Sermon 70
Diz ist ein bredie von unsers herren lîchamen, die tet bruoder Eckehart. Der seite, daz daz brôt unsers herren lîchamen maniger hande namen het, aber gît man ime hie drie sunderlîche namen in der heiligen schrift. Zem êrsten mâle heizet ez ein himelbrôt, zem andern mâle heizet ez ein brôt der engele, zem dritten mâle heizet ez ein jâmerbrôt. Unde der mensche, der diz brôt unsers herren lîchamen wil enpfâhen wirdeclîche, der sol disiu driu dinc an ime hân. Zem êrsten male sô sol nieman daz himelbrôt niezen, er sî danne ein himelischer mensche. Daz ist, als der himel mit der sunne unde mit dem mânen unde mit aller sîner ordenunge erhaben ist über alliu irdensichiu unde zergenclichiu dinc, alsô sol der mensche mit aller sîner begerunge unde mit allen sinnen unde gedenken erhaben sîn in diu himelischen dinc. Zem andern mâle sô sol daz brôt der engele nieman niezen, er ensî dan ein engelischer mensche, wan ez enwart nie crêatûre sô lûter als der engel. Alsô sol der mensche alle zît sîn in ganzer lûterkeite herzen unde lîbes. Zem dritten mâle heizet ez ein jâmerbrôt; daz sol nieman niezen, er sî danne ein jâmeriger mensche, daz ist, daz der mensche betrahte unsers herren martel, wie jâmerlîche der süeze got ûf ertrîche gehandelt wart. Wer disen jâmer niht enhât, der sol diz jâmerbrôt niht niezen. — Sô sol danne der mensche driu dinc hân, ê er zuo disem brôte gange. Daz êrste ist, daz sich der mensche in guote wal habe gesetzet, alsô daz er bekenne daz guote unde daz übele, unt daz êrsame unde daz guote an sich wele, unt daz übele unde daz unêrsame von ime scheide. Daz ander, daz sîn herze gescheiden sî von aller weltlîcher liebe, daz den menschen irret an götelîcher liebe und an allen götelîchen dingen. Daz dritte ist, daz der mensche berihte alliu sîniu werc.
This is a sermon on the body of our Lord, preached by Brother Eckhart. He said that the bread of our Lord’s body has many names, but in Holy Scripture three names in particular are given to it. First, it is called heavenly bread; second, it is called the bread of angels; third, it is called the bread of sorrow. And the human being who wishes worthily to receive this bread of our Lord’s body should have these three things in himself. First, no one should partake of the heavenly bread unless he is a heavenly human being. That is: just as heaven, with the sun and the moon and all its order, is raised above all earthly and perishable things, so the human being should be raised toward heavenly things with all his desire and with all his senses and thoughts. Second, no one should partake of the bread of angels unless he is an angelic human being, for no creature was ever so pure as the angel. Thus the human being should at all times be in complete purity of heart and body. Third, it is called the bread of sorrow; no one should partake of it unless he is a sorrowing human being—that is, unless the human being contemplates our Lord’s Passion, how pitifully the sweet God was treated upon earth. Whoever does not have this sorrow should not partake of this bread of sorrow. Then the human being should have three things before he approaches this bread. The first is that the human being should have set himself in a good choice, so that he recognizes good and evil, chooses for himself what is honorable and good, and separates from himself what is evil and dishonorable. The second is that his heart should be separated from every worldly love that hinders the human being in divine love and in all divine things. The third is that the human being should set all his works in order.