The Sermons of Johannes Tauler · 19 of 124
Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God. — Osee xiv, 2.
We read in this day’s Gospel, that Jesns went up into a ship, and that His disciples followed Him. So should all Christians do; repenting of their sins, they should follow Christ, according to the teaching of the prophet: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God!”
Out of all the races of the world our Lord chose one, upon which He bestowed many favors, covenanting to give them yet more, if they would turn to Him and would not follow the ways of other people who, in willful blindness of heart, lived only to gratify their sensual passions, led astray by their love of the vanities of the world, and by the deceits of the evil one. God visibly guided His own people by His servants and prophets, giving them His holy commandments. He showed forth His Infinite power by fighting for them against their enemies. He lavished His loving kindness upon them, by bestowing innumerable benefits on them, and promised to continue to favor them, if they would but turn to Him and love Him and keep His commandments. He bade them never forget the day on which He had delivered them from bondage and toil, and that they should set themselves with all diligence and earnestness to observe His law. But this people were stiffnecked, shortsighted and ungrateful. They would not obey the precepts God gave them by His servants, but, on the contrary, showed themselves self-willed, rebellious and light-minded. Therefore, our Lord punished them; many of them
He caused to be put to death, and He permitted all of them to die in the wilderness. To their children He continued to send His messengers, saying: O, my chosen people, return to Me and be converted with all your heart; wander not off in the devious ways of sin, but follow after Me, returning from the paths of Egyptian darkness and of wickedness and of damnation, and I will bring you into the land of promise and will give you all good things there.
These events happened under the Old Testament and in very ancient times and amid many wonders. But therein are to be found various signs of what was to happen after the incarnation of the Son of God, and even in our own days; for God uses the self-same words to cause us to turn to Him and to do so with all earnestness, giving us many reasons, warnings, instructions and inducements; leading us, if we will but follow, with signs and wonders and mighty power, exhorting us to depart out of the Egypt of this world and out of the bondage of Pharaoh, its king. All this does God do, both secretly in our souls and openly before our eyes, in order to work our conversion to Him. Would that we received it with thankfulness and were sincerely converted. But it is with us as it was of old with the people of Israel. We follow God in body and we remain in Egypt in our heart’s desires. We all march after the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, but our joy is in the comforts of the world and the pleasures of the flesh. We are very earnest about external religious practices, about how to be religiously dressed, when to sing and when to be silent, when to bow down and to genuflect; if all this be exactly observed we are sure that we are delivered out of Egypt. Not so, my dear children, not so; this is only the pillar of cloud and of fire; these observances, if they lack this interior meaning, are but the leaves of the fig tree, and not the fruit that can nourish our souls and make them a fit offering to God. A man who thus acts is like the tree that God cursed and condemned to eternal barrenness. O, how often have you been taught that you must not trust to the appearances and shadows of religion! These things are good, and even punctilious practice of them is necessary for beginners in the spiritual life; but, considered apart from the essence and truth of holiness, for the sake of which they are instituted, they avail nothing. Unless a man is on his guard he will stick fast in these purely external practices, and in his heart will remain as wicked and corrupt as those who have not even this appearance of virtue; and, finally, he will fall into yet worse vices, sinking back into the Egypt of this world. Indeed, it would have been better to have
Children, I know of nothing more necessary than that beginners, while taking their first steps in the spiritual life, should be carefully instructed in what is most essentially required; namely, that, being practiced in sound and useful external devotions, they should by no means stop at these, which, if emptied of their true meaning, are of little help, and are at best only given us as a good preparation for a perfect life. If this wisdom is implanted in youthful souls, quick and ardent for perfection, many of them will doubtless earnestly resolve to go forward to better things. But, alas and alas! How sad it is to see those who began with such fervor of spirit that they were once very guarded in their choice of company, finally absorbed in the society of worldlings! At first they could hardly bear to listen to a frivolous word, and now they are never done with conversation about profane things, early and late engaged in silly speech and foolish disputes. Once they longed for quiet retirement and were glad to follow their pious exercises undisturbed, and now the more distracting occupations they can have the better they are pleased. O, this and the like of this is all a plain sign, that such souls are held in captivity by their fleshly passions, and, as far as their hearts’ desires are concerned, are wandering backward into Egyptian darkness. Children, for the love of Christ, let each one of you be on his guard. Once you have begun a good course, do not stop short; all may be lost again if you are not extremely vigilant; our inconstancy is beyond belief.
Consider how some fall away from a state so perfect that at first they are scandalized by an idle word; yet no long time afterwards they feel not a qualm of conscience for much flippant and even malicious speech, greatly to the injury of others, making nothing of the guilt of such conduct. We meet with men who in the beginning patiently endured opposition and contradiction, prepared, if need be and in spite of the very devil, to suffer martyrdom itself. And behold them now, after living for a while with even very pious people! You never saw or heard of men so perverse, self-willed and obstinate.
Others, again, in their first fervor are hot and eager for austerities; all the hard mortifications they see around them are little and trifling to them. But wait a while, and you find that they cannot bring themselves to perform such moderate acts of self-denial as are common to all Christians. And they incessantly complain, if their demands for ease and comfort are not instantly complied with, making themselves in every way burdensome to others, no matter how much is done for them.
Very different are those devout, interior men, who, though they must struggle hard to make a beginning, and can only move forward slowly and step by step, yet resolutely keep on until they become an edifying example to all others, while the overeager spirits, who at first promised so much, have finally come to nothing. Let us be very regardful of our want of steadfastness, for we know not what the future has in store for us.
And now, dear children, I will tell you how one may know whether or not he has been truly converted to God, and has really renounced the evil one and all his works and pomps. When we were baptized we made our vows to God and holy Church never to commit sin, and to practice all Christian virtue. But we were afterwards led astray by the evil spirit and fell into sin, losing thereby the grace of God conferred on us in baptism. And then God, in His unspeakable mercy, called us back to His friendship, and on our repentance He restored all His favors. But now many allow themselves to be again deceived by the evil one, for he cunningly endeavors to make the souPs contrition for all past sins more apparent than real. Let us consider this matter attentively, so that we may the better avoid such a misfortune.
A truly converted Christian stands humbly persuaded of his own nothingness, and to be so regarded by everyone is his only desire. He would by no means hold authority over anybody, but in all lowliness of heart he is pleased to be subjected to others, and glad to do their will, whosoever they may be. He despises himself, regards himself as a thief, chooses the least and lowest of everything, is readily guided by others, and makes the best of whatever happens to him. Thus, standing toward men in all gentleness and toward God in all fearfulness, he accepts with thanksgiving all that is commanded him or advised him, or even wished. The contrary is the case with those who are but superficially converted. They stand high in their own opinion, and they set a high value on their words and works. To be subjected to others is to them a disgraceful thing, and they will not suffer the rule of a superior. They volunteer instructing others with a flood of talk, discoursing boastfully of high spirituality. And all this they do with a show of holy humility, lest their real condition should be suspected. If you pay them
How different are the truly converted, who are ever affectionate to their neighbors, praising them with all brotherly love as far as truth will allow, rejoicing in their prosperity, aiding them in adversity, and overflowing with pity for all in distress — quite unlike the falsely converted, who are offensive to others, envious of their welfare and even of their piety, given to railing and contention, vindictive, contemptuous, selfassertive.
Rightly converted men patiently bear oppression and injustice, as trials permitted by God for their spiritual benefit. With peaceful hearts they suffer on, always gentle in speech, gladly and easily reconciled to those who have done them injury. Half-con verted souls, on the contrary, blaze up quickly with anger, are sorry at the good fortune of others, are backbiters, double-dealers and gossipers; they murmur against their superiors; they complain about their inferiors.
The truly converted are ever kind and compassionate, ready-handed to give and to help; for they make little of earthly goods, even rejoicing in poverty and humiliations, for which they return unfeigned thanks to God, to Whom alone they look for their daily support. Their aim is to be delivered from temporal things and the care of them, so they may be wholly absorbed in eternal things. The falsely converted are afire with love for the good things of this life, ever seeking after personal convenience and pleasure. They misuse their time, deceiving their superiors if they can, and if that be hot possible, then acting in defiance of them. They must be well praised for all they do and amply rewarded; for if they are made little of they are like men possessed, and secretly or openly they set about doing all the harm they can. For every work of religion they expect temporal gain. They often practice gross deceit to procure worldly honors.
Men who are right-hearted, diligently devote all their time to doing good to their neighbor or advancing God’s honor, finding much spiritual joy in such a life. They are very careful to do everything exactly right, trusting with all their hearts for God’s blessing on their labors. And the wrong-hearted are ever slothful to do good and inclined to evil, bitter-minded in dealing with others, petty, deceitful — as becomes barren-hearted men.
The right-hearted are ever temperate and self-restrained in ministering to their natural wants, and much averse to all superfluity. If they as a Pater Noster. All this comes from heavy drinking and gluttonous feeding. Hence the extreme care taken by all holy men against overeating and drinking, in order to safeguard themselves and their disciples against such wickedness. But, alas, it has now come to such a pass that even some clergymen — and this is most of all to be regretted — cannot and will not be content with what suffices even rich worldlings. The men who thus behave are spiritually blinded and are seldom able to resist the temptations of the devil, who leads them, before they are aware of it, into foul impurity, smirching their souls with unclean thoughts and desires. Finally, they fall into detestible sins, calling down on their heads God’s maledictions beyond anything they can appreciate. These wilful impurities unfit them for any good and useful works, and make them offensive to all devout people. And now, blinded by their passionate desires, they rush into low company and give themselves up to vice and the pleasures of the table. Their language is flippant, their minds totally averted from any pious practice; they no sooner begin any exercise of devotion than they are filled with the evil memories of their sins, the devil playing the ape in their thoughts and acting over again the orgies of their bad companionship, causing them to laugh aloud when they should be absorbed in penitential thoughts.
How different are men who have been truly converted! They stand before God and His angels so chaste and so timid and cautious, that they had rather suffer death itself than wilfully harbor a single unchaste thought. They keep so close a watch over their hearts, senses and members, that they hardly presume to look even upon themselves, being greatly distrustful of their own virtue. They chastise their bodies with fasts and vigils and hard labors; they constantly lift their souls to God, placing their confidence in Him alone — all to safeguard holy chastity. Those, on the contrary, who are only seemingly converted, care little
0, dear children, consider earnestly how you stand; bear in mind what dangers surround us all. Let none of you be self -trustful; let each and all stand in holy fear. No matter how good you may now seem to be, by no means rely on that. And, on the other hand, no matter how sadly you may before this have fallen and gone astray from virtue, take courage and come back to God, this time by a true conversion. As long as God spares your life His favor is always ready to be bestowed. God help us all to that happiness! Amen.