The Sermons of Johannes Tauler · 72 of 124

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity

And the pasch of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple them that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when He had made, as it were, a scourge of little cords, He drove them all out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen, and the money of the changers he poured out, and the tables He overthrew. And to them that sold doves He said: Take these things hence, and make not the house of My Father a house of traffic. — John ii, 13-16.

Ah, children, mark well in these words the dignity of the human soul, which is in all truth the house and dwelling place of God, and God had rather live in it than in any place in earth or heaven. The soul has more that is Godlike in it than the heavens, or than any temple huilt with hands, or any other of His creations. For in the soul of man is God’s heart with all His love and trust and joy. And in the creation of all His other creatures, God has sought nothing else than the honor and dignity and happiness of our soul.

Since God dwells in our soul with all His love, so is He more properly present there than in the heavens or in any material temple. For God does all His work in the soul and for the soul — He gives it to the soul. And there it is that God the Father generates His only begotten Son, precisely as He does in the bosom of eternity. One might ask what we mean by this saying: God is born in the soul. Does it mean the likeness of God, or something divine? No, it is neither the image of God nor anything merely like Him: it is the

Thus spoke our Lord: “Take these things hence” — not this or that thing, but all these things — “and make not the house of My Father a house of traffic.” Mark veil, that whatsoever is born in thy soul which has not God for its cause, or which is not an image of God, existing entirely for His praise and honor, is for thee an object of traffic in God’s house. By this means thou dost bargain with God about the blessed birth of His Son within thee. This applies to everything whatsoever to which thou givest thy heart or about which thou engagest thy mind. This is the reason why God cannot be born within thy soul. It may be this world’s goods, it may be relatives and friends or other created things that intrude their images into thy soul: they are born within thee if thou acceptest them with pleasure. Be sure that this means barter and traffic of the eternal Son of God, whom the heavenly Father will never manifest in thee as His eternal Word until all these things of barter and traffic are taken out

I have three things to say, about how a man shall cleanse the inmost depths of his soul, tearing out all hindrances by the roots: or otherwise expressed, how to banish the traffickers from the temple of the soul, leaving it in peace, never to return again. For as God lives thou must make sure of that.

The first is a safe and free conscience. What does that mfean? It means a conscience untroubled and cleansed. If one’s soul be disturbed, or if it be misdirected by attachment to creatures, if it be evil on account of sinful practices, then it must be cleansed by true repentance. And what is true repentance? Is it that one feels bad and moans and weeps? No, O no. For many a time it happens that convivial and dissipated and sinful men moan and weep, and yet have no true repentance, while othera on the contrary weep not at all, and yet these are genuinely penitent. Every creature, if but true to its nature, loves God more than self — but not the sinner; he loves himself more than God. This he proves by seeking his pleasure in creatures, no matter how much pain this may be to God. 'When a

Hence when it happens that a sinful man realizes that he has lost eternal life and is in danger of being caught and imprisoned in the eternal pains of hell, then he has indeed sorrow, but it is a sorrow as different from true repentance as earth from heaven. It is to self that this sorrow ministers and not to God. Therefore it helps not the sinner, and it may even remove him farther yet from grace, for he is seeking for grace where it is not.

He that will find grace must look for it where it is, namely in God, in God alone, not in creatures nor any imagination of them. Sorrow and pain for thy sins on account of the harm they do thyself obtains no grace, for herein thou restest in self and created things. However good thy work may be, if thy intention is drawn from created things and not from God alone in all loyalty of spirit, no grace can result to thee. Grace is in God and not in creatures. But when in any work the praise and honor of God is had in mind, God takes that work up as His own. Thus it is said: “Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did it to me” (Matt, xxv: 40).

Dear children, think how sweet a life is that in which a man practices in time and towards creatures a virtue that God will assume in eternity as if it had been actually done to Himself. Of this meaning are the words: “He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of My eye” (Zach. ii: 8) . Therefore think not only on the poor man who stand* before thee but on the person of God, who takes to Himself all that thou dost to him, whether good or evil. Hence when a man has God in mind, so shall his heart be drawn into God and made one with Him, being drawn away from all creatures — and this is where grace is and not with creatures; with whom if thy heart is joined in false love and imaginations, thou shalt find no grace.

And now, dear child, note another good thought. Wouldst thou know whom thou servest, and who is going to reward thee? Mark well for whom thy work is done, and what thou hast in mind as the reason of thy work. That will show thee whom thou servest. As to this all the teachers in the world can tell thee nothing, for thyself alone knowest it. Others know the outside of thy works and they may think them good; but on whose account they are done, thou alone

God is the decision as to whether or not thou shalt have grace, but with thyself also; for just as thou standest true and loving to God shalt thou have grace, and just as much grace as thou thyself dost will. If thou lovest God, then thou sufferest, laborest, avoidest sin in Him and through Him as much as thou wiliest. Such is the man who finds grace, and has right sorrow for his sins — it is one who is sorry for them out of love and fidelity, sorry that he has angered and dishonored so sweet and good a God. If there were neither hell nor heaven, still he ought to be none the less grieved that he had ever rebelled against God. This is true sorrow, even though one may shed no tears in it.

And after that one must make his confession. And what is a true confession? When a man tells all that he knows himself to be guilty of nor wilfully keeps back anything: then he has rightly confessed, and he should trust with entire security that all his sins are forgiven him. It is more to God’s honor that He should forgive sins than that He should punish them. One must also believe in the powers of the father confessor, according to our Lord’s words: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (John xx:23). And His other words: “Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven” (Matt. xviii:18). I tell you in all sincerity that if any man confesses his sins, and afterwards feels remorse about these same sins, it were far better than he trust God, believe firmly in the power of his father confessor, and not tell the sins again — far better that than tell them over again out of nervousness. Understand this besides: thou beholdest our blessed Lord’s body in the church, thou knowest full well it is He, thou art ready to go to thy death rather than to doubt it. Now who hath told thee this? The man who hath seen it with his eyes does not live: God alone has said it, and by the power of His word has enclosed Himself in the Sacrament under the appearance of bread. And out of the same mouth of God has come forth the word of the forgiveness of sins in confession. Therefore do not uimply believe but plainly know it — as clearly as thou knowest

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Luke xxi:33). In this certainty of the plain truth of God does a man after confession obtain deep peace of conscience. Nor does this confidence rest upon any work of his own, as such, but entirely upon the promise of God. And when he thus trusts God, then does God on His part stand true to what was said in the absolution of the priest, namely that he will be saved.

Furthermore, see to it earnestly that thou standest indifferent as to all earthly things; and that will give thee continual peace of soul. But does it mean that I must be literally indifferent about everything? By no means, dear child, for therein thou mightest go astray. For who can doubt but that, considering works in their intrinsic value, it is better to pray than cook, to think of God than spin, to be in church than on the streets? If one does not agree to this he is a heretic. But thou shalt stand indifferent by not taking things out of their rightful relation to other things. And thus: is it right that thou shouldest now be in church at thy prayers? Then gather together all thy thoughts and lift thy soul upwards to God. But does it behoove thee to be now engaged at some other work, such as cooking or spinning — is this God’s will? Even as thou wert recollected in church at thy prayers, so be thou now absorbed in thy present work for His sake. We meet with those who are full of God’s love — as they think — when they do honorable work in all peace and in a high station of life. But if it happens that they must quit this work and drop down lower, then they seem to dismiss God from their souls, until they can return to their self-chosen occupation.

Be sure that as long as thou couplest God inseparably with thy particular devotions or any other circumstances of life, thou shalt not have true peace, no, nor shalt thou have God himself. Thou mayst think otherwise, but in very truth thou hast not sought nor found God but thyself and thy own ways. Such persons hurry off to church in the early morning, as if God were not to be found in their homes nor upon the streets in the duties of their state of life. Such a hurrying to church to the neglect of home duties, is an injury to thyself, nor wilt thou therein find God. This is why some do not find peace of heart, do not really find God, now in doing a good work, now in saying a prayer to God or to a saint — hurrying and hurrying In a rush of devotions, one of as little profit to them as the other.

One should in all his good works, keep his mind directed so straight to God, that the figure of the work almost slips out of his mind, and the thought of God remains there alone. This is the way to seek and find grace in every work. Though thou be a woman at home engaged in thy humble household duties, thou shalt find God there if thou give thy mind to Him. Day and night God in His holy wisdom steadfastly waits upon thee, to draw thee to Himself when He finds thee ready, no matter what thy situation, regardless of thy ways of devotion. Thou little knowest when and where God will meet thee. Stand in God’s sight indifferent to all things; whatsoever happens to thee, look for God in it, and know that this is all the best for thee. Fear not that thou art guilty of any retnissness in this; for that cannot be if thou art doing God’s will, — in all things and ways and states make sure of belonging to God, at least in thy intention and purpose. Herein alone is peace and content; apart from this, never. And unless a man seeks God in all things, he will not find dim in any single thing. Make this a test and apply it to thyself.

Nor should one too anxiously inquire just by what means he has arrived at God. If one is journeying to Rome, he should not tarry to study about the smoothness of the road here and its crookedness there, now over plains and again over hills; if he acts thus he will be forever on the journey. So must a man go straight forward to God in all his devotional exercises, little worrying about this method or that as long as they lead him onward. And in this spirit of indifference there is joy upon joy. Thou mayst ask how one may attain to it. I answer: By denying thyself. Seek thyself in nothing. Seek God and His honor, that alone, that in all things. Scrutinize thyself strictly on this point, and then this virtue will be thine — otherwise not. It rests with thyself; for who but thy own self can tell whether thou hast God in view or thyself in thy conduct and thy thoughts? That man has peace of soul who stands indifferent; and he stands indifferent who seeks not his own.

Besides this, a man must, in a certain way, stand indifferent between God’s justice and His mercy. Now there are people who greatly long for God’s mercy and love it, but have great fear of His justice. But tell me, dear child, what has His justice done to thee? Dost thou not know that what God does out of mercy He also does out of justice? — and what is done from justice is done from mercy?"

Justice constrains God to be merciful to us, because He is our Father and we are His children. He needs must lore us out of justice and show us favor — and indeed He ever does. And this is how one should love and long for God’s mercy, so that He may exercise justice towards us, according to His adorable will, to His honor and glory.

But to be able thus to think and love, one must be stripped and emptied of all self-will. We must seek the all lovely will of God and that alone, accepting lovingly whatever it pleases Him to do with us and with all creatures. When the will of God thus tastes good to us, then whatsoever His justice does is, we might almost say, as pleasing to our souls as whatsoever His mercy does, whether it be to ourselves or to others. To a man who rightly loves God, everything is welcome, be it pain or pleasure, be it to himself or others, for it all comes from God’s will. Ask thyself always: Is this God’s will? Then do I set aside my own will in its favor. For thus do we daily pray to God: “Thy will be done!” Which means that it is our will that God’s will may be done in all things. Let us be glad of His will working in our will and in all the works He does in us, whether they are the fruit of His mercy or of His justice. If this feeling were deep-seated in us and made truly our own, happy should we be. That this may be granted us, we pray God’s merciful justice and His just mercy. Amen.

Bitter sorrow for sin is Cod’s call to communion — Meditation on Christ’s passion is a stimulant to frequent communion — All must be on their guard against the admixture of natural motives.

SERMON FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drlnketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. — I Cor. xi, 28-29.

The meaning of this teaching of St. Paul is that one should study himself well, with a view to choosing the right devotional practice to prepare his heart for partaking of this adorable food. For it is good for some, who have no great interior longing for the Sacrament, nevertheless often to receive it, so that they may thereby keep their daily lives well ordered and have grace to maintain their good resolutions against sinning. Even more than this: one should not

Only those should abstain who live according to their own will and do not stop sinning, being overbearing and Belf- willed, full of backbiting and rash judgments, restless and impatient and abusive, addicted to fleshy pleasures, and fettered with other such defects. As to whether or not such persons should never receive Communion at all, I leave to their own decision, though I would advise them against it, being of opinion that they do themselves more harm than good thereby. The oftener they communicate the worse they grow interiorly and the farther they stray from virtue; for they have no notion of true detachment of spirit; they have never so much as begun to live after the life and example of Christ, though they have doubtless sometimes thought

Mark well how you may receive this Sacrament with fruit. Thou shouldst eat this heavenly bread with eagerness; that is to say, with great desire and savor in thy inmost soul. What if outwardly thou dost feel dull and all unfit to receive: that amounts to nothing, as long as thy will is upright to avoid all that is sinful, as far as thou knowest, against God’s honor and virtuous living, whether thy feelings respond to this resolve or not. When one avoids all occasions of sin, and meanwhile practices the ordinary virtues of a Christian life, let him approach the Sacrament with all joy. His inner soul is not devoid of great sincerity, though the outward man is heavy and undevotional — for this inconvenience lies only in our poor human nature. Any amount of sensible devotion is of little worth, if the interior will is not upright.

Draw a lesson from the paschal supper of the Israelites, who ate the lamb with bitter lettuce. This means that thy soul should taste the bitterness of sorrow for thy sins when approaching the holy table. Thou shalt obtain this by arousing thy sympathy for Christ in His passion by means of meditation; also by making atonement to God’s injured honor by leading a life of strenuous penance. This begins by abstemiousness in eating and drinking, wearing coarse clothes, sleeping on a hard bed, keeping holy vigils, and the like. When thou hast thus followed Christ in His outward life, thou shalt be ready to imitate Him in His interior suffering. He said: “My soul is sorrowful even unto death” (Matt, xxvi: 38). So shalt thou feel the interior woe of God’s Son, in cutting off entirely all tendency to sensual pleasure, in total suppression of concupiscence, in treading self-will absolutely under foot, in entirely giving up self-conceit. Child, this is what it means rightly to meditate on Christ’s passion and to bewail His death. Without this, other devotional exercises are worthless.

Many seemingly good men have fine appearing and ostentations virtues, which, however, rest not in essential excellence, but in their own feelings. As a matter of fact, they never get down into their interior life — their whole trust is in outward virtuous acts. Some have a very strong sensible devotion; they are much moved by our Lord’s passion, which they meditate from beginning to end day by day with a great feeling of sweetness, the like of which other people do not have. But this is by no means the inner mortification, the humble self-renouncement or the universal love that they should have. They are not at all given up to meekness, or to purity of heart. When the test of self-abnegation is applied to them, their shortcomings are discovered, however honestly they may have imagined themselves humble and single-hearted during their meditations. Ah, no. The purity of virtue comes from other kinds of devotional exercises, namely, the examination and cleansing of all one’s thoughts, and the steadfast resistance to whatever is not conducive to spiritual progress.

Along with this let a man meditate on Christ’s passion, and study His words and works with the Holy Scriptures before him; then let him follow a good order of devout living; and finally let him free himself from useless and disturbing cares. This is the method of acquiring purity of heart and of thought. Towards that should one earnestly strive — against every evil intention, every sinful desire. Let him be grieved intensely at the danger or the very thought ot sin, and steadfastly set himself against it.

When one has attained this cleanness of spirit, whatever bad thing he sees or hears he takes no evil out of it, he forms no judgment about it, for to the pure all things are pure. It is not easy to provoke such a man to anger, and he spreads an air of peacefulness around him, even in. the company of the quarrelsome. He is of use to all, of hurt to none, whether in things great or things little. In such a purified soul the Blessed Sacrament works wonders, for in such an interior condition the foundations of virtues are solidly laid; not in showy pious observances, or susceptibility to pious feelings when receiving Communion — in which and in other such things many people put their trust.

These go often to Confession and Communion, thinking themselves entirely worthy to do so, saying they cannot do without it. Yet they rest upon merely natural motives. They are even deluded with the

-obedience, they will scarcely look at them or listen to a word from them if they interfere with the practices which they deem so holy. Let it be quite different with us. May God grant us to receive Communion in a holy and happy state of true penance, inner and outer, and with great purity of heart and mind. Amen.

outward — Different kinds of imperfect souls — Self-will the principal hindrance to divine inspiration — Newt comes the hurt done by spiritual vanity — How good works react on the interior favorably— Disinterestedness, obedience, humility and holy fear are safeguards against delusion.