Sermon 41 — A little while and you will see me, and a little while and you will not see me

Pfeiffer Sermon 41Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Modicum videbitis me et modicum non videbitis (Joh. XVI, 17. 19.).

Ich habe ein wortelin gesprochen in latine, daz schribet uns sant Johannes im êwangeliô unde tiutet als vil, daz unser herre sprach zuo sînen jungern 'ein klein wênig oder ein lützel sullent ir mich sehen, aber ein kleine und ein lützel sullent ir mich niht sehen.' Die junger wâren unbekant und enwisten niht, waz er meinde, unde sprâchen under einander 'wir wizzen niht, waz er meinet.' Diz schribet sant Johannes, der dâ bî was. Ein glîchnüsse, daz dar ûf gât, daz lâz ich ligen. Dô er ir herze bekande, dô sprach er offenbâr 'ich sol iuch aber eines sehen und iuwer herze sol erfröuwet werden unde diu vröude sol iu niemer benomen werden.'

Nù dunket mich, daz diz wortelı vier sinne habe. Sie sint ein teil glich an den worten, nochdanne sô meinent sie grôz underscheit. Der kerne des êrsten meint unde der êwiger sêlikeit lît an bekentnüsse. Ein meister sprach ze Parîs unde ruofte unde dondre unde wolte wîsen, daz des niht enwêre. Dô sprach ein ander meister, wol bezzer denne alle die von Parîs bezzere haben: meister, ir ruofet harte vaste: hiet ez got im êwangeliô niht gesprochen, sô ruoftent und dondint ir harte sêre. Unser herre sprach 'daz ist êwic leben, daz sie dich bekennen einen gewâren got.' 'Ein kleine unde sullent ir mich sehen.' Wil got sprechen, ez enkome dar zuo, daz ir elliu dinc in iu vindent kleine und als ein niht, sô mügent ir got niht sehen. Dâ von sol man vil wol merken, waz gehindern oder gefürdern möhte an gotes bekentnüsse. Wan wie klein ez doch ist, daz von gote kumet, der ime rehte tuot, ez treit unde kumet wider in, wan wir haben ein eigenschaft an gote, dâ mite wir würken mügen als mit unser eigener sêle, niht alsô, daz ich würke und er nâch schüre, mêre: daz ich mite würke alse mit meinem gezowede, daz mîn ist und daz in mir ist. Dar umbe sol der mensche ûf gezogen sîn in zit und ùz im selber sol er got sehen. Ich sprach etwenne: dô sant Paulus niht sach, dô sach er got. Ich sprche aber nù baz: dô sant Paulus sach al niht, dô sach er got: dô er alliu dinc sach alse niht, dô sach er got, unde wil got sprechen 'wenne alliu dinc in iu werdent niht, sô sehent ir mich.'

Modicum videbitis me et modicum non videbitis (Joh. XVI, 17. 19.).

"After a little while you shall see me, and after a little while you shall not see me" (John 16:17, 19). I have spoken a little word in Latin, which Saint John writes for us in the Gospel and which means as much as this, that our Lord said to his disciples: "A little while or a little shall you see me, but a little and a little shall you not see me." The disciples were unknowing and did not know what he meant, and said among themselves, "We do not know what he means." Saint John writes this, who was there. A parable that goes upon this I shall leave aside. When he knew their hearts, then he spoke openly: "I shall see you once more, and your heart shall be gladdened, and the joy shall never be taken from you."

Now it seems to me that this little word has four meanings. They are in part alike in the words, yet nevertheless they mean a great distinction. The kernel of the first meaning and of eternal blessedness lies in knowledge. A master spoke in Paris and cried out and thundered and wished to show that this was not so. Then another master spoke, much better than all those held to be the best in Paris: "Master, you cry out very loudly: if God had not spoken it in the Gospel, then you would cry out and thunder very greatly." Our Lord said: "This is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God." "A little while and you shall not see me." God means to say: unless it comes to this, that you find all things in yourselves little and as nothing, you cannot see God. Therefore one should observe very well what might hinder or further the knowledge of God. For however little that is which comes from God, if it rightly does its work, it bears and comes back into him, for we have a property in God, by which we may work as with our own soul, not so that I work and he afterwards urges me on, rather: that I work together with him as with my tool, which is mine and which is in me. Therefore the human being should be raised up in time, and out of himself he should see God. I once said: when Saint Paul did not see, then he saw God. But I say now more truly: when Saint Paul saw absolutely nothing, then he saw God: when he saw all things as nothing, then he saw God, and God means to say: "When all things become nothing in you, then you see me."

Nù sprichet er aber 'ein kleine unde sulent ir mich niht sehen.' Die wîle diu zit unde welt, diu klein ist, in iu ist, die wîle mügent ir mich niht sehen. Der engel swuor bî dem êwigen lebenne, daz nâch disem lebenne niemer zît mê würde gegeben. Nù sprichet sant Johannes offenbâr an dem êwangeliô 'diu welt wart durch in gemachet unde sie bekanden sîn niht.' Ez sprichet nochdenne in heidenischer meister, daz diu welt unde diu zît kleine si. Als man wirt gesetzet ùz der welt und ùz der zît, dâ bekennet man got.

Zem dritten mâle sprach er 'ein kleine und ir ensehent mich niht.' Er wil sprechen: wie kleine daz ist, daz der sêle vrömde ist, die wîle mac si got niht sehen, alse der himel enkeinen vrömden îndruc enpfâhet; unde wölte ein engel eins andern himels sich underwinden, er enkunde dâ mite niht, dar umbe daz er ime vrömde ist. War umbe bekennet mîn munt oder mîn ôre des himels niht? Daz ist dâ von, daz sie sîner gelicheit niht hânt. Sant Bernhart sprichet: mîn ouge ist gelîch dem himel, daz ez sinewel ist unde lûter und an dem obersten teil des lichnamen stât, daz ez enkeinen vrömden îndruc erlîden mac. Sol mîn ouge daz bilde bekennen, daz an der want gemâlet ist, daz muoz kleinlich in dem lufte gebiutelt werden, noch kleinlicher muoz ez getragen werden in mîn bilderîn; in mîme bekentnisse wirt ez ein. Dise eigenschefte bêde muoz diu sêle von nôt haben; unde diz glîchnisse, wie kleine ez ist, ein stöubelî, ein sündelî oder sündesippe, daz enmac diu sêle niht gelîden, wan ez der sêle vrömde ist. Wêre got der sêle vrömde, si möhte sîn niht gelîden. Sol daz ouge iht bekennen, daz muoz mit mitel unde mit bilde in ez werden getragen. Wêre enkein mitel, sô ensèhe man niht. Sol ein engel einen andern engel bekennen oder allez daz got geschaffen hât, er muoz ez bekennen mit mitel. Aber sich selben unde got bekennet er âne mitel. Sol mîn sêle ein engel bekennen, si muoz in bekennen mit mitel unde mit bilde, ein bilde âne bilde, niht bilde alse hie bilde sint. Sêle und engel sint als liphaftic dinc wider gote. Engels bekentnüsse und allez daz geschaffen ist, daz ist ein mitel. Diz velt alzemâle an got; aber der wirt bekant âne mitel und âne kleine. Sol mîn sêle got bekennen âne mitel, sô muoz daz von nôt sîn, daz dù bî ich sîst, und ich bî dù.

Now he says again: "A little while and you shall not see me." As long as time and world, which are little, are in you, so long you cannot see me. The angel swore by the eternal life that after this life no more time would ever be given. Now Saint John says openly in the Gospel: "The world was made through him, and it did not know him." Yet a pagan master says that the world and time are little. When one is set out of the world and out of time, there one knows God.

Thirdly he said: "A little while and you do not see me." He means to say: however little that is which is foreign to the soul, as long as it remains, it cannot see God, just as heaven receives no foreign impression; and if one angel wanted to take possession of another heaven, he could do nothing by that, because it is foreign to him. Why does my mouth or my ear not know heaven? That is because they do not have its likeness. Saint Bernard says: my eye is like heaven, in that it is round and pure and stands at the highest part of the bodily form, so that it can endure no foreign impression. If my eye is to know the image that is painted on the wall, that must first be finely sifted in the air; still more finely it must be carried into my little image; in my knowledge it becomes one. The soul must necessarily have both of these properties; and this likeness, however little it is, a little speck, a little sin or kindred of sin, the soul cannot endure, because it is foreign to the soul. If God were foreign to the soul, it could not endure him. If the eye is to know anything, that must be carried into it by means and by image. If there were no means, then one would see nothing. If an angel is to know another angel, or all that God has created, he must know it by means. But he knows himself and God without means. If my soul is to know an angel, it must know him by means and by image, an image without image, not an image as images are here. Soul and angel are bodily things in comparison with God. The knowledge of an angel, and all that is created, is a means. This falls away altogether in God; but he is known without means and without little. If my soul is to know God without means, then it must necessarily be that you are I, and I am you.

Ich spriche nù einen sin, der liutet alzemâle wider disen drin. 'Die wîle sô ir kleine sint, sô ensehent ir mich niht. Sulent ir mich sehen, sô müezent ir grôz werden.' Diu vernunft diu ist gar grôz und ist doch kleine wider dem gotlîchen lichte. Unser herre strâfte sîne aposteln unde sprach 'in iu ist noch ein kleine lieht.' Sie wâren niht âne lieht, ez was aber kleine daz lieht der gnâden, daz dar oben swebende ist ob allem dem, daz got ie geschuof oder noch schaffen möhte, ob er wolte. Nochdanne ist diu sêle kleine, die wîle si ist in der gnâde. Diu sêle muoz etwenne in der gnâde ûf gên. Gnâde hêt die sêle niht under geworfen, si sol ûf gên in der gnâde, unz si vollebrâht werde und kumet oben gnâde; dâ bekennet si got.

Daz vierde 'und ir ensehent mich niht': die wîle ir klein sint an lieht und an gnâden, die wîle mügent ir got niht sehen. Swer dâ got sehen sol, der muoz grôz sîn in lieht und in gnâden. Gnâde ist ein überswebendez lieht und ist über dem engel. Man sihet got in der gnâde, aber von verrens. Die wîle daz gnâde als gnâde in uns ist, die wîle mügen wir got niht sehen. 'Ir ensehent mich niht, wan ich gân zuo mînem vater.' Die wîle daz der mensche ein zuonemen hât, die wîle mac er got niht sehen. Die wîle wir zuo gote gên, sô enhaben wir sîn niht. Sulen wir got haben, daz muoz sîn sunder zuoganc, als unser herre sprach zuo sante Marîen Magdalênen 'rüere mich niht, ich enbin in dir noch niht zuo mînem vater komen.' Die wîle got ein ûfklimmen hât in der sêle und in diu sêle niht gesetzet hât in daz aller beste, daz got geleisten mac, sô mügen wir got niht sehen. Dar ûf sprichet sant Paulus 'got wonet in eime unzuogenglîchen liehte.' Ein heilige sprichet: nie mensche gesach got. Sant Paulus sprichet 'wir werden got bekennende als wir bekant sîn.' Als got sich selben bekennet, alsô werden wir in bekennende, und als er elliu dinc bekennet in ime, alsô werden wir elliu dinc in ime bekennende.

I shall now speak of a meaning which sounds altogether contrary to these three. "As long as you are little, you do not see me. If you are to see me, then you must become great." Intellect is very great, and yet it is little in comparison with the divine light. Our Lord rebuked his apostles and said: "There is still a little light in you." They were not without light, but the light of grace was little, which hovers above all that God has ever created or might still create, if he wished. Yet the soul is little as long as it is in grace. The soul must at some time rise up in grace. Grace has not subjected the soul; it is to rise up in grace until it is brought to completion and comes above grace; there it knows God.

The fourth: "and you do not see me": as long as you are little in light and in grace, so long you cannot see God. Whoever is to see God there must be great in light and in grace. Grace is a light that hovers above and is above the angel. One sees God in grace, but from afar. As long as grace as grace is in us, so long we cannot see God. "You do not see me, because I go to my Father." As long as the human being has an increase, so long he cannot see God. As long as we go toward God, we do not have him. If we are to have God, that must be without approach, as our Lord said to Saint Mary Magdalene: "Do not touch me, I have not yet come in you to my Father." As long as God has an ascent in the soul and has not placed the soul in that very best which God can accomplish, so long we cannot see God. Concerning this Saint Paul says: "God dwells in an inaccessible light." A saint says: "No human being ever saw God." Saint Paul says: "We shall know God as we are known." As God knows himself, so we shall know him, and as he knows all things in himself, so we shall know all things in him.

Sant Paulus sprichet 'wir werden bekennende als wir bekant sîn.' Swenne daz kleine wirt ùz gebiutelt, sô sol ich bekennen als ich bekant bin, als er sich selber bekennet âne kleine und âne mitel in ime selben alzemâle und in ime elliu dinc und nihtes niht ùz ime, und wir sullen ouch bekennen âne kleine und âne mitel. Wir werden bekennende in dem sune. Der sun ist ein bilde der gotheit und niht der gotheit: er ist ein bilde gotes des vater. Des vater bilde ist sîn eingeborner sun. In daz bilde, dâ niht ist, in dem bilde werden wir widergebildet in dem sune unde widerbildet durch den sun wider in den vater, in daz bilde al ein, dâ niht ist diz noch daz, in daz bilde mit gotes eingebornem sun sulen wir got bekennen. Daz uns diz kleine abe gê unde wir bekennen dich aleine einen gewâren got, des helf uns diu gotlich kraft. Âmen.

Saint Paul says: "We shall know as we are known." When the little is shaken out, then I shall know as I am known, as he knows himself without little and without means, altogether in himself, and all things in him and nothing outside him, and we too shall know without little and without means. We shall know in the Son. The Son is an image of the Godhead and not of the Godhead: he is an image of God the Father. The Father's image is his only-begotten Son. Into the image where there is nothing, in that image we are formed again in the Son and formed again through the Son back into the Father, into the image altogether, where there is neither this nor that; in that image, with God's only-begotten Son, we shall know God. May the divine power help us that this little may depart from us and that we may know you alone, one true God. Amen.