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Sermon 81 — I have chosen you out of the world

Pfeiffer Sermon 81Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)
English Translation
Ego elegi vos de mundo.

Disiu wort, diu ich gesprochen hân in der latîne, diu liset man hiute in dem heiligen êwangelîô von der hôchzît von eime heiligen, der hiez Barnabas, unde sprichet diu geschrift gemeinlich, daz er sî ein apostel, unde sprichet unser herre ‘ich hân iuch ûz erkorn, ich hân iuch ûz erwelt ûz aller der welte, ich hân iuch ûz erlesen ûz aller der welte und ûz allen geschaffenen dingen, daz ir bringent vil frühte unt daz iu diu fruht belîbe’, wan daz ist gar lustlich, daz dâ fruht bringet und im diu fruht belîbet, unde denne belîbet diu fruht, sô man wonet in der minne. An dem ende diss êwangeliums sprach unser herre ‘minnent iuch under einander, als ich iuch êweclîche geminnet hân; und alse mich mîn vater êweclîche geminnet hât, alsô hân ich iuch geminnet; haltent ir mîn gebot, sô belîbet ir in mîner minne.’

Alliu gotes gebot diu sint von minne unde von güete sîner nâtûre; wan wêren sie niht von minne, sô mühten sie niht gotes gebot sîn; wan gotes gebot ist diu güete sîner nâtûre und sîn nâtûre ist sîn güete in sîme gebote. Wer nû wonet in der minne, der wonet in der güete sîner nâtûre unde der wonet in gotes minne unde minne enhât kein warumbe. Hête ich einen friunt unde minnete ich in dar umbe, daz mir guotes von im geschêhe und aller mîn wille, sô minnete ich mînen friunt niht, sunder mich selber. Ich sol mînen friunt minnen umbe sîn eigen güete und umbe sîn eigen tugende und umbe allez daz, daz er an ime selber ist: denne sô minne ich mînen friunt rehte, sô ich in alsô, als vor geseit ist, minne. Alsô ist dem menschen, der dâ stêt in gotes minne, der des sînen niht ensuochet an gote noch an im selber noch an keinen dingen unde minnet got alleine umbe sîne güete und umbe die güete sîner nâtûre und umb allez daz, daz er an ime selber ist, unde daz ist gerehtiu minne. Minne der tugende ist ein bluome und ein gezierde aller tugende, jâ ein muoter aller tugende und aller vollekomenheit und aller sêlikeit, wan si ist got, wan got ist fruht der tugende unde diu fruht belîbet dem menschen. Der mensche, der dâ würkete umb eine fruht und im diu fruht belibe, daz wêre im gar lustlich; und wêre ein man, der einen wîngarten hête oder einen acker unde lieze er den sînem knehte, daz er in arbeite unde daz im diu fruht belibe, unde gêbe er im ouch allez daz dar zuo gehœrte, daz wêre im gar lustlich, daz ime diu fruht zuo der kost beliben wêre. Alsô ist dem menschen gar lustlich, der dâ wonet in der fruht der tugende, wan der enhât kein verdriezen noch keine verworrenheit, wan er hât sich selber gelâzen und alliu dinc.

Ego elegi vos de mundo.

These words that I have spoken in Latin are read today in the holy Gospel for the feast of a saint named Barnabas, and Scripture commonly says that he was an apostle. Our Lord says: “I have chosen you out, I have elected you out of the whole world, I have selected you out of the whole world and out of all created things, that you may bear much fruit and that your fruit may remain,” for it is very delightful to bear fruit and for the fruit to remain with one. And the fruit remains when one dwells in love. At the end of this Gospel our Lord said: “Love one another as I have eternally loved you; and as my Father has eternally loved me, so I have loved you. If you keep my commandment, you remain in my love.”

All God’s commandments are from love and from the goodness of his nature. For if they were not from love, they could not be God’s commandments, for God’s commandment is the goodness of his nature, and his nature is his goodness in his commandment. Whoever now dwells in love dwells in the goodness of his nature and dwells in God’s love, and love has no why. If I had a friend and loved him because something good came to me from him and because all my will was fulfilled, then I would not love my friend, but myself. I should love my friend for his own goodness and for his own virtue and for everything that he is in himself. Then I love my friend rightly, when I love him as has just been said. So it is with the human being who stands in God’s love, who seeks nothing of his own in God or in himself or in any things, and loves God solely for his goodness and for the goodness of his nature and for everything that he is in himself. And this is righteous love. Love of virtue is a blossom and an adornment of all virtues, indeed a mother of all virtues and of all perfection and all blessedness, for she is God, for God is the fruit of virtue, and the fruit remains with the human being. If a human being worked for a fruit and the fruit remained with him, that would be very delightful to him. And if a man had a vineyard or a field and gave it to his servant to work, so that the fruit should remain with the servant, and gave him also everything that belonged to it, it would be very delightful to him that the fruit should remain with him for his sustenance. Thus it is very delightful for the human being who dwells in the fruit of virtue, for he has neither vexation nor confusion, since he has let go of himself and of all things.

Nû sprichet unser herre ‘der iht lêzet durch mînen willen und umbe mînen namen, dem wil ich ez hundertvelticlîche wider geben und dar zuo daz êwige leben.’ Lâzest aber duz umbe daz hundertvalte und umbe daz êwige leben, sô hâstû niht gelâzen; jâ lâzest dû umbe tûsentveltigen lôn, dû hâst niht gelâzen: dû muost dich selber lâzen unde gar lâzen, sô hâstû rehte gelâzen: Ez kam einest ein mensche zuo mir (des ist niht lang) unde sprach, er hête grôziu dinc gelâzen von ertrîche, von guote, durch des willen, daz er sîne sêle behielte. Dô gedâhte ich: eyâ, wie wênic unde kleine hâst dû gelâzen! Ez ist ein blintheit und ein tôrheit, die wîle dû ihtes ahtest, daz dû gelâzen hâst. Hâstû dich selber gelâzen, sô hâst dû rehte gelâzen.

Der mensche, der sich selber gelâzen hât, der ist sô lûter, daz sîn diu welt niht gelîden mac, als ich hie sprach, des niht lang ist. Swer dâ minnet die gerehtekeit, des underwindet sich diu gerehtekeit unde wirt begriffen von der gerehtekeit und er ist ein in der gerehtekeit. Ich schreib einest in mîn buoch: der gerehte mensche dienet weder got noch den crêatûren, wan er ist frî; unde ie er der gerehtekeit nêher ist, ie er diu frîheit selber ist unde ie er diu frîheit mê ist. Allez daz, daz geschaffen ist, daz ist niht frî. Die wîle ihtesiht ob mir ist, daz got selber niht ist, daz drücket mich, swie kleine ez joch ist oder swie ez ist, und wêre ez joch vernunft unde minne, als verre als si geschaffen ist unde got selber niht enist, daz drücket mich, wan ez ist unfrî. Der ungerehte mensche der dienet der unwârheit, ez sî im liep oder leit, unde dienet aller welte und allen crêatûren und ist ein kneht der sünden.

Now our Lord says: “Whoever leaves anything for my will and for my name, to him I shall give it back a hundredfold, and eternal life besides.” But if you leave it for the sake of the hundredfold and for eternal life, then you have not let go. Indeed, if you leave it for the sake of a thousandfold reward, you have not let go. You must let go of yourself and let go completely. Then you have truly let go. Not long ago a human being came to me and said that he had left great things, lands and possessions, so that he might preserve his soul. Then I thought: Ah, how little and how small a thing you have left! It is blindness and foolishness as long as you regard as anything whatever you have left. If you have let go of yourself, then you have truly let go.

The human being who has let go of himself is so pure that the world cannot endure him, as I said here not long ago. Whoever loves righteousness is taken possession of by righteousness and is grasped by righteousness, and he is one in righteousness. I once wrote in my book: the righteous human being serves neither God nor creatures, for he is free. And the nearer he is to righteousness, the more he is freedom itself and the more he is freedom. Everything that is created is not free. As long as anything whatsoever is above me that is not God himself, it presses upon me, however small it may be or whatever it may be. Even if it were intellect and love, insofar as they are created and are not God himself, they press upon me, for they are unfree. The unrighteous human being serves untruth, whether it is pleasing or painful to him, and serves the whole world and all creatures and is a servant of sin.

Ich gedâhte einest (des ist niht lang): daz ich ein mensche bin, daz ist ouch eim andern menschen gemeine mit mir; daz ich gesihe unde hœre unde izze unde trinke, daz tuot ouch ein ander vihe: aber daz ich bin, daz ist keines menschen mê denne mîn alleine, weder mensches noch engels noch gotes denne als verre als ich bin ein mit ime. Allez daz got würket daz würket er in dem einen im selben gelîch unde sint sie doch an ir werken gar ungelîch unde meinent sie doch in ir werken ir eigen gelîch. Diu nâtûre worhte in mînem vater daz werc der nâtûre. Der nâtûre meinunge was diu, daz ich vater wêre als er vater was. Ez würket allez daz werc umbe sîn eigen gelîch und umbe sîn eigen bilde, daz er daz werc selber sî, daz meinet allez man. Wan dâ diu nâtûre wirt gewendet oder gehindert, daz si niht volle maht hât in ir werke, dâ wirt ein frouwe, unt dâ diu nâtûre lât von ir werke, dâ hebet got an ze würken unde ze schöpfen; wan wêren niht frouwen, sô wêren ouch niht man. Sô daz kint enpfangen wirt in der muoter lîbe, dâ hât ez bilde unde varwe unde geschöpfede; daz würket diu nâtûre. Alsô ist ez die vierzic tage unde vierzic nehte und an deme vierzigesten tage sô schöpfet got die sêle, vil kürzer denne in eim ougenblicke. Dâ treit ûz daz werc der nâtûre allez, daz diu nâtûre gewürken kan mit varwe unde mit bilde unde mit geschöpfede. Daz werc der nâtûre gêt zemâle ûz, und alsô als daz werc der nâtûre alzemâle ûz gêt, alsô wirt ez wider gegeben allez in der vernünftigen sêle. Nû ist diz ein werc der nâtûre und ein schöpfunge von gote. Allez daz, daz dâ geschaffen ist (als ich mê gesprochen hân), dâ enist kein wârheit inne.

Ez ist etwaz, daz über daz geschaffen wesen der sêle ist, daz kein geschaffenheit rüeret, dâ niht ist; noch der engel enhât ez niht, der ein lûter wesen hât, daz lûter unde breit ist, daz enrüeret sîn niht. Ez ist sippeschaft götlîcher art, ez ist in sich selber ein, ez enhât mit nihte niht gemein. Hie hinken manige pfaffen an. Ez ist ein und ist mê ungenennet denne ez namen habe und ist mê unbekant denne ez bekant sî. Kündest dû dich selber vernihten einen ougenblic, ich spriche joch kürzer dan einen ougenblic, sô wêre dir allez daz eigen, daz ez in im selber ist. Die wîle daz dû dich selber iht ahtest als kein dinc, sô weist dû als wênic, waz got ist, als mîn munt, waz varwe ist, und als mîn ouge weiz, waz smac ist: als wênic weist dû und ist dir bekant, waz got ist.

I once thought, not long ago: that I am a human being is something another human being has in common with me. That I see and hear and eat and drink, another animal does this too. But that I am belongs to no one but me alone, neither to any human being nor angel nor God, except insofar as I am one with him. Everything that God works, he works in the one that is like himself. And although things are quite unlike in their works, in their works they nevertheless intend their own likeness. Nature worked in my father the work of nature. Nature’s intention was that I should be a father as he was a father. It works the whole work for the sake of its own likeness and its own image, so that the work itself may be its likeness. This is what every man intends. For where nature is diverted or hindered so that she does not have full power in her work, there a woman comes to be; and where nature ceases from her work, there God begins to work and to create. For if there were no women, there would also be no men. When the child is conceived in the mother’s body, it has form and color and bodily configuration. Nature works this. Thus it is for forty days and forty nights, and on the fortieth day God creates the soul, in far less than an instant. There the work of nature brings forth everything that nature can work with color and form and bodily configuration. The work of nature comes wholly to an end, and as the work of nature wholly comes to an end, so all this is given back again in the rational soul. Now this is a work of nature and a creation by God. Everything that is created, as I have said before, has no truth within it.

There is something above the created being of the soul that no createdness touches, where there is nothing. Not even the angel has it. The angel has a pure being that is pure and broad, yet that does not touch it. It is a kinship of divine kind. It is one in itself. It has nothing in common with anything. Here many clerics falter. It is one and is more unnamed than named, and is more unknown than known. If you could annihilate yourself for an instant, indeed, I say for less than an instant, then everything that it is in itself would be your own. As long as you regard yourself at all as anything, you know as little what God is as my mouth knows what color is and as my eye knows what savor is. So little do you know, and so little is it known to you, what God is.

Nû sprichet Plâtô der grôze pfaffe, der vâhet an unde wil sprechen von grôzen dingen. Er sprichet von einer lûterkeit, diu ist in der welt niht, si ist niht in der welt noch ûzer der welt, ez ist weder in zît noch in êwikeit, ez hât ûzerlich noch innerlich. Got der êwic vater, die füllede unde den abegrunt aller sîner gotheit daz gebirt er hie in sînem eingebornen sune, unde daz wir der selbe sun sîn, unde sîn gebern daz ist sîn inneblîben unde sîn inneblîben ist sîn ûzgebern. Ez blîbet allez daz eine, daz in sich selber quellende ist. Ego, daz wort ich, ist nieman eigen denne gote alleine in sîner einekeit. Vos, daz wort daz sprichet als vil als daz ir ein sît in der einekeit, daz ist: daz wort ego unde vos, ich und ir, daz meinet die einekeit. Daz wir diu selbe einekeit sîn unde diu einekeit belîbende sîn, des helf uns got. Âmen.

Now Plato, the great cleric, begins and wishes to speak of great things. He speaks of a purity that is not in the world. It is neither in the world nor outside the world. It is neither in time nor in eternity. It has neither outwardness nor inwardness. God, the eternal Father, begets here in his only-begotten Son the fullness and the abyss of all his Godhead, and that we are that same Son. His begetting is his remaining-within, and his remaining-within is his begetting-forth. It all remains the One that wells forth in itself. Ego, the word “I,” belongs to no one except God alone in his unity. Vos, the word “you,” means as much as that you are one in unity. That is, the words ego and vos, “I” and “you,” mean unity. That we may be that same unity and remain in unity, may God help us. Amen.