Sermon 95 — Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord

Pfeiffer Sermon 95Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Eratis enim aliquando tenebræ, nunc autem lux in domino (Ephes. V, 8.).

Sanctus Paulus sprichet ‘etwenne wârent ir ein vinsternisse, aber nû ein lieht in gote.’ Die prophêten, die dâ wandelten in dem liehte, die bekanten unde funden die heimelîche wârheit in dem ûzfluzze des heiligen geistes. Sie wurden bî stunden beweget, daz sie sich har ûz solten kêren unde reden von den dingen, diu sie bekanten ze unserre sêlikeit, daz sie uns lêrten got bekennen. Sô geschach in, daz sie verstummeten, daz sie niht enkunden gesprochen, unde daz was drîer dinge schult.

Daz êrste: daz guot, daz sie bekanten unde sâhen in gote, daz was sô grôz unde sô verborgen, daz ez sich niht erbilden mohte in irme verstântnisse, want allez, daz sich erbilden mohte, daz was dem als ungelîch daz sie sâhen in gote, unde was sô valsch wider der wârheit, daz sie swigen unde wollen niht liegen. Diu ander sache: allez daz sie in gote hâten, daz was sô gelîch grôz und edele, daz sie weder bilde noch forme mohten dâ von genemen ze redende. Diu dritte sache, war umbe sie verstummeten, daz was, daz sie sâhen in die verborgenen wârheit unde funden die heimelîcheit in gote, daz sie niht geworten enkunden. Doch under zîten geschach, daz sie sich har ûz kêrten unde dâ sprâchen, unde von der ungelîcheit der wârheit dô vielen sie in die groben materie unde wolten uns lêren got bekennen mit den nideren dingen der crêatûre.

Eratis enim aliquando tenebræ, nunc autem lux in domino (Ephes. V, 8.).

Saint Paul says: “Once you were darkness, but now you are light in God.” The prophets who walked in the light knew and found the hidden truth in the outflowing of the Holy Spirit. At times they were moved to turn outward and speak of the things they knew for our blessedness, so that they might teach us to know God. Yet it happened to them that they fell silent and could not speak, and this was for three reasons.

The first was this: the good that they knew and saw in God was so great and so hidden that it could not take form in their understanding; for everything that could take form was so unlike what they saw in God, and so false in comparison with the truth, that they kept silent and would not lie. The second reason was that everything they possessed in God was equally great and noble, so that they could take from it neither image nor form with which to speak. The third reason why they fell silent was that they looked into the hidden truth and found the mystery in God, which they could not put into words. Yet at times it happened that they turned outward and spoke; and because of the unlikeness between the truth and what could be expressed, they descended into coarse material things and sought to teach us to know God by means of the lower things of creation.

Nû sprichet Paulus ‘aber nû ein lieht in gote.’ Aliquando, der daz wort volgründen kan, sô sprichet ez als vil als: wanne, unde meinet zît, daz uns hindert an dem liehte, want gote dem ist enkein dinc sô vaste wider als diu zît. Niht alleine diu zît, er meinet ouch ein anehaften der zît; er enmeinet ouch niht alleine ein anehaften der zît, er meinet ouch ein rüeren der zît. Niht alleine rüeren der zît, mêr: ouch einen ruch und einen smak der zît, als dâ ein apfel ist gelegen, dâ belîbet ein smak, alsô nim ez von der begerunge der zît. Unser besten meister sprechent, daz der lîphafte himel unde diu sunne und ouch die sternen, daz die als wênic hânt ze tuonde mit der zît, niht wan daz sie eht rüerent die zît. Hie meine ich allez, daz diu sêle verre über dem himel geschaffen ist unde daz si an irme hœhsten unde lûtersten mit der zît niht enhabe ze tuonde. Ich hân ez mê gesprochen: von dem werke in gote unde von der geburt, dâ der vater gebirt sînen eingebornen sun unde von dem ûzfluzze inblüeget der heiliger geist, daz der geist von in beiden ûz fliuzet, und in dem ûzfluzze entspringet diu sêle ûzgevlozzen unde daz bilde der gotheit ist gedrüket in die sêle, und in dem ûzvlîezende und in dem widervlîezende der drîer persônen wirt diu sêle wider în gevlozzen unde wirt wider în gebildet in ir êrste bilde sunder bilde. Diz meinet Paulus, dâ er sprichet ‘aber nû ein lieht in gote.’ Er sprichet niht ‘ir sint ein lieht’, er sprichet ‘aber nû ein lieht.’ Er meinet, daz ich ouch mê gesprochen habe: der diu dinc erkennen sol, der sol sie erkennen in irre sache. Daz sprechent die meister: diu dinc hangent in irre gebürte, daz sie dâ suln aller lûterlîchest ûz luogen in wesen. Want dâ der vater den sun gebirt, dâ ist ein gegenwertic nû. In der êwiger geburt, dâ der vater sînen sun gebirt, dâ ist diu sêle ûz gevlozzen in ir wesen und ist daz bilde der gotheit gedrüket in die sêle.

Ez wart gesprochen in der schuole, und sprâchen etlîche meister, got hête daz bilde gedrüket in die sêle, als der ein bilde mâlet an der want unde daz vergât. Daz wart widersprochen. Ander meister sprâchen baz unde sprâchen, got hête daz bilde gedrüket in die sêle in eime blîbende, als ein in ir blîbender gedanc, alsô: ich habe hiute einen willen und habe morne den selben gedanc und enthalte daz bilde ûf mit mîme gegenwertigen influzze, unde sprâchen alsô, daz gotes were vollekomen sint. Wan wære der zimberman vollekomen an sînem werke, er bedörfte der materien niht: want als schiere als er sîn gedæhte, sô wære daz hûs vollebrâht. Alsô sint diu werc in gote: als schiere als er sîn gedenket, sô sint diu werc vollebrâht in eime gegenwertigen nû.

Now Paul says: “but now light in God.” Aliquando, if one can penetrate the meaning of the word, means something like “at a time,” and signifies time, which hinders us from the light; for nothing is so contrary to God as time. He means not only time itself, but also attachment to time; and not only attachment to time, but also being touched by time. Not only being touched by time, but even a scent and savor of time—as when an apple has lain somewhere and a savor remains. So too understand it with regard to the desire for time. Our best masters say that the bodily heaven, the sun, and also the stars have no more to do with time than merely touching it. By this I mean that the soul is created far above the heavens, and that in its highest and purest part it has nothing to do with time. I have spoken before of the work in God and of the birth in which the Father gives birth to his only-begotten Son, and of the outflowing in which the Holy Spirit blossoms forth, so that the Spirit flows forth from them both. In this outflowing the soul issues forth, flowing out from God, and the image of the Godhead is impressed upon the soul; and in the flowing-out and flowing-back of the three Persons the soul flows back in again and is in-imaged again into her first image without image. This is what Paul means when he says: “but now light in God.” He does not say, “you are a light”; he says, “but now light.” He means what I have also said before: whoever is to know things must know them in their cause. The masters say that things hang in their birth, so that there they may look forth most purely into being. For where the Father gives birth to the Son, there is a present Now. In the eternal birth, where the Father gives birth to his Son, the soul has flowed forth into its being and the image of the Godhead is impressed upon the soul.

It was discussed in the schools, and some masters said that God had impressed the image upon the soul as someone paints an image upon a wall and the image passes away. This was contradicted. Other masters spoke better and said that God had impressed the image upon the soul in an abiding way, like a thought that remains within her. Thus: today I have a will, and tomorrow I have the same thought, and I sustain that image through my present inflow. In this way they said that God’s works are perfect. For if the carpenter were perfect in his work, he would have no need of material: as soon as he thought of the house, the house would be complete. So it is with the works in God: as soon as he thinks them, the works are complete in a present Now.

Dô kam der fünfte meister unde sprach allerbeste unde sprach: dâ enist enkein werc, mêr: ez ist ein nû, ein gewerden sunder gewerden, ein niuwe sunder verniuwen, unde daz gewerden ist sîn wesen. In gote ist ein kleinlîcheit, daz dar în enkein verniuwen enmac. Alsô ist ouch in der sêle ein kleinlîcheit, diu ist sô lûter unde sô zart, daz aber dar în enkein verniuwen enmac; want allez, daz in got ist, daz ist ein gegenwertic nû, sunder verniuwen.

Von vier dingen wolte ich hân gesprochen: von der kleinheit gotes unde von der kleinheit der sêle unde von dem werke in gote unde von dem werke der sêle. Daz lâze ich nû belîben.

Then came the fifth master and spoke best of all. He said: there is no work there; rather, there is a Now, a becoming without becoming, a newness without renewal, and this becoming is his being. In God there is a subtle thing into which no renewal can enter. Likewise there is in the soul a subtle thing so pure and so delicate that no renewal can enter into it; for everything that is in God is a present Now, without renewal.

I had intended to speak of four things: of the littleness of God, of the littleness of the soul, of the work in God, and of the work of the soul. I shall leave these aside for now.