Sermon 72

Pfeiffer Sermon 72Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Der wissage sprach ‘herre, des volkes, daz in dir ist, des erbarme dich.’ Unser herre antwurte ‘allez, daz anvellic ist, daz sol ich allez gesunt machen und sol sie billich minnen.’

Ein wort nim ich, daz der pharisêus begerte, daz unser herre mit im êze, und unser herre sprach zuo der vrouwen ‘vade in pace.’ Ez ist guot der von unfride ze fride kumt, ez ist lobelich; doch ist ez gebrestenlich. Man sol loufen ze fride, man sol niht anevâhen unfride. Got wil sprechen, man sol geseizet sîn in fride unde gestôzen sîn in fride unde sol enden in fride. Got sprach ‘in mir hânt ir allen fride.’ Reht als verre in gote, als verre in fride. Ist sîn iht in gote, daz hât fride; ist sîn iht ûzer got, daz hât unfride. Sant Johannes sprichet ‘allez, daz ûz gote geborn ist, daz überwindet die welt.’ Waz ûz gote geborn ist daz suochet fride unde loufet in fride. Der mensche, der in einem stêten loufe ist und in fride ist, der ist ein himelischer mensche. Der himel loufet stêticlîchen umbe und in dem loufe suochet er fride.

The prophet said: “Lord, have mercy on the people that is in you.” Our Lord answered: “All that is infirm I shall make whole, and I shall rightly love them.”

I take a word concerning how the Pharisee desired that our Lord should eat with him, and our Lord said to the woman: Vade in pace—“Go in peace.” It is good when one comes from unrest to peace; it is praiseworthy, yet it is still deficient. One should run toward peace; one should not begin with unrest. God means that one should be set in peace and thrust into peace and should end in peace. God said: “In me you all have peace.” Exactly insofar as one is in God, so far one is in peace. Whatever of one is in God has peace; whatever of one is outside God has unrest. Saint John says: “Everything that is born of God overcomes the world.” Whatever is born of God seeks peace and runs in peace. The human being who is in a constant course and is in peace is a heavenly human being. Heaven continually runs its course, and in that course it seeks peace.

Der pharisêus begerte, daz unser herre mit im êze. Diu spîse, die der mensche izzet, diu wirt verwandelt in in in den lîp, als der lîp mit der sêle. Der lîp unt diu sêle die sint vereinet an einem wesenne, niht als ein in wirt, als mîn sêle, diu einiget sich dem ougen an einem wesen, daz ist, daz ez siht. Alsô hât sich diu spîse, die der mensche izzet, in einem wesen mit der nâtûre vereinet, niht an einem werke, unde diu grôze einunge, die wir süllen haben mit got, diu ist an einem wesen, niht an einem werke. Dar umbe bat der pharisêus, daz got mit im êze.

Pharisêus sprichet als vil als einer, der abe gescheiden ist und umbe dehein ende niht enweiz, waz zuo der sêle gehoeret, daz si abe gelœset sî alzemâle. Dar nâch unt die krefte edel sint, dar nâch lœsent sie in abe. Etliche krefte sint hôch obe dem lîchame unde sô versundert, daz sie alzemâle abe schelent und abe scheident. Ein meister sprichet ein schoene wort: waz ze einem mâle rüeret lîplich dinc, daz enkumet niemer dar in. Daz ander, daz man abe gelœset sî und abe gezogen, hie von kumt, daz ein ungelêret mensche mit minne unde mit begirde mac kunst nemen unde lêren. Daz dritte meinet, daz man dehein ende habe und niendert geslozzen unde gehaftet sî, man ensî gesetzet in fride, daz man niht wizze umb unfride, sô der mensche mit den kreften in got gesetzet wirt, die zemâle abe gelœset sint. Dar umbe sprach der wissage ‘herre, des volkes, daz in dir ist, des erbarme dich.’

The Pharisee desired that our Lord should eat with him. The food that the human being eats is transformed into him, into the body, as the body is united with the soul. The body and the soul are united in one being, not merely in one work; my soul, by contrast, is united with the eye in a work, namely that it sees. Thus the food that the human being eats is united with his nature in one being, not in one work. And the great union that we are to have with God is in one being, not in one work. Therefore the Pharisee asked God to eat with him.

“Pharisee” means as much as one who is detached and knows of no limit. What belongs to the soul is that she be wholly released. According as the powers are noble, so they detach him. Some powers are high above the body and so separated that they wholly strip off and separate. A master speaks a beautiful word: whatever a bodily thing has once touched can never enter there. The second is that one should be released and withdrawn. From this it comes that an unlearned human being, through love and desire, can receive knowledge and teach. The third means that one should have no limit and be enclosed and fastened nowhere, but should be set in peace, so that one knows nothing of unrest, when the human being with the powers that are wholly released is set in God. Therefore the prophet said: “Lord, have mercy on the people that is in you.”

Ein meister sprichet: daz hœhste werc, daz got ie geworht habe, dâ sî diu barmeherzekeit an allen crêatûren daz heimlichest unde daz verborgenest, nochdenne daz er an den engeln ie geworht hât. Dâ wirt ûf getragen in die barmeherzekeit daz werc der barmeherzekeit, als ez in sich selber ist und als ez in got ist. Swaz got würket, der êrste ûzbruch ist diu barmeherzikkeit, niht als er dem menschen die sünde vergît und als sich ein mensche über den andern erbarmet, mêr: daz grœste werc, daz got ie geworhte, daz ist diu barmeherzikkeit. Daz hœhste werc ist diu barmeherzikkeit unde meinet, daz got die sêle seiczt in daz hœhste und in daz lûterste, daz si empfâhen mac in der welte. In dem gruntlôsen mer dâ würket got barmeherzikkeit.

Dar umbe sprach der wissage ‘herre, des volkes, daz in dir ist, des erbarme dich.’ Waz volkes ist in gote? Sant Johannes sprichet ‘der in der minne ist, der ist in gote und got in im.’ Sant Johannes sprichet ‘minne diu einiget, minne diu seiczet immer in got.’ Vil lîhte gevêt si zuo. Minne eneinige niht, deheine wîse niht. Daz genüegede niht enist, daz heftet si zesamene unde bindet ez ze ir. Minne einiget an einem werke und niht an einem wesenne. Die besten meister sprechent, daz diu verstendikeit schele alzemâle abe unde nimet got blôz, als er lûter wesen ist in sich selben. Bekantnüsse brichet durch wârheit unde güete unde vellet ûf lûter wesen unde nimet got blôz, als er âne namen ist. Weder bekantnüsse noch minne eneinige niht. Minne nimet got selber als er got ist, unde dem namen entviel got. Güete, minne enkumet niemer für baz. Minne nimet got under einem vel, under einem kleide. Des entuot verstendikeit niht: verstendikeit nimet got, als er in ir bekant ist; dâ enkan si in niemer begrîfen in dem mer sîner gruntlôsekeit. Über die beide bekantnüsse ist diu barmeherzikkeit: dâ würket got barmeherzikkeit in dem hœhsten und in dem lûtersten, daz got gewürken mac.

A master says: the highest work that God has ever worked in all creatures is mercy. Even the most inward and hidden work that he has ever worked in the angels is raised up into mercy—the work of mercy as it is in itself and as it is in God. Whatever God works, its first breaking-forth is mercy: not merely as when he forgives a human being his sins, nor as when one human being has mercy upon another; rather, the greatest work that God has ever worked is mercy. The highest work is mercy, and this means that God places the soul in the highest and purest that she is capable of receiving in this world. In the groundless sea, there God works mercy.

Therefore the prophet said: “Lord, have mercy on the people that is in you.” What people are in God? Saint John says: “Whoever is in love is in God and God in him.” Saint John says: “Love unites; love continually places into God.” Very readily it attaches itself. Love does not unite, in any way. What is united, it holds together and binds to itself. Love unites in work, not in being. The best masters say that intellect strips everything wholly away and takes God nakedly, as he is pure being in himself. Knowing breaks through truth and goodness and falls upon pure being and takes God nakedly, as he is without name. Neither knowing nor love unites. Love takes God himself as he is God, and God falls away from the name. Love never goes beyond goodness. Love takes God beneath a veil, beneath a garment. Intellect does not do this. Intellect takes God as he is known in it; yet it can never grasp him in the sea of his groundlessness. Above both kinds of knowing is mercy. There God works mercy in the highest and purest that God can work.

Ein meister sprichet, daz etwaz heimelîches unde verborgens unde verre dâ oben ist in der sêle, dar ûz brechent die krefte: verstendikeit unde wille. Sant Augustînus sprichet: als daz unsprechlich ist, dâ der sun ûz brichet von dem vater in dem êrsten ûzbruche, alsô ist etwaz gar heimelîches dâ oben dem êrsten ûzbruche, dâ ûz brechent verstendikeit unde wille. Ein meister sprichet, der aller beste von der sêle gesprochen hât, daz alliu menschlîchiu kunst niemer kumet dar in, waz diu sêle sî. Dâ gehoeret übernâtûrlîchiu kunst zuo. Dar ûz gent die krefte von der sêle in diu werc. Dâ enwîzzen wir niht von: wir wizzen wol ein wênic dâ von, aber waz diu sêle in ir grunde sî, dâ enweiz nieman von. Waz man dâ von gewizzen mac, daz muoz übernâtûrlîch sîn, ez muoz von gnâden sîn: dâ würket got barmeherzikkeit.

A master says that there is something very inward and hidden and far above in the soul, from which the powers break forth: intellect and will. Saint Augustine says: just as it is ineffable where the Son breaks forth from the Father in the first breaking-forth, so there is something altogether hidden there above the first breaking-forth, from which intellect and will break forth. A master who has spoken better than anyone about the soul says that all human knowledge can never penetrate there to know what the soul is. To know what the soul is requires supernatural knowledge. From there the powers go forth from the soul into works. Of this we know nothing; we know indeed a little of it, but what the soul is in her ground, of that no one knows anything. Whatever can be known of this must be supernatural; it must be from grace. There God works mercy.