Sermon 92 — I have appointed you to go and bear fruit

Pfeiffer Sermon 92Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Posui vos ut eatis et fructum afferatis (Joh. XV, 16.).

Kristus sprach ze sînen jungeren ‘ich hân iuch gesetzet, daz ir gânt unde vil frühte bringent.’ Got sprach zuo in unde meinde uns alle, want wir sîn in der naht. Swer nû in der vinsternisse ist, der bedarf des liehtes, sol er gân. Nû sprichet Kristus ‘ich bin ein lieht der welte.’ Nû sulen wir haften in der gewâren minne unsers houbtes, sô werden wir erliuhtet an Kristô. Wan swenne eine kerze brinnet an ir oberstem teil von der kraft der einunge des fiures, daz verzert die materie, diu im gegeben wirt, unde verwandelt sî in sich selber.

Nû merkent. Dô Kristus sprach ze den jungern ‘ich hân iuch gesetzet, daz ir gânt’, dô meinde er, daz wir erhaben werden in daz lieht der gnâden. Hie über sprichet der prophête ‘ich saz und er huop mich über in selber.’ In dem sitzende ruowet der mensche aller bekorunge unde schouwet in dem liehte, war er gân sol. Daz ist der wec der tugenden. Diz meinde Kristus dô er sprach ‘ich hân iuch gesetzet, daz ir gânt.’ Sitzen unde gân ist unglîch. Nieman kan den rehten wec gegân, er habe ê gesezzen in dem liehte der beschouwede, daz er dar inne habe gelernet schöpfen die rehten wege; want elliu unseriu werc sülent lieht sîn unde sülent liuhten in der vinsternisse unserm nêhsten.

Posui vos ut eatis et fructum afferatis (Joh. XV, 16.).

Christ said to his disciples: “I have appointed you that you should go and bring forth much fruit.” God spoke to them and meant all of us, for we are in the night. Whoever is in darkness needs light if he is to walk. Now Christ says: “I am a light of the world.” We should therefore hold fast in the true love of our Head, and then we shall be illuminated in Christ. For when a candle burns at its uppermost part through the power of union with the fire, the fire consumes the matter that is given to it and transforms it into itself.

Now take note. When Christ said to the disciples, “I have appointed you that you should go,” he meant that we should be raised up into the light of grace. Concerning this the prophet says: “I sat, and he raised me above himself.” In sitting, the human being rests from all temptation and beholds in the light where he is to go. This is the way of the virtues. This is what Christ meant when he said: “I have appointed you that you should go.” Sitting and going are unlike. No one can walk the right way unless he has first sat in the light of contemplation, so that there he has learned to discern the right ways, for all our works should be light and should shine in the darkness for our neighbor.

Nû sprichet Dionysius: dise, die ûzer in selben alsus gegân sint und in dem liehte der wârheit lebent, die sint göte unde sint der göte kinder unde sint der göte veter. Diz betiutet bischof Albreht unde sprichet alsus: der göte kinder daz sint die, die die heiligen schrift lesent oder hœrent lesen unde sie die innerlîche verstânt und sî üebent mit guoten werken, unz daz sie die wârheit in gote bevindent. Aber die göte daz sint die, die in gote tôt sint und an dien niht mêre lebet denne got. Her ûf sprichet sanctus Paulus ‘wir sîn tôt und unser leben ist verborgen mit Kristô in gote.’ Aber der göte vetere die sint aller vollekomenste, wan sie sint versunken in der grundelôsekeit gotes, want got der lebet niht alleine in in, mêr: sie lebent ouch in gote, want in in ist iezuont des êwigen lebendes anevanc.

Nû merkent von den, die dâ sint der göte kinder. Mit dem liehte des gelouben begrîfent sie die heiligen schrift, biz daz sie dur daz lieht des gelouben koment in daz tou der gnâden, und in dem touwe der gnâden werdent in smachaft die wege des êwigen lebendes. Har ûf sprichet diu brût in der minne buoche ‘ziuch mich nâch dir in dîner ûzerlîcher verlâzenheit und in dîner innerlîchen anhaftunge.’ Diu ûzerlîche verlâzenheit daz ist diu abescheidunge von aller crêatûre; aber diu innerlîche anhaftunge daz ist ein în gezogene enpfindelîche wârheit, von der sie weder tôt noch leben gescheiden mac. Dise die sint kinder der göte unde sint süne des gewaltes unde der wîsheit unde der güete. Zuo disen sprichet unser herre in der minnen buoche ‘ir fürsten kinder, wie wol iu iuwer genge in iuweren schuohen gezement!’ Dise schuoh daz ist der heiligen leben, daz ziehent sie an die füeze der verstentnisse unde minne mit der begerunge, daz sie dar inne loufent. Aber die liute, die dâ heizent göte, die sint in der verborgenheit der gotlîcher einunge, sie lebent eines gotlîchen lebendes. Waz sol ich von in sprechen? Ir ezzen und ir trinken, ir slâfen und alle ir wonunge dâ vindet man niht mêre an, want got, der eht ez bekante. Der sie joch brande, sô flüzze niht mêre ûzer in denne daz marc der gotheit, daz ist diu süezekeit des heiligen geistes, in dem sie saftrîche sint worden. Diz bekennet aber nieman wan diu kinder des gewâren liehtes und ouch der, in dem sie dâ lebent, daz ist got. Aber diu kint der vinsternisse diu bekennent ez niht, want ir innekeit ist erfült mit vergift des êwigen tôdes. Dâ von wirt daz lieht zeiner vinsternisse in in unde diu êwige süezekeit ze einer bitterkeit. Nû erliuhte uns got mit dem liehte, dâ wir êweklîche inne geswebet hân in sîme sune, daz wir der vinsternisse entrinnen in daz wâre lieht!

Now Dionysius says: those who have thus gone out of themselves and live in the light of truth are gods, and are children of the gods and fathers of the gods. Bishop Albert explains this and says as follows: the children of the gods are those who read Holy Scripture or hear it read, understand it inwardly, and practice it in good works until they experience the truth in God. But the gods are those who are dead in God and in whom nothing lives any longer except God. Concerning this Saint Paul says: “We are dead, and our life is hidden with Christ in God.” But the fathers of the gods are the most perfect of all, for they are sunk into the groundlessness of God, because God not only lives in them, but they also live in God, for in them the beginning of eternal life is already present.

Now take note concerning those who are children of the gods. With the light of faith they comprehend Holy Scripture until through the light of faith they come into the dew of grace, and in the dew of grace the ways of eternal life become savory to them. Concerning this the bride says in the Book of Love: “Draw me after you in your outward relinquishing and in your inward attachment.” Outward relinquishing is detachment from every creature, but inward attachment is an inwardly drawn, experiential truth from which neither death nor life can separate them. These are children of the gods and are sons of power and wisdom and goodness. To these our Lord says in the Book of Love: “You children of princes, how beautifully your steps become you in your shoes!” These shoes are the lives of the saints, which they put upon the feet of understanding and love with the desire to run in them. But the people who are called gods are in the hiddenness of divine union; they live a divine life. What shall I say of them? In their eating and drinking, their sleeping and their whole way of life, nothing is found any longer but God, if only someone could know it. Even if one were to burn them, nothing would flow out of them but the marrow of the Godhead, that is, the sweetness of the Holy Spirit, in whom they have become rich in sap. But no one knows this except the children of the true light and also the one in whom they live, namely God. The children of darkness, however, do not know it, for their inwardness is filled with the poison of eternal death. Therefore the light becomes darkness in them and eternal sweetness becomes bitterness. May God now illuminate us with the light in which we have eternally hovered in his Son, so that we may escape from darkness into the true light!

Aber die dritten liute die heizent veter der göte, die hânt überstigen die bühele unde die berge unde sint gevlogen mit gerunge unde mit verstântnisse an daz rat der gewâren sunnen, unde diu flammende hitze des heiligen geistes hât verbrennet alle ir materie, daz dâ niht erschînet denne ein lieht in gote. Und in deme liehte sint sie komen in einen geruoweten friden, unde den vriden hânt sie erkrieget mit einer lûtern consciencie, unde der vride mag in niemer benomen werden. Nû gebristet mir sinnes von disen veteren ze sprechennne, wan sie hânt enpfangen alle güete unde volkomene gâbe von dem vater der liehte unde sint komen in daz zil, dar sie diu tugende leitet. Diz zil verwunderte den hôhen adelar Johannes in dem buoche der tougeni. Des antwurte ime Kristus unde sprach ‘ich bin daz anegenge âne anegenge unde bin ein ende âne ende. Âmen.’

But the third kind of people are called fathers of the gods. They have passed beyond the hills and the mountains and have flown with longing and understanding to the wheel of the true sun, and the flaming heat of the Holy Spirit has burned away all their matter, so that nothing appears except one light in God. And in that light they have come into a restful peace, and they have won this peace through a pure conscience, and this peace can never be taken from them. Now I lack the understanding to speak of these fathers, for they have received all goodness and every perfect gift from the Father of lights and have come to the goal to which the virtues lead them. This goal astonished the high eagle John in the Book of Mysteries. Christ answered him and said: “I am the beginning without beginning, and I am an end without end. Amen.”