Sermon 86

Beautiful Sermon. The extraordinary giant M.Eckhart makes up his story as usual :) using the Biblical story of Mary Magdalene at the tomb. He makes it a story of a psychological transformation (because maybe all what he was really writing was about THAT! - I don't know bc I've read rather little of his work). Notice the change of the capital letters, him (Jesus the man) and Him (God the Universe, one unitary movement, etc.

So what is the story that M.Eckhart conceived about? Mary Magdalene loved Jesus so much that when he died, she died psychologically with him too. That means she became totally empty. That was when the God/ Universe/ joyous extraordinary Energy or whatever you want to call It was revealed/restored in her. Beautiful and true explanation of the psychological transformation using the old catholic imagery and terms (also worth noticing is a great translation).

The last part is immensely important to understand:
For the soul to find God she needs six things: First, what was sweet to her before must become bitter to her. Second, that the soul becomes too cramped for herself, so that she cannot remain within herself.8 Third, she must desire nothing but God. Fourth, that none can comfort her but God. Fifth, that she never returns to transient things. Sixth, that she has no inner peace till He is restored to her.


SERMON EIGHTY-SIX
(Q 56, Par. an. 26, Evans II, 32)1
"Mary stood at the sepulcher weeping" (John 20 : 1 1 ). It was a wonder that in such sore distress she could weep at all. 'Love was the reason of her standing, sorrow of her weeping.' She stepped forward and looked into the tomb. She sought a dead man, and found two living angels. Origen says, 'she stood.' Why did she stay when the apostles had fled? She had nothing to lose: all she had she had lost with him. When he died she died with him. When they buried him they buried her soul with him. Therefore she had nothing to lose.
She went on. Then he met her. "She thought he was the gardener,
and said, 'Where have you laid him?' " (John 20 :15). She was so
anxious about him that she only took in one word that he said.
"Where have you laid him? " that was what she said to him. Then he
revealed himself gradually to her. If he had revealed himself all at
once, while she was in the throes of longing, she would have died of joy. If the soul knew when God was coming into her, she would die of joy; and if she knew when He was leaving her, she would die of grief. She does not know when He comes or when He goes, though she can sense when He is with her. A master says His coming and His going are hidden. His presence is not concealed, for He is a light, and light is by nature revelation.
Mary sought God and God alone: that is why she found Him, and
she desired nothing but God. To the soul that seeks God, all creatures must be a pain. It was a pain for her to see the angels. Thus for the soul in quest of God, all things must be as nothing. For the soul to find God she needs six things: First, what was sweet to her before must become bitter to her. Second, that the soul becomes too cramped
for herself, so that she cannot remain within herself.8 Third, she must desire nothing but God. Fourth, that none can comfort her but God. Fifth, that she never returns to transient things. Sixth, that she has no inner peace till He is restored to her.
Let us pray, etc.