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Sermon 83 — In his days he pleased God and was found righteous

Pfeiffer Sermon 83Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)
English Translation
In diebus suis placuit deo et inventus est justus (Eccl. XLIV, 17).

Diz wort, daz ich gesprochen hân in der latîne, liset man zuo êre einem heiligen, des tac man hiute begêt in der heiligen kristenheit, mit namen Germânus, von des tugentrîchem lebenne vil geschriben ist, unde haltet diz wort disen sin ze tiutsche inne ‘er hât gote wol gevallen in sînen tagen.’

Nû merkent. Sô man sprichet ‘in sînen tagen’, dâ ist mê tac dan einer. Er ist der sêle tac und ist gotes tac. Die tage, die hie sint, sehs oder siben in den tagen, die dâ wâren vor siben tûsent tagen, die sint den tagen hiute alse nâhe alse der tac, der gester was. War umbe? Dâ ist diu zît in eime gegenwürtigen nû. Daz der himel loufet, der êrste louf des himels dâ von ist ez tac. Dâ geschiht in eime nû der sêle tac, und in irm nâtûrlîchen liehte, dâ alliu dinc sint, dâ ist ein ganzer tac, dâ ist tac unde naht ein, dâ ist gotes tac. Diu sêle stêt dâ in dem tage der êwikeit in eime wesentlichen nû, unde dâ gebirt der vater sînen in eime gegenwürtigen nû unde wirt diu sêle wider in gote geborn. Alse dicke sô diu geburt geschiht, alse dicke gebirt si den eingebornen sun. Dar umbe ist der süne vil mêr, die die juncfrouwen gebernt, wan sie gebernt über zît in êwikeit. Wie vil der süne ist, die diu sêle gebirt in êwikeit, sô ist ir doch niht mêr dan ein sun, wan ez geschiht oben zît in den tagen der êwikeit.

In diebus suis placuit deo et inventus est justus (Eccl. XLIV, 17).

These words that I have spoken in Latin are read in honor of a saint whose feast is celebrated today in holy Christendom, named Germanus, of whose virtuous life much has been written. In German these words have this meaning: “He pleased God well in his days.”

Now take note. When one says “in his days,” there is more than one day. There is the soul’s day and there is God’s day. The days that are here, six or seven days, and those days that were seven thousand days ago, are as near to today as the day that was yesterday. Why? There time is in one present now. The heavens revolve, and from the first revolution of heaven comes the day. There, in one now, the soul’s day takes place; and in her natural light, where all things are, there is a whole day. There day and night are one. There is God’s day. The soul stands there in the day of eternity, in an essential now, and there the Father begets his Son in a present now, and the soul is born back again in God. As often as this birth takes place, so often she gives birth to the only-begotten Son. Therefore there are far more sons whom virgins bear, for they give birth above time in eternity. However many sons the soul gives birth to in eternity, nevertheless there is no more than one Son, for it takes place above time in the days of eternity.

Nû ist dem menschen gar reht, der in tugenden lebet und in tugenden würket, dem ist gar reht, der des sînen niht ensuochet an dekeinen dingen weder an gote noch an den crêatûren. Der wonet in gote unde got wonet in im. Dem menschen ist lustlich elliu dinc ze lâzenne unde ze versmâhenne und elliu dinc ze volbringenne ûf daz aller hœhste. Ez sprichet sant Johannes ‘got ist diu minne unde diu minne ist got und wer in der minne wonet, der wonet in gote’, der hât wol gehûset âne zwîvel und ist ein erbe gotes, unde in wem got wonet, der hât wirdige hûsgenôzen bî im. Ein meister sprichet, der sêle werde ein gâbe gegeben von gote, dâ von si beweget wirt zuo innern dingen. Ez sprichet ouch ein meister, daz diu sêle wirt beweget âne mitel von dem heiligen geiste, wan in der minne, dar inne sich got selber minnet, in der selben minne minnet er mich unde diu sêle minnet got in der selben minne, dar inne er sich selber minnet, unde wêre diu minne niht, dar inne got sich selber minnet, der heilig geist enwêre niht. Ez ist ein hitze und ein ûzblüejen des heiligen geistes, dar inne diu sêle got minnet.

Nû schrîbet ein êwangeliste ‘diz ist mîn lieber sun, in deme ich mir wol gevalle.’ Der ander schrîbet ‘diz ist mîn lieber sun, in deme mir alliu dinc gevallent.’ Der dritte schrîbet ‘diz ist mîn lieber sun, in deme ich mir selber gevalle.’ Allez, daz gote gevellet, daz gevellet ime in sîme eingebornen sune, und allez, daz got minnet, daz minnet er in sîme eingebornen sune. Nû sol der mensche alsô leben, daz er ein sî mit dem eingebornen sune unt daz er der eingeborne sun sî. Zwischen dem eingebornen sune unde der sêle enist dekein underscheit. Zwischen dem knehte unt dem herren enwirt niemer minne gelîch. Die wîle ich kneht bin, sô bin ich dem eingebornen sune gar verre und ungelîch. Sêhe ich got ane mit mînen ougen, dâ mite ich die varwe an sihe, sô wêre mir gar unreht, wan ez ist zîtlich; wan allez, daz zîtlich ist, dâ man zît nennet, dâ nennet man sî von dem minsten. Nû, daz ist zît unde stât in ime selber. Die wîle der mensche zît unde stat hât unde zal unde meinunge, sô ist im gar unreht und got ist im verre unde vremde. Dar umbe sprichet unser herre ‘wer mîn junger wil werden, der muoz sich selber lâzen’, als ob er sagte: nieman mac mîn wort hœren noch mîne lêre, er enhabe danne sich selber gelâzen. Alle crêatûre in sich selber sint niht. Dar umbe hân ich gesprochen: lâzent niht unde nement ein volmaht wesen, dâ der wille reht ist. Der allen sînen willen hât gelâzen, dem smacket mîn lêre unde hœret mîn wort. Ein meister sprichet: alle crêatûre nement ir wesen âne mitel, dar umbe hânt sie, daz sie got minnet von nâtûre mê denne sich selber. Bekante der geist sîne blôze abgescheidenheit, er enmöhte sich ûf kein dinc geneigen. Dar umbe sprichet man von disem heiligen bischove ‘er hât ime wol gevallen in sînen tagen.’

Now all is wholly right with the human being who lives in virtues and works in virtues. All is wholly right with the one who seeks nothing of his own in anything, either in God or in creatures. He dwells in God, and God dwells in him. To this human being it is delightful to let go of and disdain all things and to accomplish all things to the very highest. Saint John says: “God is love, and love is God, and whoever dwells in love dwells in God.” Without doubt, such a person is well housed and is an heir of God; and whoever has God dwelling in him has worthy housemates with him. A master says that a gift is given to the soul by God through which she is moved toward inward things. A master also says that the soul is moved without means by the Holy Spirit, for in the love in which God loves himself, in that same love he loves me, and the soul loves God in the same love in which he loves himself. And if there were not the love in which God loves himself, there would be no Holy Spirit. It is a heat and a blossoming-forth of the Holy Spirit in which the soul loves God.

Now one evangelist writes: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Another writes: “This is my beloved Son, in whom all things please me.” The third writes: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I please myself.” Everything that pleases God pleases him in his only-begotten Son, and everything that God loves, he loves in his only-begotten Son. Now the human being should live in such a way that he is one with the only-begotten Son and that he is the only-begotten Son. Between the only-begotten Son and the soul there is no distinction. Love is never equal between servant and lord. As long as I am a servant, I am very far from and unlike the only-begotten Son. If I looked upon God with my eyes, with which I look upon color, it would be altogether wrong for me, for this is temporal. For everything that is temporal, wherever one names time, one names it from what is least. Even the least of it is time and stands in itself. As long as the human being has time and place and number and intention, all is wholly wrong with him, and God is far from him and a stranger to him. Therefore our Lord says: “Whoever wishes to become my disciple must let go of himself,” as though he were saying: no one can hear my word or my teaching unless he has let go of himself. All creatures in themselves are nothing. Therefore I have said: leave the nothing and take a full being, where the will is right. For the one who has let go of all his will, my teaching has savor, and he hears my word. A master says that all creatures receive their being without means, and therefore they have this, that by nature they love God more than themselves. If the spirit knew its bare detachment, it could not incline itself toward anything. Therefore one says of this holy bishop: “He pleased him well in his days.”

Der sêle tac unde gotes tac hânt underscheit. Dâ diu sêle an irem nâtûrlîchen tage ist, dâ bekennet si elliu dinc obe zît unde stat, ir enist kein dinc weder verre noch nâhe. Dar umbe hân ich gesprochen, daz alliu dinc glîch edel sîn in disem tage. Sprêchen wir, daz got die welt schöpfete gester oder morne, daz wêre ein tôrheit an uns. Got schöpfet die welt und elliu dinc in eime gegenwürtigen nû. Jâ diu zît, diu dâ vergangen ist vor tûsent jâren, diu ist gote iezuo alsô gegenwürtic und alse nâhe als diu zît, diu iezuo ist. Diu sêle, diu dâ stât in eime gegenwürtigen nû, dâ gebirt der vater in sî sînen eingebornen sun, und in der selben geburt wirt diu sêle wider in gote geborn. Daz ist ein geburt, alse dicke si wider geborn wirt in got, sô gebirt der vater sînen eingebornen sun in sî.

Ich hân gesprochen von einer kraft in der sêle; an irem êrsten ûzbruche sô ennimt si niht got, als er guot ist, si ennimt in ouch niht als er wârheit ist: si gründet unde suochet vort unde nimt got in sîner einunge und in sîner einœde, si nimt got in sîner wüestunge und in sînem eigenen grunde. Dar umbe enhât si ir niht genüegen, si suochet für baz, waz daz sî, daz in sîner gotheit ist und in sînem eigentuome sîner eigenen nâtûre. Nû sprichet man, daz kein eigentuom grœzer sî, denne daz drîe persône ein got sint. Dar nâch sprichet man, daz kein einunge grœzer sî denne got unt diu sêle. Wenne der sêle ein kus beschiht von der gotheit, sô stêt si in ganzer vollekomenheit und in sêlikeit, dâ wirt ein umbevanc von der einekeit in dem êrsten berüeren. Dâ got die sêle berüeret hât unde geschaffen unschöpflich, dâ ist diu sêle als edel als got selber ist nâch der berüerunge gotes. Got berüeret sî nâch ime selber. Dâ got die crêatûre ane siht, dâ gît er ir ir wesen; dâ diu crêatûre got ane siht, dâ nimt si ir wesen. Diu sêle hât ein vernünftic bekentlich wesen, dâ von, swâ got ist, dâ ist diu sêle, unde swâ diu sêle ist, dâ ist got.

The soul’s day and God’s day are different. When the soul is in her natural day, she knows all things above time and place. No thing is either far from or near to her. Therefore I have said that all things are equally noble in this day. If we were to say that God created the world yesterday or tomorrow, that would be foolishness on our part. God creates the world and all things in one present now. Indeed, the time that passed a thousand years ago is as present and as near to God now as the time that is now. In the soul that stands in one present now, the Father begets his only-begotten Son, and in that same birth the soul is born back again in God. It is one birth. As often as she is born back again in God, so often the Father begets his only-begotten Son in her.

I have spoken of a power in the soul. In her first breaking-forth she does not take God as he is good, nor does she take him as he is truth. She plumbs deeper and searches further and takes God in his unity and in his solitude. She takes God in his wilderness and in his own ground. Therefore she is not satisfied with this. She searches still further for what it is that is in his Godhead and in the ownness of his own nature. Now one says that there is no greater ownness than that the three Persons are one God. After this one says that there is no greater union than God and the soul. When the soul receives a kiss from the Godhead, she stands in complete perfection and blessedness. There is an embrace by unity in the first touching. Where God has touched the soul and created her uncreatedly, there the soul is as noble as God himself according to God’s touching. God touches her according to himself. Where God looks upon the creature, there he gives her her being. Where the creature looks upon God, there she receives her being. The soul has an intellectual and knowing being. Therefore, wherever God is, there is the soul, and wherever the soul is, there is God.

Nû sprichet man von disem heiligen ‘er ist gereht funden worden.’ Daz ist gereht, daz dâ gelîch ist in lieb und in leit, in bitterkeit und in süezikeit, unt dem zemâle kein dinc wider ist, daz er sich eine vindet in der gerehtekeit. Gelîcheit wirt geminnet. Minne minnet allewege daz gelîche, dar umbe sô minnet got den gerehten menschen ime selber gelîch. Daz wir uns alsô inne vinden in den tagen und in der zît der vernünftekeit und in dem tage der wîsheit und in dem tage der sêlikeit, des helf uns diu unzerteilte drîvaltikeit. Âmen.

Now it is said of this saint: “He was found righteous.” The righteous human being is one who remains equal in pleasure and pain, in bitterness and sweetness, and to whom nothing at all is contrary, so that he finds himself one in righteousness. Likeness is loved. Love always loves what is like. Therefore God loves the righteous human being as like himself. That we may thus find ourselves within, in the days and in the time of intellect, and in the day of wisdom and in the day of blessedness, may the undivided Trinity help us. Amen.