Sermon 48 — Behold, I send my angel

Pfeiffer Sermon 48Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Ecce ego mitto angelum meum etc. (Matth. XI, 10. Luc. VII, 27.).

'Seht, ich sende mînen engel vor mînem antlize, daz er bereite mînen wec. Alzehant wirt er geopfert in sînem tempel, des wir beitende sîn'. Wer weiz den tac sîner zuokunft? Er ist als ein zesamne blâsende fiur. Nû sprichet er 'alzehant wirt er geopfert in sînem tempel, des wir beitende sîn'. Diu sêle sol sich opfern mit allem dem daz si hât, ez sî gebreste oder ez sî tugende, daz sol si allez mit einander ûf tragen und opfern mit dem sune in den vater. Allez daz der vater minne geleisten mac, alse vil ist der sun minneclich. Der vater der minnet dekein dinc dan den sun und allez daz er vindet in sînem sune. Dar umbe sol sich diu sele ûf tragen mit aller irre kraft und opfern sich dem vater in dem sune und alsô wirt si geminnet mit dem sune von dem vater.

Nû sprichet er 'seht, ich sende mînen engel.' Swenne man sprichet: seht, dâ verstêt man driu dinc. Einez: daz iz grôz ist, oder daz iz wunderlich oder selzêne ist. Seht, ich sende mînen engel, daz er bereite und lûter die sêle, daz si enpfâhen müge daz götlîche lieht. Götlich lieht daz ist alle wege in des engels liehte und des engels lieht. Wer der sêle umbekême und engelustete si sîn niht, gotes lieht enwêre dâ inne bewunden. Got bewindet unde bedeket sich in dem engelischen liehte und ist alles wartende, wanne er ûz komen müge, daz er sich der sêle megeben müge. Ich hân ez ouch mê gesprochen, der mich frâgte, waz got tête, ich sprêche: er gebirt sînen sun und gebirt in alzemâle niuwe und frisch und hât sô grôzen lust an dem werke, daz er anders niht entuot danne daz er daz werk würket unde den heiligen geist in ime und alliu dinc. Dar umbe sprichet er 'seht, ich.' Swer dâ sprichet 'ich,' der muoz daz werc aller beste tuon. Nieman mac daz wort gesprechen eigenlich denne der vater. Daz werc ist ime sô eigen daz ez nieman gewürken mac denne der sun. In dem werke würket got alliu sîniu dinc. Wan got würket daz werk in der sêle, daz sîn geburt ist: sîn geburt daz ist sîn werk unde diu geburt ist der sun. Daz werk würket got in dem aller innegesten der sêle und sô verborgenlich, daz es niht enweiz engel noch heilige noch diu sêle selber enkan dar zuo niht dan daz si ez lîdet; ez gehœret gote alleine zuo. Dar umbe sprichet der vater eigenliche 'ich sende mînen engel.'

Ecce ego mitto angelum meum etc. (Matth. XI, 10. Luc. VII, 27.).

Behold, I send my angel, etc. (Matt. XI, 10; Luke VII, 27). “See, I send my angel before my face, that he may prepare my way. Immediately he will be offered in his temple, for whom we are waiting.” Who knows the day of his coming? He is like a fire blown into flame. Now he says: “Immediately he will be offered in his temple, for whom we are waiting.” The soul shall offer herself with all that she has, whether they be failings or virtues; she shall raise up and offer all of this together with the Son into the Father. All the love of which the Father is capable, to that degree is the Son lovable. The Father loves nothing except the Son and all that he finds in his Son. Therefore the soul shall raise herself up with all her powers and offer herself to the Father in the Son, and thus she is loved together with the Son by the Father.

Now he says: “See, I send my angel.” Whenever one says “see,” three things are understood. One: that it is great, or that it is wondrous, or that it is extraordinary. See, I send my angel, that he may prepare and purify the soul, so that she may receive the divine light. Divine light is always in the angel’s light, and the angel’s light would be unwelcome to the soul, and she would have no desire for it, if God’s light were not wrapped within it. God wraps and covers himself in the angelic light and waits wholly for when he may come forth, so that he may give himself to the soul. I have also said this before: if someone asked me what God does, I would say: he gives birth to his Son, and gives birth to him at all times new and fresh, and he has such great delight in this work that he does nothing other than work this work, and the Holy Spirit in him, and all things. Therefore he says: “See, I.” Whoever says “I” must perform the work in the very best way. No one can properly speak this word except the Father. The work is so much his own that no one can work it except the Son. In this work God works all his works. For God works this work in the soul, which is his birth: his birth is his work, and the birth is the Son. God works this work in the very innermost part of the soul and so secretly that neither angel nor saint knows it, nor can the soul herself do anything toward it except that she suffers it; it belongs to God alone. Therefore the Father properly says: “I send my angel.”

Nû spriche ich: uns engnüeget niht dar an unde wir wellen sîn niht. Origenes sprichet: Marîâ Magdalênâ suochte unsern herren; si suochte einen tôten menschen unde vant zwêne lebende engele und ir engenugte niht dar an. Si hât reht, wan si suochte got. Waz ist ein engel? Dionysius sprichet von dem gewîhten fürstenduome der engel, dâ inne ist gotlich ordenunge und gotlich werc und gotlich glichnüsse oder gotlich wârheit, als ez mügelich ist. Waz ist gotlich ordenunge wan gotlich mügenheit, und ûz in beiden brichet diu minne, daz ist der brant unde wisheit unde wârheit unde mügenheit. Unde diu minne der brant ist in dem umbekreize des wesennes und ist ein über-swebende wesende wesen lûter ân nâtûre. Daz ist sîn nâtûre, daz er âne nâtûre sî. Swer bedenken wil güete oder wisheit oder gewalt, der bedeket wesen unde bevinstert ez in dem gedanke. Ein einic zuobe-denken bedeket wesen. Daz ist danne gotlich ordenunge. Wâ got vindet glicheit der ordenunge in der sêle, dâ gebirt der vater sînen sun. Diu sêle muoz mit aller maht sich brechen in ir licht. Uz der maht und ûz dem lichte enspringet ein brant, ein minne. Alsô muoz diu sêle sich brechen mit aller maht zuo gotlicher ordenunge.

Nû sprechen wir von der ordenunge der sêle. Ez sprichet ein heidenischer meister: daz überswebende nâtiurlich lieht der sêle daz ist sô lûter unde sô klâr unde minnet sich sô sêre unde diu sêle ist ir selber sô gram, daz si daz nâtiurliche lieht nimmer ûf sich selber gegiuzet, die nideristen krefte ensin danne geordent under die obreste kraft; unt daz nâtiurlich lieht daz ist sô hôch, daz ez rüeret engels nâtûre und ist sô gram den nideristen kreften, daz ez nimmer in sie sich în gegiuzet noch die sêle nimmer durchfliuzet, die nidcristen krefte sîn danne geordent. Alse ein herre sîn volc orden wil, sô ist der kneht under den ritern unde der riter under dem grâven; want sie wellent alle fride hân, dar umbe hilfet iegelicher dem andern. Alsô sol ein iegelîchiu kraft der andern undertênic sîn unde helfen strîten, daz ein lûter fride in der sêle sî und ein ruowe. Unser meister sprechent: ganziu ruowe ist frîheit aller bewegunge. In diseme sol sich dîn sêle ûf heben über sich selben zuo der gotlichen ordenunge. Dâ gibet der vater sînen eingebornen sun der sêle in einer lûtern ruowe. Diz ist danne daz êrste von der gotlîchen ordenunge.

Now I say: we are not satisfied with this, and we do not want it. Origen says: Mary Magdalene sought our Lord; she sought a dead human being and found two living angels, and she was not satisfied with them. She was right, for she sought God. What is an angel? Dionysius speaks of the holy principality of the angels, in which there is divine order and divine work and divine likeness, or divine truth, insofar as this is possible. What is divine order but divine power? And out of both breaks forth love, which is the burning, and wisdom and truth and power. And love, the burning, is within the circumference of being and is a transcendent essential being, pure and without nature. This is its nature: that it be without nature. Whoever wishes to conceive goodness or wisdom or power covers being and darkens it in thought. A single added thought covers being. This, then, is divine order. Wherever God finds likeness of this order in the soul, there the Father gives birth to his Son. The soul must with all her might break forth into her light. Out of the might and out of the light springs a burning, a love. Thus the soul must with all her might break forth toward divine order.

Now we speak of the order of the soul. A pagan master says: the surpassing natural light of the soul is so pure and so clear and loves itself so greatly, and the soul is so hostile to herself, that she never pours the natural light upon herself unless the lower powers are ordered beneath the highest power. And the natural light is so high that it touches angelic nature, and is so hostile to the lower powers that it never pours itself into them, nor ever flows through the soul, unless the lower powers are ordered. As when a lord wishes to order his people, the servant is under the knight and the knight under the count; because they all wish to have peace, each therefore helps the other. Thus each power shall be subject to the other and help in the struggle, so that there may be a pure peace and a rest in the soul. Our masters say: complete rest is freedom from all movement. In this your soul shall raise herself above herself toward the divine order. There the Father gives his only-begotten Son to the soul in a pure rest. This, then, is the first thing concerning the divine order.

Diu andern stüke diu blîbent von lesten ein wênic, als ich sprach von den engelen, die sô vil gotes geltchnüsse in in habent und ein inerliuhtunge. In der inerliuhtunge klimment sie über sich in gotlich glichnüsse alles stende gegen gote in gotlîchem liehte, sô glich, daz sie würkent gotlich werk. Die engel, die alsô inerliuhtet sint und alsô glich gote sint, die ziehent unde sûgent got in sich. Ich habe ez ouch mê gesprochen: wêr ich îtel und hête ein infiuric minne unde glicheit, ich züge got alzemâle in mich. Ein lieht giuzet ûf und erliuhtet daz, dâ ez sich ûf giuzet. Daz man etwenne sprichet, daz ist ein erliuhter mensche, daz ist kleine. Aber dâ ez ûz brichet, daz ist verre bezzer unde brichet durch in die sêle unde mechet sî glich gote unde gotvar, als ez mügelich ist, und inerliuhtet sî. In der inerliuhtunge klimmet si über sich in dem götlîchen liehte. Alse si nû danne alsô hein kumet und alsô mit im vereinet ist, sô ist si ein mitewürkerin. Kein crêature enwürket niht, der vater würket alleine. Diu sêle sol nimmer ûf gebœren, si enwerde des werkes alsô gewaltic alse got. Sô würket si mit dem vater alliu sîniu werc, si würket mit ime einvaltecliche unde wisliche unde minneclîche. Daz wir mit ime in einekeit sîn, des helf uns got. Âmen.

The other points that remain from before I leave for a little while. As I said of the angels, they have so much of God’s likeness within themselves and an inward illumination. In this inward illumination they ascend above themselves into divine likeness, standing wholly toward God in divine light, so alike that they work divine work. The angels who are thus inwardly illuminated and thus like God draw and suck God into themselves. I have also said this before: if I were empty and had a fiery love and likeness, I would draw God wholly into myself. A light pours itself upon something and illuminates that upon which it pours itself. When one sometimes says, “That is an enlightened human being,” that is little. But where the light breaks forth, that is far better: it breaks through into the soul and makes her like God and God-colored, insofar as this is possible, and inwardly illuminates her. In this inward illumination she ascends above herself in the divine light. When she then thus comes home and is united with him, she becomes a co-worker. No creature works; the Father alone works. The soul shall never cease until she has as full a mastery of this work as God. Then she works together with the Father all his works; she works with him simply and wisely and lovingly. That we may be one with him, may God help us. Amen.