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Sermon 80 — Young man, I say to you: arise

Pfeiffer Sermon 80Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)
English Translation
Adolescens, tibi dico: surge (Luc. VII, 14.).

Man liset in dem êwangelîô, daz mîn herre sant Lucas schrîbet von eime jungelinge, der was tôt. Dô kam unser herre über in unde trat hin zuo underbarmete sich über in unde ruorte in unde sprach ‘jungelinc, ich sage dir unde heize dich, stant ûf!’

Nû wizzent, in allen guoten liuten ist got alzemâle unde ez ist ein etwaz in der sêle, dâ got inne lebet und ist ein etwaz in der sêle, dâ diu sêle lebet in gote, unde swenne sich diu sêle her ûz kêret ûf ûzerlîchiu dinc, sô stirbet si unde got der stirbet ouch der sêle. Unt dar umbe sô stirbet er an im selbe nihtes niht und er lebet an im selber. Als diu sêle von dem lîbe scheidet, sô ist der lîp tôt unde diu sêle lebet an ir selber; alsô ist ouch got der sêle tôt und er lebet an im selber. Nû wizzent, ez ist ein kraft in der sêle, diu ist wîter denne der wîte himel, der dâ ungeloublich wît ist und alsô wît, daz man ez niht wol gesprechen mac, unt disiu selbe kraft diu ist noch vil wîter.

Adolescens, tibi dico: surge (Luc. VII, 14.).

One reads in the Gospel, which my lord Saint Luke writes, of a young man who was dead. Then our Lord came upon him and stepped toward him, had compassion on him, touched him, and said: “Young man, I say to you and command you: arise!”

Now know that in all good people God is altogether present, and there is something in the soul in which God lives, and there is something in the soul in which the soul lives in God. And when the soul turns outward toward outward things, she dies, and God too dies to the soul. Yet in himself he does not die at all, and in himself he lives. When the soul departs from the body, the body is dead and the soul lives in herself. So too God is dead to the soul and lives in himself. Now know that there is a power in the soul that is wider than the wide heaven, which is incredibly wide, so wide that one cannot adequately express it, and this same power is wider still.

Eyâ, nû merkent mit vlîze. Nû sprichet der vater in diser edeln kraft zuo sînem eingebornen sune ‘jun elinc, stant ûf!’ Ez ist unde hât sô grôze einunge got mit der sêle, daz ez ungeloublich ist, unde got der ist sô hôch ime selber, daz dar zuo nihtes niht gelangen mac mit der verstentnisse. Ez ist wîter denne alle himel, jâ denne alle engel, unt nochdenne ein fünkelîn des engels, dar umbe lebet allez daz en ertrîche ist. Diu begerunge ist wît, unmâzen wît. Allez, daz diu verstentnisse begrîfen mac, und allez, daz diu begerunge begern mac, daz ist got niht. Dâ diu verstentnisse unde diu begerunge endet, dâ ist ez vinster, dâ liuhtet got.

Nû sprichet unser herre ‘jungelinc, ich spriche zuo dir: stant ûf!’ Eyâ, sol ich nû daz sprechen gotes in mir vernemen, sô muoz ich alse gar entfremedet sîn von allem dem, daz mîn ist, reht als mir daz fremde ist, daz ennet dem mer ist, sunderlich in der zît. Diu sêle ist als junc, als sô si geschaffen wart in ir selber, unde daz alter, daz ir zuo velt, daz ist von des lîchames wegen, dâ si sich üebet an den sinnen. Ez sprichet ein meister: hête ein alt mensche eines jungen menschen ougen, ez sêhe alse wol als ein jungez. Ich saz gestern an einer stat, dâ sprach ich ein wort, daz liutet gar ungelouplich, dâ sprach ich, daz Jerusalem ist mîner sêle als nâhe als diu stat, dâ ich nû stân. Jâ bî guoter wârheit, daz über tûsent mîle ist wîter denne Jerusalem, daz ist mîner sêle alse nâhe als mîn eigen lîcham, unt des bin ich alsô gewis, als daz ich ein mensche bin, und ez ist gelêrten pfaffen lihte ze verstânne. Wizzent, mîn sêle ist als junc, als dô ich geschaffen wart, jâ und noch vil jünger. Unde wizzent, mir versmâhte, daz si niht wêre morne jünger denne hiute.

Ah, now take careful note. In this noble power the Father now says to his only-begotten Son: “Young man, arise!” God has such great union with the soul that it is incredible, and God is so high in himself that nothing at all can reach him with understanding. It is wider than all the heavens, indeed than all the angels, and nevertheless a little spark of the angel is that through which everything on earth lives. Desire is wide, immeasurably wide. Everything that understanding can comprehend and everything that desire can desire is not God. Where understanding and desire come to an end, there it is dark, and there God shines.

Now our Lord says: “Young man, I say to you: arise!” Ah, if I am to hear God’s speaking within me, I must be altogether estranged from everything that is mine, just as what lies beyond the sea is foreign to me, especially with regard to time. The soul is as young in herself as when she was created, and the age that comes upon her comes from the body, in which she exercises herself through the senses. A master says: if an old human being had the eyes of a young human being, he would see just as well as a young one. Yesterday I sat in a place where I spoke a word that sounds altogether incredible. I said there that Jerusalem is as near to my soul as the place where I now stand. Indeed, in good truth, what lies more than a thousand miles beyond Jerusalem is as near to my soul as my own body. I am as certain of this as I am that I am a human being, and it is easy for learned clerics to understand. Know that my soul is as young as when I was created, indeed much younger still. And know that I would be displeased if she were not younger tomorrow than she is today.

Diu sêle hât zwô krefte, die hânt mit dem lîbe nihtes niht ze tuonne, unt daz ist vernünftekeit unde wille, die würkent ob zît. Eyâ, wan wêren der sêle ougen ûf getân, daz diu verstentnisse anschouwete die wârheit! wizzent, dem menschen wêren alliu dinc als lihte ze lâzende als ein erweize oder ein linse, jâ bî mîner sêle, alliu dinc wêren disem menschen als ein niht. Nû sint etlîche liute, die lâzent diu dinc von minne unde ahtent sie gar grôz diu dinc, diu sie gelâzen hânt. Aber dirre mensche, der ez bekennet in der wârheit unt daz er ioch sich selber lêzet und elliu dinc, daz ist dannoch nihtes niht, eyâ, der mensche, der alsô lebet, des eigen sint elliu dinc in der wârheit.

Ein kraft ist in der sêle, der sint alliu dinc gelîch süeze; jâ, daz aller bœseste unde daz aller beste daz ist allez gelîch an dirre kraft, si nimet elliu dinc über hie und über nû. Nû daz ist zît und hie daz ist stat. Diu stat, dâ ich nu inne stân, unt wêre ich denne mîn selbes ûz gegangen unt zemâle ledic worden, eyâ, sô gebêre der vater von himelrîche sînen eingebornen sun in mînem geiste als lûterlich, daz in der geist wider gebere. Jâ bî guoter wârheit, wêre mîn geist alsô bereit als diu sêle unsers herren Jêsû Kristî, sô würkete der vater in mir als lûterlich als in sînem eingebornen sune und niht minr, wan er minnet mich mit der selben minne, dâ er sich selben mite minnet.

The soul has two powers that have nothing at all to do with the body, namely intellect and will, which work above time. Ah, if only the eyes of the soul were opened so that understanding contemplated the truth! Know that all things would be as easy for that human being to leave behind as a pea or a lentil. Indeed, by my soul, all things would be as nothing to that human being. Now there are some people who leave things out of love and yet consider very great the things they have left behind. But the human being who knows in truth that even if he leaves himself and all things, that is still nothing at all, ah, the human being who lives in this way possesses all things in truth.

There is a power in the soul to which all things are equally sweet. Indeed, the very worst and the very best are altogether equal in this power. It takes all things beyond here and beyond now. Now is time, and here is place. If, in the place where I now stand, I had gone out of myself and become wholly free, ah, then the Father of heaven would beget his only-begotten Son in my spirit so purely that the spirit would give birth to him in return. Indeed, in good truth, if my spirit were as prepared as the soul of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father would work in me just as purely as in his only-begotten Son, and no less, for he loves me with the same love with which he loves himself.

Sant Johannes sprach ‘in dem anvange was daz wort unt daz wort daz was bî gote unde got was daz wort.’ Eyâ, der nû diz wort hœren sol in dem vater (dâ ist ez gar stille), der mensche muoz gar stille sîn unde gescheiden sîn von allen bilden, jâ unde von allen formen. Eyâ, der mensche solte sich alsô getriuwelîche ze gote halten, daz in elliu dinc nihtes niht möhten erfröuwen noch betrüeben. Er sol elliu dinc nemen in got, als sie dâ sint.

Nû sprichet er ‘jungelinc, ich spriche zuo dir: stant ûf!’ Er wil daz werc selber würken. Der mich nû hieze einen stein tragen, alse mêre hieze er mich tûsent steine tragen, sô er ez selbe wolte tuon. Oder hieze einer einen zentener tragen, alse mêre hieze er in tûsent zentener tragen, sô er sie selber tragen wolte. Eyâ, got wil diz werc selber würken, der mensche volge niur und widerstande mit nihte. Ach und wonte diu sêle inne, sô hête si gegenwürtic elliu dinc. Ez ist ein kraft in der sêle, und niht alleine ein kraft, mêr: wesen, und niht alleine wesen, mêr: ez lœset wesen, unt diu ist sô lûter und sô hôch und sô edel in ir selber, daz dar în niht mac kein crêatûre, sunder got alleine der wonet dar inne. Jâ bî guoter wârheit, unde got selber der enmac dar în niht, als er nâch wîse ist. Jâ got der enmac dar în niht mit keiner wîse: got der mac alleine dar în mit sîner blôzer götlîcher nâtûre.

Saint John said: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.” Ah, whoever is to hear this Word in the Father, where there is utter silence, must himself be utterly still and separated from all images, indeed from all forms. Ah, the human being should hold himself so faithfully toward God that all things could neither gladden nor trouble him at all. He should receive all things in God as they are there.

Now he says: “Young man, I say to you: arise!” He wishes to work the work himself. If someone commanded me to carry one stone, it would be just as if he commanded me to carry a thousand stones, if he himself intended to do it. Or if someone commanded another to carry a hundredweight, it would be as if he commanded him to carry a thousand hundredweights, if he himself intended to carry them. Ah, God wishes to work this work himself. The human being should only follow and not resist at all. Ah, if the soul dwelt within, she would have all things present. There is a power in the soul, and not merely a power, but being, and not merely being, but it sets being free. It is so pure and so high and so noble in itself that no creature can enter there. God alone dwells there. Indeed, in good truth, even God himself cannot enter there insofar as he is in any mode. Indeed, God cannot enter there with any mode. God can enter there only with his bare divine nature.

Eyâ, nû merkent, daz er sprichet ‘jungelinc, ich spriche dir.’ Nû waz ist daz sprechen gotes? Daz ist daz werc gotes und daz werc ist als edel und als hôch, daz ez got alleine würket. Nû wizzent, alliu unser volkomenheit und alliu unser sêlikeit lît dar an, daz der mensche durchgange und übergange alle geschaffenheit und alle zîtlîcheit und allez wesen unde gange in den grunt, der gruntlôs ist. Wir biten des unsern lieben herren got, daz wir ein werden und inwonende. Des helf uns got. Âmen.

Ah, now take note that he says: “Young man, I say to you.” Now what is God’s speaking? It is God’s work, and this work is so noble and so high that God alone works it. Now know that all our perfection and all our blessedness hinge upon this: that the human being pass through and pass beyond all createdness and all temporality and all being, and go into the ground that is groundless. We ask our dear Lord God that we may become one and dwell within. May God help us to this. Amen.