses with animals and life with trees. Being is still more inward to me, and I share that with all creatures. Heaven is greater than everything beside it, and therefore it is nobler too. The nobler things are, the greater and more common they are. Love is noble because it is common to all. It seems hard that our Lord has commanded us to love our fellow Christian as ourselves. Ordinary, uncomprehending people commonly say that we should love others for the good for which we love ourselves. No, it must not be so. We must love them as much as ourselves, and this is not hard. If you understand it rightly, it is worth more as a reward than as a commandment. The commandment seems hard and the reward is desirable. Whoever loves God as he should and must love him, whether willingly or unwillingly, and loves him as all creatures love him, must love his fellow human being as himself and rejoice in that person's joys and honours and desire them as much as his own honours, and those of a stranger as his own. In this way a person is always in joy, honour and benefit, truly as though in the kingdom of heaven, and thus has more frequent joy than if he rejoiced only in his own good.

And know in truth: if your own honour is more satisfying to you than another's, you do that person wrong. Know that whenever you seek anything of your own, you will never find God, because you are not seeking God purely. You are seeking something together with God, just as though you made a candle out of God in order to look for something by its light; and when the thing is found, you throw the candle away. That is how you act: whatever you seek together with God is nothing, whatever it may be, whether benefit, reward, inwardness or anything else. You do not seek; therefore you do not find. That you do not find has no other cause than that you do not seek. All creatures are a pure nothing. I do not say that they are small or that they are something: they are a pure nothing. Whatever has no being is nothing. All creatures have no being, for their being depends upon God's presence. If God turned away for a single instant, they would come to nothing. I once said, and it is true, that whoever took the whole world together with God would have no more than if he had God alone. Without God, all creatures have no more than someone would have who possessed a gnat without God: neither less nor more, exactly the same.

Eyâ nû merkent ein wâr wort. Gêbe ein mensche tûsent marc goldes, daz man dâ mite kilchen unde klœster mahte, daz wêre ein grôz dinc. Nochdanne hête der vil mê geben, der tûsent marc für niht gahten kunde: der hête verre mê getân dan ienre. Dô got alle crêatûren geschuof, dô wâren sie sô snœde unde sô enge, daz er sich niht drinne bewegen mohte. Doch machte er ime die sêle sô glîch und sô ebenmêzic, dur daz er sich der sêle gegeben möhte: wan swaz er ir anders geben möhte des enahtet si niht. Got muoz mir sich selber geben als eigen, als er ist sîn selbes, oder mir enwirt niht noch mir ensmacket niht. Swer alsus zemâle in enpfâhen sol, der muoz zemâle sich selben ergeben hân unde sîn selbes ûz gegangen sîn; der enpfât glîch von gote allez daz er hât als eigen als erz selber hât, und unser frouwe und alle die in himele sint daz ist disen alse glîch und als eigen. Die ir selbes alsô glîch ûz gegangen sint und sich selben ergeben hânt, die sülent ouch glîch enpfâhen unde niht minre.

Daz dritte wort ist 'von dem vater der liehte.' An dem worte, 'vater' vernimet man abe die sunlicheit, unde daz wort 'vater' liutet ein lûter geberen und ist ein leben aller dinge. Der vater gebirt sînen sun in dem êwigen verstentnisse und alsô gebirt der vater sînen sun in der sêle als in sîner natûre unde gebirt in der sêle zuo eigen unde sîn wesen hanget dar an, daz er in der sêlen gebere sînen sun, ez sî ime liep oder leit. Ich wart einest gefrâget: waz der vater tête in dem himel? Dô sprach ich: er gebirt sînen sun, unt daz werk ist ime sô lüstlich unde gevellet ime sô wol, daz er niemer anders getuot dan geberen sînen sun, unde sie beide blüegent ûz den heiligen geist. Dâ der vater sînen sun in mir gebirt, dâ bin ich der selbe sun unde niht ein ander; wir sîn wol ein ander an menscheit, aber dâ bin ich der selbe sun und niht ein ander. Dâ wir süne sîn, dâ sîn wir rehte erben. Der die wârheit bekennet, der weiz daz wol. Daz wort 'vater' treit in sich ein lûter geberen unde süne ze habenne. Dar umbe sîn wir süne in disem sune unde der selbe sun.

Ah, now heed a true saying. If someone gave a thousand marks of gold so that churches and monasteries might be built with it, that would be a great thing. Yet someone who could count a thousand marks as nothing would have given far more; that person would have accomplished far more than the former. When God created all creatures, they were so insignificant and narrow that he could not move within them. But he made the soul so like himself and so proportioned to himself that he could give himself to the soul, for she regards whatever else he might give her as nothing. God must give himself to me as my own, as he is his own, or nothing comes to me and I taste nothing. Whoever is to receive him thus altogether must have given himself up altogether and gone out of himself. Such a person receives from God, as his own, all that God has just as God himself has it; and what Our Lady and all those in heaven have is equally theirs and equally their own. Those who have thus equally gone out of themselves and surrendered themselves shall receive equally, and no less.

The third phrase is “from the Father of lights.” In the word “Father” one discerns Sonship, and the word “Father” signifies pure begetting and is the life of all things. The Father begets his Son in eternal understanding; and in the same way the Father begets his Son in the soul as in his own nature, and begets him in the soul as her own. His being depends upon his begetting his Son in the soul, whether it be pleasing or painful to him. I was once asked what the Father does in heaven. I said, “He begets his Son,” and this work is so delightful to him and pleases him so well that he never does anything else but beget his Son, and the two bring forth the Holy Spirit in bloom. Where the Father begets his Son in me, there I am that same Son and not another; although we are distinct in humanity, there I am the same Son and not another. Where we are sons, there we are rightful heirs. Whoever knows the truth knows this well. The word “Father” bears within itself pure begetting and the having of sons. Therefore we are sons in this Son, and the very same Son.

Nû merkent daz wort 'sie koment von obene.' Nû seite ich gar eben: swer von oben wil enpfân, der muoz von nôt unden sîn in rehter dêmüetikeit. Unde wizzent daz in der wârheit: ist iht ûzen, daz ez niht zemâle unden ist, dem wirt ouch nihtes niht noch enpfât niht, wie kleine ez joch sîn müge. Bistû iht sehende ûf dich oder ûf kein dinc oder ûf iemanne, sô enbistû niht undene noch enpfâst ouch niht; mêr: bistû zemâle unden, sô enpfâhestû zemâle unde vollekommenlîche. Gotes natûre ist, daz er gebe, unde sîn wesen swebet dar an, daz er uns gebe, obe wir undene sîn. Sîn wirs niht, sô enpfâhen wir ouch niht unde tuon ime gewalt unde tœten in. Enmügen wirs niht an ime getuon, sô tuon wirz aber an uns und als verre ez an uns ist. Daz dû ez im allez gebest eigenlich, sô luog, daz dû dich under tuost in rehter dêmüetikeit under got unde got erhebest in dînem herzen und in dînem bekenntnisse. Der vater sante sînen sun in die welt in der volheit der zît der sêle, sô si alzît volgangen hât. Sô diu sêle der zît und der stat lidig ist, sô sendet der vater sînen sun in die sêle. Nû ist diz wort berihtet 'die beste gâbe koment von oben har abe von dem vater der liehte.' Daz wir bereitet werden, die beste gâben ze enpfâhende, des helf uns got der vater der liehte. Âmen.

Now take note of the words “they come from above.” I have said quite precisely that whoever wishes to receive from above must necessarily be below, in true humility. And know this for certain: if anything remains outside, so that one is not entirely below, then one receives nothing at all, however small that thing may be. If you are looking at yourself, at any thing, or at anyone else, you are not below and do not receive; rather, when you are entirely below, you receive altogether and perfectly. It is God's nature to give, and his being depends upon his giving to us, provided we are below. If we are not, we receive nothing and do violence to him and kill him. If we cannot do this to him, we nevertheless do it to ourselves, and insofar as it lies with us. If you would give him everything as his own, take care to place yourself below God in true humility and exalt God in your heart and in your knowledge. The Father sent his Son into the world in the fullness of the soul's time, when it had passed beyond all time. When the soul is free of time and place, the Father sends his Son into the soul. Thus the saying is explained: “The best gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights.” May God, the Father of lights, help us to be made ready to receive the best gifts. Amen.