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Gieraths: Life in Abundance - Intro
Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart & the German
Dominican Mystics of the 14th
Century
by Gundolf M. Gieraths, O.P.

Autumn 1986 Vol. 38 Supplement
Introduction
1. Life in Abundance
2. The Elements of German Dominican Mysticism
3. The Importance of Dominican Sisters in German Mysticism
4. Fifteenth-Century Dominican Spirituality
5. Mystical Writers: Meister Eckhart
6. Mystical Writers: John Tauler
7. Mystical Writers: Blessed Henry Suso & John of Sterngassen
INTRODUCTION
Critical studies of the works of Meister Eckhart, Johann Tauler and Heinrich Suso have
advanced notably since 1956, when Fr. Gieraths book first appeared in Germany. (1) (A
select bibliography of recent works in English on Eckhart and his disciples is appended to
this Introduction.) As a result, significant theological opinion has shifted in support of the
orthodoxy of Eckhart's teachings, including the sentences taken out of the full context of
his writings in the papal condemnation of 1329. A favorable response from the Vatican to
a petition of the Dominican Order to reopen the proceedings against the Meister is
presently awaited.
In light of these events, Gieraths' hesitation regarding Eckhart's orthodoxy must itself be
viewed with reserve. Similarly, his bias against the Neoplatonic influence on St. Albert
the Great and his students, especially Eckhart, must be reconsidered in view of the
brilliant work of Alain de Libera and others, which argues cogently for the integral
Christian interpretation of this alternative philosophical tradition by Albert's "Cologne
School."(2) The Christian Neoplatonism of these "Albertines," tempered and in many
respects transformed by a profound reliance on Scripture and Christian tradition, provided
the hospitable structure for interpreting mysticism (they would have called it
"contemplation") that the works of Aristotle lacked.
http://www.spiritualitytoday.org/spir2day/la00.html (1 of 4)27-Sep-05 22:43:00

But even with these developments in the current upsurge of study and interest in the
Rhineland mystics, no single work has addressed the phenomenon of the Dominican
spiritual revolution of the late Middle Ages so thoroughly, deeply and impartially as Fr.
Gieraths' little book. It was remarkably prophetic in almost every area of treatment. Of
particular interest is his discussion of the spirituality of the Dominican nuns of this period
and the contribution to German mysticism of John of Sterngassen. Unfortunately, very
little of the relevant German literature on these subjects has been translated into English,
including the important critical texts of the Rhineland convent chronicles.
Thus, as a general introduction to the Dominican Rhineland mystics of the fourteenth

century, Life in Abundance remains unsurpassed. For this reason, Spirituality Today
presents Fr. Gieraths' work in this single edition as a special supplement to the regular
autumn issue. In order to preserve the integrity of the original series, excerpts from the
sermons and writings of Eckhart, Tauler, Suso and John of Sterngassen, translated with
Gieraths' text for the Cross and Crown series by Dr. Edward Schuster and Sr. Mary of the
Immaculate Heart, O.P., have been left intact in this reprinting. Newer, fuller and, because
of continuing critical studies, sometimes more accurate texts and translations have
appeared, however, within the last few years. M. O'C. Walshe's translation of the complete
sermons and treatises of Eckhart, and the Paulist Press translations of Eckhart by Edmund
Colledge and Bernard McGinn, and of Tauler by Maria Schrady (see bibliography) should
be consulted especially for further reading and appreciation of what Rufus Jones happily
called "the flowering of mysticism in the fourteenth century."
-- Richard Woods, O.P., Editor
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. TRANSLATIONS
James M. Clark, trans., Henry Suso: Little Book of Eternal Wisdom and Little Book of
Truth, London: Faber, 1953.
James Midgely Clark, Meister Eckhart: An Introduction to the Study of His Works with an
Anthology of His Sermons, Edinburgh: Nelson, 1957.
James M. Clark and John V. Skinner, eds. and trans., Treatises and Sermons of Meister
Eckhart, New York: Octagon Books, 1983.
Edmund Colledge, O.S.A. and Bernard McGinn, trans. and eds., Meister Eckhart: The
Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises and Defense, New York: Paulist Press, 1981.

Eric Colledge and Mary Jane Colledge, trans., John Tauler: Conferences, Rockford, IL:
TAN Books, 1979.
Matthew Fox, O.P., ed., Breakthrough: Meister Eckhart's Creation Spirituality in New
Translation, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1980.
Maria Shrady, trans., Johannes Tauler: Sermons, New York: Paulist Press, 1985.
M. O'C. Walshe, Meister Eckhart: Sermons and Treatises, 3 vols., London: Watkins,
1979, 1981 and 1986 (anticipated).
2. COMMENTARIES
Jeanne Ancelet-Hustache, Master Eckhart, New York and London: Harper and Row/
Longmans, 1957.
James M. Clark, The Great German Mystics, New York: Russell and Russell, 1970
(reprint of Basil Blackwell edition, Oxford: 1949).
William A. Hinnebusch, O.P., The History of the Dominican Order, Staten Island, NY:
Alba House, 2 vols., 1966 and 1973.
Richard Woods, O.P., Eckhart's Way, Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1986.
Benedict Ashley, O.P., Three Strands in the Thought of Eckhart, the Scholastic
Theologian," The Thomist, 42 (No. 2, April 1978), pp. 226-239.
Edmund Colledge, O.S.A., "Meister Eckhart: His Times and His Writings," The Thomist,
ed. cit., pp. 240-58.
Karl Kertz, S.J., "Meister Eckhart's Teaching on the Birth of the Divine Word in the
Soul," Traditio 15 (1959), pp. 327-363.
Richard Kieckhefer, "John Tauler," An Introduction to the Medieval Mystics of Europe,

ed. by Paul E. Szarmach, Albany: State University of New York Press, 1984.
Richard Kieckhefer, "Meister Eckhart's Conception of Union with God," Harvard

Theological Review 71 (1978), pp. 203-25.
Bernard McGinn. "Meister Eckhart: An Introduction," An Introduction to the Medieval

Mystics of Europe, ed. cit., pp. 237-57.

Bernard McGinn, "Meister Eckhart on God as Absolute Unity," Neoplatonism and

Christian Thought, ed. by Dominic J. O'Meara, Albany: State University of New York
Press, 1982, pp. 128-39.
Bernard McGinn, "The God beyond God," Journal of Religion 61 (1981), pp. 1-19.
Bernard McGinn, "Meister Eckhart's Condemnation Reconsidered," Thomist (1980), pp.

390-414.
Sr. Margaret R. Miles, "The Mystical Method of Meister Eckhart," Studia Mystica, 4, 4
(Winter, 198 1), pp. 57-7 1.
Frank Tobin, "Recent Work in English on Meister Eckhart," Thought: A Review of

Culture and Idea, 55 (1980), pp. 206-19.
NOTES
1 Gundolf Gieraths, O.P., Reichtum des Lebens. Die Deutsche Dorninikanermystik des 14.
Jahrhunderts, Düsseldorf: Albertus Magnus-Verlag, 1956. English translation by Edward
Schuster and Sister Mary of the Immaculate Heart, O.P., "Spiritual Riches," Cross and
Crown, 14 (1962): 160-72, 311-32, 338-48, 456-67; and 15 (1963): 78-89, 186-97, 444-
62.
2 See Alain de Libera, Introduction à la Mystique Rhénane d'Albert le Grand à Maître

Eckhart, Paris: O.E.I.L., 1984. See also John Macquarrie, In Search of Deity, New York:
Crossroad, 1984.
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Gieraths: Life in Abundance - 1
Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart &
the German
Dominican Mystics
1 of the 14th Century
by Gundolf M.
Gieraths, O.P. Autumn 1986 Vol. 38 Supplement
Life in Abundance
INTRODUCTION
From its earliest days the Dominican Order has placed great emphasis on study and the
intellectual development of its members. In the earliest Constitutions, those of 1228, the
particular significance of study is clearly emphasized. (1) The Dominican Order was in
fact the first not only to recognize study as an essential and even a pre-eminent means, but
also the first to regulate it through precise and wise legislation. This strong emphasis on
study arose from the very objective of the Order, from its apostolic mission. In contrast to
the older orders which sought the sanctification of individuals and society through
monastic isolation, St. Dominic conceived the ideal of his order as the care of souls,
particularly the care of souls in the newly urbanized society, beset with the new problems
of urban life -- since the twelfth-century cities and towns had become centers of activity.
Moreover, there had been an awakening of interest in profounder and more intellectual
problems, due especially to contact with Eastern culture which had resulted from the
Crusades and from trade with the Orient. But the cities were also centers of interest for the
heretics. From the Byzantine East came the dualistic error of the Cathari (Albigensians).
The city of Lyons became the
center of a religious movement known as Waldensianism, which probably began with

good intentions, but which eventually came into sharp conflict with the Church because of
its hatred for the hierarchy. These two heresies gave St. Dominic the stimulus to found his
order. Dominic wanted to lead those who had gone astray back to the true Church; in
establishing his order of priests he wanted to labor first and foremost for the salvation of
souls. This goal was to be attained through preaching and teaching, which presuppose
thorough study. Consequently, St. Dominic sent his brethren to the universities, and there
also he sought his first disciples. In this way the Order of Preachers became associated
with the intellectual movements of the period.

Precisely here, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, the Order encountered a unique
and difficult situation. The opposition between theology and secular learning which had
prevailed since the eleventh century had not yet disappeared. A reserved and more or less
critical attitude toward secular learning appears in the first legislation of the Dominican
Order concerning study in 1228: "They shall not study the books of pagans and
philosophers, although they may occasionally spend an hour leafing through such works.
They shall not engage in the study of secular learning, nor in the so-called liberal arts,
unless the General of the Order or a general chapter of the Order make exception for
some." (2) Thus, study was to be confined to theology as it had always been taught by the
Fathers, especially by St. Augustine.
These provisions, viewed in their historical context, were primarily pedagogical measures
taken by the Order against the new learning, which more and more inundated the Christian
West from Sicily and Spain in the writings of Constantine the African, Avicenna,
Averroes, Moses Maimonides, Algazel, and especially Aristotle. Prior to this time the
West knew Aristotle only through his writings on logic, transmitted largely by Boethius.
With the beginning of the thirteenth century the West became increasingly acquainted
with the "new" Aristotle (through his writings on the natural sciences, ethics, and
metaphysics), not always, to be sure, in a pure form, for his works were often distorted
and corrupted by translators, that is, by the interpretations and commentaries of Arabs and
Jews. These perversions incurred ecclesiastical censure until Aristotle was disengaged and
restored to his authentic position. This purification, in the strict sense of the term, was first
effected by Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas, who secured for Aristotle the position
of a recognized authority, thereby gaining recognition for philosophy and for the profane
sciences corresponding to that of theology. By means of these two great scholars of the
Dominican Order medieval thought for the most part was given an Aristotelian
orientation.
THOMISM VERSUS NEO-PLATONISM
Upon the writings of the Fathers and Aristotle, interpreted in a Christian sense, St.
Thomas Aquinas built his own intellectual structure. This was only gradually accepted,
even within the Dominican Order. Even though many general and provincial chapters
decreed that the doctrine of St. Thomas should be the accepted teaching in studia of the
Order, (3) there were still supporters of the older tradition which went back to Plato and to
St. Augustine. The older tradition had become much too familiar. Augustine, pseudo-
Denis, and later the Arabs, together with their ideas, which partly concealed neo-Platonic
elements, had become so fully incorporated in theology that, even at the height of
Scholasticism, the neo-Platonic tradition is conspicuous alongside the pure Aristotelian
doctrine. Toward the end of the thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth century this
neo-Platonism is particularly evident among the German Dominicans. St. Thomas himself
is not entirely free of neo-Platonic elements. (4) But above all one notices that the neo-

Platonic influence
"originates with Albert the Great, who in his comprehensive selection of material, in his
scientific integration and adaptation, also included a wealth of neo-Platonic teaching in his
writings. However, two points ought not to be overlooked: first, that Albert definitely
rejects neo-Platonic doctrines, and second, that now, quite independent of Albert, the
leaning toward neo-Platonism is found in connection with mathematical-physical studies,
especially in the optical works of the Silesian Witelo and in the anonymous treatise, De
intelligentiis (On the nature of the intellect ), which appeared during the first half of the
thirteenth century." (5)
Considering the exalted position Albert occupied in medieval thought, and particularly in
the Dominican Order, it is understandable that his doctrine and views were not devoid of
influence. Above all he had a lasting influence in Germany where he established neo-
Platonism in German Dominican Scholasticism, thereby exercising a determining
influence on German mysticism of the fourteenth century, which reached its highest
development in the Order of Preachers. German neo-Platonism, originating in Albert's
teaching, was first developed in the theological Summa of his favorite disciple, Ulrich
Engelbert of Strassburg, who was provincial of the German province from 1272 to 1277.
Ulrich's teaching concerning God is closely allied to Albert's unpublished commentary on
The Divine Names of pseudo-Denis. Similarly, we find great sympathy for neo-Platonism
in the philosophical and scientific writings of the provincial and Master of Theology,
Dietrich of Freiberg in Saxony (• after 1310), even though he clearly disagreed with some
of Albert's doctrines. Although Thomistic philosophy had broken with neo-Platonism,
Dietrich embraced it with all its implications. Krebs (6) considers that one of Dietrich's
principal contributions was to show that a Christian neo-Platonism is possible, that is, one
which is reconcilable with pure monotheism, including the concept of creation ex nihilo,
and compatible with the Church's teaching on grace. This position is most significant,
because it was put forth at a time when the danger of pantheism and the denial of the
supernatural goal of man were becoming very real. Among the Thomists influenced by
neo-Platonism was Meister Eckhart (• 1327), whose works stood very high in German
Dominican theology. Likewise Tauler (• 1361) was not entirely free of neo-Platonic ideas.
The Dominican, Berthold of Moosburg, who is mentioned as lecturer in the Regensburg
convent in 1327, raised a literary Monument to tills neo-Platonic current of the fourteenth
century in his huge commentary on the Elementatio theologica of Proclus. A dependence
on Meister Eckhart and Berthold of Moosburg can clearly be seen in Nicholas of Cusa. At
Cologne the most important representative of the Albertine school at the university,
Heimerich of Kampen (• 1460), was influenced by neo-Platonism.
While neo-Platonic tendencies were in the fore in German Dominican theology up to the
beginning of the Order's reform toward the end of the fourteenth century, there were
several Dominicans at the beginning of this century who were mainly oriented toward

Thomism. To this Thomistic current of thought belong John Picardi of Lichtenberg,

provincial of the German province of the Order from 1308 to 1310, Henry of Lübeck, who
was provincial from 1325 to 1336, the mystics John of Sterngassen, lecturer at Strassburg
and at Cologne (• 1314), his brother Gerhard of Sterngassen, who is mentioned as a
preacher in Cologne at the beginning of the fourteenth century, and a contemporary,
Nicholas of Strassburg, lecturer in the higher faculty at Cologne. It has now been
established from manuscripts discovered by Grabmann,(7) that a definite Thomistic
current of thought is to be found in the Latin writings of the two Sterrigassens and of
Nicholas of Strassburg, and that in these three mystics there is no trace of neo-Platonism.
In metaphysics Nicholas of Strassburg depends heavily on St. Thomas, while in his
extensive investigations of the natural sciences, he follows the doctrine of St. Albert. As
for John of Sterrigassen, it is not improbable that he was an immediate disciple of St.
Thomas. Finally, the most beloved of the German mystics of the fourteenth century,
Blessed Henry Suso (• 1366), was also a faithful adherent of Thomistic teaching; for him
St. Thomas was "the foremost teacher among all teachers." (8)
Thus, two currents of theological thought can be discerned among the German
Dominicans of the late thirteenth and the early fourteenth century, two currents which
occasionally intermingle: the neo-Platonic current which began with St. Albert the Great
and led through Ulrich Engelbert of Strassburg and Dietrich of Freiburg to Meister
Eckhart, and the Thomistic current which gathered greater force after the fourteenth
century. Both of these two currents, Thomism and neo-Platonism, must be taken into
account in order to understand "German mysticism" in the Dominican Order. However,
one must remember that "German Mysticism" did not arise from entirely new roots.
Rather, the ultimate source was the universal Christian mysticism of earlier centuries.
Only in this way can mysticism be seen as an element Of the devout life. Only in this light
can we appreciate the particular characteristics of "German mysticism" among the
Dominicans of the fourteenth century. We shall now consider the flowering and the
decline of German Dominican mysticism.
MYSTICISM AS A PART OF DEVOTION
The word "mysticism" is derived from the Greek verb µ (myein), meaning to close oneself
off, to shut the eyes, or quite generally a closing off of all the senses. From the word itself
one would understand a "mystic" to be a person who frees himself from all external
impressions, one who severs all channels to the outside world, one who turns away from
all perceptions of sense, in order to submerge himself completely in the infinity of God
and to hold therein intimate conversation with him.
The function and aim of all mysticism is the union of the soul with God. Mysticism turns
around the central theme of "God and the soul"; it is concerned with the possession of God
within the very depths of the soul. According to Krebs it is "the realization or experience

of the soul's union with God through grace, in which, through the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
especially the gifts of understanding and wisdom, the knowledge of divine truths is
deepened and clarified to the point of simple intuition or contemplation of the truth, the
love of God and man is wondrously increased and inflamed, often inflamed to very heroic
purposes, and joy in God is intensified to a foretaste of eternal happiness." (9) Common to
all the mystics is a passionate pursuit of God. Speculative mysticism is intent on studying
the union of the soul with God, while practical mysticism tries to attain this union. Sacred
Scripture forms the foundation of mysticism, the Fathers of the Church, especially St.
Augustine and pseudo-Denis, give it support, while practical information is to be found in
the autobiographical descriptions of those who have experienced this union.
THE THREE STAGES
Starting with the fact that our earthly life is a pilgrimage, a journey from a foreign land to
our homeland, the program of the mystical life was seen to lie in renunciation of all
earthly goods (Luke 14:33), in universal denial of self, bearing the cross patiently and
following Christ (Matt. 16:24), in order to arrive at that final goal where God is seen face
to face, just as he is (I Cor 13:12; 1 John 3:2). In keeping with many of the Church
Fathers, this pilgrimage toward our true home was divided into three stages, which were
generally described as the purgative, the illuminative, and the unitive ways according to
the classification of pseudo-Denis. By the purgative way is understood the active and
passive detachment from all worldly things, the illuminative way is contemplation through
the grace of wisdom, and the unitive way is none other than the volitional and intellectual
union with God in the soul's innermost depths. Briefly and with classic perfection Suso
describes the mystical way in the well-known phrase: "A recollected person must be
unformed of the creature (purgative way), become informed with Christ (illuminative
way), and transformed into God (unitive way)." (10) In another passage Suso says: "You
should desire nothing else except that God should remove all impediments from your
path, and that he should unite you to himself at all times without impediment." (11)The
way in which Eckhart summarizes the process and goal of the mystical life is likewise
characteristic: "If God is to enter, the creature must get out." (12) Quotations such as these
could be multiplied indefinitely. Repeatedly the mystics present the challenge, namely, of
wrenching the heart free of all inordinate attachment to the world, self-denial and
tranquility in the face of all earthly things, that the soul may be free and open to God.
In their description of the three stages the mystics appealed especially to the will. But they
did not stop with a mere description of mysticism as a manner of living; they went further
and tried to establish the scientific foundations of mystical experience. Thus, we find in
their writings a number of speculative discussions. Particularly prominent in these
scientific studies were a clear concept of God, the doctrines of redemption, grace, and the
notion of soul, as well as a detailed explanation of cognitional processes -- teachings
which had become the common property of theologians through Scholasticism with its

theology constructed upon Aristotelian philosophy. In the forefront of all mystical

speculation we find the indwelling of the Godhead in a favored soul. Perfect union is
found in heaven through the beatific vision, but even now in the present state of life man
is called to strive for the highest possible union with God through knowledge and love.
The mystic is convinced that God enters the innermost recesses of the soul and acts
therein. (13) The real life task which the mystic sets for himself is the winning of God.
There are two ways in which this is possible: God could come to the soul suddenly and
immediately, or the soul could reach out to God. In the former case God reveals his
presence through a special gift of grace; in the latter, the soul has to remove all personal
impediments in order to discover God dwelling within him. Both ways were trodden by
the great Dominican mystics.(14) With brilliant colors the mystics describe the workings
of divine love, and paint a picture of those mysterious states wherein the human soul,
filled with supernatural life far beyond the ordinary experiences of divine bounty,
experiences God immediately within itself and attains such an intimate union with him
that the image of God in the soul reaches its highest perfection. The soul abandons itself
uniquely to the contemplation of God, without reflection and eventually even without
representative images. "The description of this highest act of imageless contemplation in
the blinding cloud of the divine essence, together with the unconditional union of the
divine and human wills, is the central thought of Mysticism." (15) In this imageless vision
the soul forgets the essential difference between God and itself, even though this
difference continues to be real. The accent is no longer on the difference and antithesis
between Creator and creature; it is a union with the Creator. In no sense, however, is this a
pantheistic fusion of natures; the experience of the soul's union with God by means of
grace is not a disappearance in God; rather it is a nuptial union through love and grace. In
this experience created nature is never completely passive in the sense of a quietistic
absence of activity, not even when it has the feeling of passivity; intellectual
consciousness and moral responsibility remain, and the soul continues to be active under
the influence of grace. Thus Eckhart remarks: "Since a man dedicated to the
contemplative life can no longer restrain himself because of the very fullness he
experiences, he must overflow and engage himself in the active life." (16)
When mystics come to speak of this experience, they make free use of poetic analogies
and seem disinclined to attempt any rationalistic explanation of this process. It is not only
that these experiences are mysterious and ineffable to them, but also that the very
recollection of these events is nebulous and unclear. (17) If they persist in their attempt to
penetrate and explain these mysteries, they run the risk of becoming heretical. In
explaining intellectual contemplation one could end up in real pantheism by constructing
extremely daring systems which would eliminate the distinction between God and the
soul. And if the union of wills is emphasized, then one must guard against two other
extremes: first of all rigorism, into which the fanatical Fraticelli fell by exaggerating the
renunciation of self-will in externals, and secondly, the falsely understood freedom of the

heretical Beghards and the "Brothers and Sisters of the Free Spirit," who permitted a soul
once united to God to indulge in anything, believing that nothing could ever separate that
soul from God; the perfect man, according to them. could be so transformed into God that
no sin could harm him.
The essence of mysticism in no way lies in ecstasy, visions, and the like; these could just
as well be absent. They are only particular, proximate manifestations accompanying
mysticism. To be sure, they may be associated with mysticism, and they were in fact
present in not a few of the great mystics, but they are not essentially connected with
mystical experience, rather they belong to the fringes of devotion.
To define Christian mysticism as "the Christian teaching on ecstasy," (18) is to give a

dangerous, one-sided, not to say false definition, one which is possible only where the fact
of revelation is not known and stated. It is to fail to see, beyond the insignificant Gnostic
and neo-Platonic elements and expressions in mysticism, the radical uniqueness of
Christian mysticism, namely, that in Christian mysticism it is not the divine or a being of
divine origin which is manifested, but rather God . . . who reveals himself unmistakably
without words or images in the mystical union. Furthermore, it is to overlook the fact that
in the last analysis Christian mysticism, or rather, the self-manifestation of God and the
actual experience of this, in which mysticism simply and essentially consists, is not only
man's "venture," but it is first and foremost, if one may so express it, God's "venture," for
as the first mover, of himself, by his own free will, he makes himself known, and man
responds. This is true even if the invitation and the response, the subject and the object,
intertwine in the consciousness and experience of the mystic in the union. (19)
In mysticism it is ultimately a question of winning God, of embracing him in the very

depths of the soul. This highest happiness is available to every man, for all are ordered to
the mystical life. (20) However, the grace of mystical experience is in fact something
extraordinary; it is evidenced only in exceptional in stances. This rarity is not due to a
stifling of the call on God' part, nor to a faltering of his willingness to lead all men to the
fullness of perfection. Together with sanctifying grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
God gives to all men of good will this special preparedness for mystical experience. He
who wills this preparedness also gives the accomplishment and intends the completion.
The actual rarity of the mystical gift lies solely in the niggardliness, indifference, and
laziness of the majority, who are content with the bare minimum. Nevertheless, genuine
mystical experience is not absent from the Church, and history points to glorious periods
of outstanding mystical gifts. One such flowering of mysticism is to be found in the later
Middle Ages.
Mysticism has always been fostered in the Dominican Order This follows from the very
ideal of the Order, which, in contrast to the older orders, embraces two essential aspects:
apostolic activity and mystical immersion in God. St. Dominic was fully aware that a

fruitful apostolate is possible only when it is rooted in contemplation. Apostolic labor for
the salvation of souls was to flow from the fullness of contemplation. In their striving to
draw nearer to God, the Friar Preachers at the outset took as their inspiration and model
the great mystics of all ages: St. Augustine, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Rupert of Deutz,
and the Victorines. With the revival of Aristotelianism and the accompanying growth of
Scholasticism, there occurred a deepening of speculative mysticism while at the same time
some of the previously accepted principle of speculative mysticism were called into
question. The conservative theological element in the Dominican Order at first held out
against the "new doctrine" of their confrère Thomas Aquinas Yet it was he, in fact, who
laid the scientific foundations of mysticism, safeguarding it from errors and exaggerations.
Wherein previously an unnaturally rigorous asceticism had prevailed through the doctrine
of the plurality of substantial forms, St Thomas with his doctrine of the unicity of the
substantial form in man (the human soul) now laid the foundation for a prudent moderated
ethics. (21) Whereas previously the doctrine of innate ideas and the immediate intuition of
self had prevailed in psychology -- doctrines which accounted for our first spontaneous
knowledge of God -- St. Thomas showed that man's natural process of knowledge depends
entirely on sense images, but that these can be wanting in exceptional supernatural
activities of the intellect. (22) Thus St. Thomas distinguished mystical illumination from
natural knowledge and emphasized more sharply its supernatural character. Whereas
previously primacy had been given to the will, St. Thomas now recognized the primacy of
the intellect, without, however, denying the primary role of love in this life. His teaching
on love, on knowledge derived from love, on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, on the secret
movements of grace, on visions and ecstasies, his prayers, and the Office composed for
the Feast of Corpus Christi, all reveal St. Thomas to have been a true Mystic, not only
speculatively, but also practically. (23)
The Dominican Order has always remained faithful to the teaching of its most learned
men, and it has always regarded the practical manifestations of mysticism with sympathy,
not disdain. The great men and women mystics of the Order bear sufficient witness to this.
Nevertheless, it is still true, as noted earlier, that in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries
the neo-Platonic element was strongly in evidence along with the Thomistic, particularly
in Germany; indeed the Platonic view exerted a decided influence on the development of
mysticism within the German Dominican provinces, a development which reached its
highest peak in the fourteenth century.
NOTES
1 H. Felder, Geschichte der wissenschaftlichen Studien im Franziskanerorden bis um die

Mitte des 13. Jahrhundert (Freiburg i. Br.: 1904), p. 76: See also E. Filthaut, Roland von
Cremona und die Anfänge der Sc olastik im Predigerorden (Vechta: 1936), the

Introduction entitled "The Intellectual Ideal of the Early Friars Preachers."
2 H. Denifle (ed.), Archiv für Literatur- und Kirchengeschichte des Mittelalters Archiv
(Berlin: 1885), 1, 223. See M. Grabmann, Die Kulturphilosophie des hl. Thomas v. Aquin
(Augsburg: 1925), p. 115 ff. and the notes on p. 205 f.
3 The general chapter at Milan, 1278, bound the Dominicans to the teaching of St.
Thomas and appointed inquisitors who were to punish non-Thomists, expel them from
their province, and strip them of every office. (Monumenta Ord. FF. Praed. Historica, ed.
B. M. Reichert [Rome: 1898] III, 199). Similar ordinations were enacted by the general
chapters of 1279, 1286, 1309, 1313, 1329, 1342, 1344, and others -- proof that such
ordinations were not always carefully observed, and that the anti-Thomist tendency within
the Order of Preachers was not insignificant.
4 "Even in the most consistent representative of the Aristotelian tradition, Thomas

Aquinas, there are found neo-Platonic elements of no little importance, and notably, these
appear in his later writings in ever increasing frequency." Ueberweg-Geyer, Grundriss der
Geschichte der Philosophie: Die patristische und scholastische Philosophie, 12th ed.
(Basel: 1951), 6, 551.
5 H. Meyer, Die Weltanschauung des Mittelalters, Vol. III of Geschichte der abendländ.
Weltanschauung (Würzburg: 1948), p. 296.
6 E. Krebs, "Meister Dietrich. Sein Leben, seine Werke, seine Wissenschaft," in Beitnige
z. Gesch. d. Phil. d. M-A., V/5, (Münster: 1906), p. 151.
7 M. Grabmann, Neuaufgefundene lateinische Werke deutscher Mystiker, Sitz. der Bay.

Akad. der Wissenschaften, 1921, 3 abh. (Munich: 1922).
8 H. Suso, Horologium sapientiae, ed. J. Strange (Cologne: 1861), p. 151.
9 E. Krebs, Grundfragen der kirchlichen Mystik (Freiburg i. Br.: 1921), p. 36.
10 H. Suso, Leben, c. 49, in Deutsche Schriften, ed. K. Bihlmeyer (Stuttgart: 1907), 168,
9.
11 H. Suso, Predigt III, ed. Bihlmeyer, 523, 29.
12 Eckhart, Predigt II, ed. F. Pfeiffer, Deutsche Mystiker des 14. Jahrh., Vol. II (Leipzig:
1857), 12, 9.
13 Cf. St. Thomas, Summa theol., Ia, q. 43, a. 5 ad 2: "Thus Augustine expressly says that

'the Son is sent, when he is known and perceived by anyone'; the word 'perception,'
however, signifies a certain experimental knowledge." In this connection it should be
noted that the doctrine of the divine missions is the foundation and justification of
mysticism.
14 Cf. St. Thomas, ibid., IIIa, q. 8, a. 8 ad 1: "For 'only the Trinity enters into the mind,' as
it is said in the book De ecclesiasticis dogmatibus." IIIa, q. 64, a. 1: ". . . only God enters
the soul."
15 Cf. G. Siedel, Theologia Deutsch. Mit einer Einleitung in die Lehre von der Vergöttung
in der dominikanischen Mystik (Gotha: 1929), p. 28 ff.
16 E. Krebs, Meister Dietrich, p. 132 f.
17 "Although we retain much of this in our memory and see it as through a veil or in a
cloud, yet we are not sufficiently able to understand or recall either the mode or the
quality of that vision." Richard of St. Victor, Benjamin maior, IV, chap. 23; PL, 196, 167.
The poetic-symbolic description of this state is very illuminating in Richard of St. Victor
(ibid., PL, 196, 166 ff.); this is quoted by E. Krebs, Meister Dietrich, p. 133, note 4.
18 W. Muschg, Die Mystik in der Schweiz, (Frauenfeld-Leipzig: 1935), p. 22.
19 H. Kunisch, Anzeiger f. deutsches Altertum, 56 (1937), 166.
20 To this extent F. Heiler (Die Bedeutung der Mystik für die Weltreligionen, 1919) sees
in mysticism a primitive form of the religious instinct.-- GarrigouLagrange (Christian
Perfection and Contemplation, St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1942, p. 337 ff.)
distinguishes a twofold calling, one general and remote, the other immediate and personal.
The first is given with sanctifying grace, the second is dependent on personal cooperation
with grace.
21 Summa theol., Ia, q. 76, a. 4 and a. 7; Summa contra gentiles, II, c. 71.
22 Summa theol., Ia, q. 84 ff.; IIa-IIae, q. 175, aa. 1, 4, and 5.
23 Cf. J. Bernhart, Die philosophische Mystik des Mittelalters von ihren antiken
Ursprüngen bis zur Renaissance (Munich: 1922), p. 150; A. Mager, Mystik als Lehre und
Leben (Innsbruck: 1934), p. 325 ff. "In his theological Summa,Thomas Aquinas included a
theory of contemplation, mystical experience and many other insights of mystical value;
he was, as Thomas of Vallgornera, O.P., expressed it in the title of his Mystica Theologia
D. Thomae, 'the prince of both scholastic and mystical theology,' and he became the
ultimate philosophical and theological authority especially for the Spanish mystics of the

sixteenth and seventeenth century." M. Grabmann, Mittelalt. Geistesl., I, 476 f.
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Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart &
the German
Dominican Mystics
by Gundolf M.
Gieraths, O.P. Autumn 1986 Vol. 38
Supplement
The Elements of German Dominican Mysticism

Christian mysticism, both in theory and in practice, tries to fathom how the baptized soul
becomes directly aware of God. In the history of this interior experience of God, we speak
of a "German mysticism." By this expression we mean the manifestation of
mystical devotion and the accounts of mystical speculation which appeared in German-
speaking countries, particularly in its golden age, namely, the fourteenth century. "It is one
of the great universal cultural creations of the German people; it is the literary
expression of a spiritual movement, being essentially a philosophical, ascetic, and poetic

type of literature in the German language, written by and for nuns and their associates,
under Dominican inspiration." (1) This is especially true of the golden age. However,
besides prominent Dominicans, there are many members of other religious orders as well
as members of the diocesan clergy who belong to the full picture of German mysticism,
for example, the diocesan priest Henry of Nördlingen, the Benedictine John of Kastl, the
Augustinian Ruysbroeck, and many others. The expression "German mysticism" in no
way implies that we are dealing with a completely isolated, unique creation of the
Germans, nor, on the other hand, that we are dealing with a mere segment of medieval
European mysticism in general. Obviously, "German mysticism," as all mysticism,
developed out of ancient Christian mysticism and, in fact, depends upon it. Nevertheless,
medieval mysticism in Germany, particularly in important centers along the Rhine
(Cologne, Strasbourg, Basel, and Constance) developed into a unique and unequaled
cultural manifestation, permeated by the atmosphere, spirit, and language of Germany, the
like of which, because of its particular tinge and emphasis, was not to be found in the rest
of Europe.
German mysticism is essentially characterized by the harmonious blending of four

elements: (1) scholastic origin, (2) neoplatonic tinge, (3) use of the German language, and
(4) emotional sensitivity.
SCHOLASTIC ORIGIN
Scholasticism and mysticism are not opposing forces. In the great scholastics, St. Albert
the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure, one finds the ideal synthesis of the
clearest conceptual thought and intense devotional ardor. This combination of
scholasticism and mysticism is typical also of German mysticism. Its mysticism cannot be
understood apart from scholasticism. "Whoever wishes to understand German mysticism
must be thoroughly versed in scholasticism, particularly in the works of St. Thomas,
otherwise he will necessarily tear the German mystics from the historical context in which
they are rooted; he will necessarily deny them every kind of development, even though it
exists, and he will never acquire a correct understanding even of their terminology, to say
nothing of their doctrine." (2)
How did this union of scholasticism and mysticism come about in German mysticism?
The German Dominicans were given an assignment of a special kind. The Order was
given the duty of providing for the spiritual direction of the sisters in the convents
entrusted to its care. It is true that for a time the Order tried to resist such assignments,
because they often took the most gifted individuals away from philosophical and
theological studies. (3) Popes Gregory IX and Innocent IV had released the Dominicans
from these pastoral responsibilities, but in 1267 Pope Clement IV again assigned the
spiritual care of sisters to the Dominicans, and this time definitively. Henceforth the
Dominicans accepted the obligation with full zeal. Normally masters and lectors were
entrusted with this task. In most cases these masters and lectors did not live in the sisters'
convents, but rather visited them from time to time. For daily Mass and the ordinary duties
there was usually a diocesan priest assigned as chaplain.
It is understandable that these theologians, thoroughly trained in scholasticism, would use

in their sermons and conferences the material they themselves had learned and expounded
in the schools. This is indicated by the directive of the provincial, Henry of Minden (1286-
90), to the brethren entrusted with the direction of sisters. The word of God, he said,
should be preached to the sisters often "by learned friars in a manner suited to the training
of sisters." (4) They should exhort the sisters to be detached from themselves and from all
earthly things, and to strive for mystical union with God. Denifle showed -- it is one of his
great contributions -- that the spiritual care of nunneries contributed immensely to the
flowering of the mystical type of preaching in Germany. (5) Here we wish to insist that
these mystics were first and foremost scholastics; they were "incidentally" mystics.
Although Hollnsteiner's view, (6) that the decree of Clement IV founded German
mysticism, may be an exaggeration, nevertheless the spiritual direction of the nuns did
have a determining influence on the rise of mysticism.

An extremely fruitful apostolate had been undertaken in the spiritual care and direction of
the sisters. German mystics of the Dominican Order made scholastic doctrine accessible to
wider circles, since they expressed their teachings in the vernacular. Herein lies one main
contribution of the German Dominican mystics. Whereas previously the teachings of
scholasticism had been more or less the heritage of a special class, now scholasticism was
brought to the attention of a larger public. At the same time, a whole new world was
opened up for that public. The high spiritual fervor, which at that time flourished in many
convents of sisters, helps us to see why these mystical sermons were particularly devoted
to speculation, to the knowledge of divine mysteries. From the vast riches of scholastic
thought certain doctrines were particularly favorite themes, such as the scholastic doctrine
on the nature of God; the Trinity; the divine ideas; the divine Word; the relation of
creatures, and especially of man, to God; the doctrine of human knowledge; and the
efficacy of grace. On this solid foundation they built the spiritual doctrine of the soul's
depths, the doctrine of God's birth in man, and so forth.
NEO-PLATONIC TINGE
It is not surprising that in these conferences the mystical elements of the older theology
should predominate, particularly those from St. Augustine and from pseudo-Denis. It was
here that the way was open to neo-Platonic thought as transmitted especially by Albert the
Great, Ulrich Engelbert of Strasbourg, and Dietrich of Freiberg. Thus neo-Platonism was
not taken over in its pure form. The neo-Platonic theory of emanation from the All-One
was interpreted in a Christian sense. The world and the human soul do not emanate from
the All-One, but are created by him. By the All-One, moreover, was not meant the Infinite
in the sense of a pantheistic universal spirit, but simply the Infinite in the sense of the
Catholic concept of God. Man is snatched up in the dynamic immanence of God within
temporal processes. Indeed everything said about the "deification" of the human soul is
directed to one end, that God may be born in the soul, that the soul may be born in God.
But this "deification," this participation in the uncreated life of God -- notions which can
lead and have led to fateful errors -- is to be understood in the sense that through Christ
the soul participates in the supernatural realm of grace.
In any case, it is not surprising that the sensitive and naturally joyous temperament of the
Germans should be receptive to this vital form of thought, and should find in it a special
consolation.
GERMAN LANGUAGE
The essential feature of German mysticism, however, lies in the fact that for the first time
this doctrine was expressed in the German tongue; this required an entirely new
vocabulary and technique of expression. It presented a challenge, quite a fascinating one,
of disengaging truths from their ancient impersonal formulas, and of clothing them in

attitudes and expressions familiar to the hearer. The German tongue was thus placed at the
service of a genuinely profound religious life.
Mystical literature in the vernacular was, of course, widespread in Europe. One need only
recall the works by and about Francis of Assisi, Jacopone da Todi, Catherine of Siena,
Bridget of Sweden, Richard Rolle of Hampole, and Juliana of Norwich. But there is a vast
difference between the German and non-German mystical literature of the period.
Although mystical works composed in Italian are outstanding, they were intended for the
general laity. Moreover the writings of the women are little more than literary expressions
of their personal devotion. This is true, for example, of the edifying meditations of St.
Bridget of Sweden. In German mysticism, on the other hand, we are not dealing with
popular devotional literature or the simple expression of supernatural revelations and
experience. Rather, we are dealing with a serious attempt to express in the vernacular the
most sublime and mysterious truths of faith in concrete, meaningful expressions in order
to implant these in the hearts of the German people. For this reason the whole manner of
presentation could be and had to be particularly vital and personal. This manner was more
expressive, and consequently it evoked a greater response in the hearts of the listeners.
This explains why mystical literature in the vernacular reached such a high level in
German-speaking countries. In no other country does one find mysticism belonging so
much to the period, touching great masses of people, especially in the cloister, and
bestowing on an epoch of literary history its distinctive character, and expressing itself in
such varied literary forms as sermons, treatises, essays, allegories, legends, poetry, letters,
biographies, prayers, and sayings.
The aura of mystery, which surrounds all mysticism, was heightened by this
unprecedented expression of scholastic teaching in lie German language and by the
desperate search for expressions that would describe realities themselves indescribable,
since they can only be experienced by grace. The German language was indeed now
opened to the suprasensible, abstract world of ideas, and it was indeed enriched by a
scientific, philosophical vocabulary. But we should not overlook the difficulties involved.
In the learned Latin language of the school, technical terms had been established for
centuries, but they had to be coined for the German philosophy created by speculative
mysticism. Earlier German preachers could offer no help here, for they had not dealt with
Philosophical concepts. As no one had pioneered the way, everything had to be created for
the first time. The existing vocabulary was certainly not adequate to express the new
mystical ideas, many of which were already dangerously close to pantheism. The danger
to which orthodoxy was exposed was certainly not lessened if one failed to come up with
a correct, precise, felicitous expression; or if this expression, though accurate in itself, was
not correctly understood by listeners; or if mystical preachers overreached the expression
in their enthusiasm.
It is not surprising that occasions arose for misunderstanding. Eckhart's sermons, for
example, were recorded for us by nuns, before whom they were undoubtedly preached.

Not even the high educational level of these nuns could prevent these transcriptions from
being incomplete and at times even erroneous. Moreover, the sermon material itself was
not infrequently modified by the transcriber. All of these factors must be taken into
consideration. In view of these difficulties, one can understand why this mystical literature
often appeared strange to foreign theologians, and why it was suspect, and, consequently,
why it actually gave a distorted impression, particularly as it was not the original text
which circulated outside of Germany, but rather erroneous Latin translations.
Despite the proximate dangers and despite the occasional real inexactitude of doctrine and
expression, German mysticism contributed immensely to the deepening of spirituality and
interior perfection, and it does hold a unique place in the history of Catholic devotion.
Finally, the German mystics can be credited with having contributed greatly to the
development of the language, particularly with having vastly enriched German prose.
EMOTIONAL SENSITIVITY
From the viewpoint of content we likewise notice a unique quality about German
mysticism: within it lives the German soul. Beneath the theological garb there is the
German temperament with its strong tendency to reflection and introspection. Mystics
conditioned by the Latin mentality, for example, Rupert of Deutz and the two great
Victorines, always wrote as systematic theologians, and they always conceived the
divinity, which they strove to attain, in rather abstract, suprasensible terms, while is
German mysticism, especially in the fourteenth century, spoke much more to the heart. It
pierced the soul, and in the spirit of St. Augustine it sought God within the soul itself, in
the hidden corners of sensitivity, in the very abyss of the soul. God is not to be found
somewhere outside of us, but rather within us, there where he, thrice real, is closest to us
in the highest sphere of the soul and in the depths of the soul elevated by grace. In this
ground, or abyss of the soul, in this "luminous spark of the soul," the mystical union of
man with God is consummated. A system thus emerges in which German mysticism joins
forces with universal mysticism. We shall try to describe this association.
The soul attains the highest degree of union with God only by entering within itself after it
has turned away from its lower part, which it must "renounce" together with the world.
But this can be attained only through suffering. "Renunciation of the world, which is the
first stage of all mysticism, is hatred for the world at least this is the way it turns out. The
predominant mysticism of the Middle Ages solved the mind-body problem without
compromise. Uncompromising was its view of affection, and uncompromising its love of
suffering."(7) In order to appreciate this estimate, one must remember the following
points. Mystics admire only those who reject half measures and who, with a restless
dedication inspired by grace, are serious about the words: "Be ye perfect, even as your
heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Mystics are not pessimists or misanthropes, but
they know that danger lies deep in the heart of man because of original sin. Sentimentality

and human weakness tend to drag man away from his rightful place in God. Consequently
their spirituality bears a strong ascetic stamp. Three points emerge from this:
1. The way to union with God was seen to lie in a gradual emancipation of the soul from
emotional tendencies. Turning toward contemplation is proportionate to abandoning the
things of this world. Just as a neo-Platonic mystic recognizes no perfection of virtue
without purgation of the emotions, so contemplation is unthinkable without asceticism for
the Christian mystic. Hence the medieval mystics emphasized those very truths which are
less commonly considered today, namely sin, hell, and penance. Only when we begin at
the lowest step, shall we reach our goal, "attaining union with the Blessed Trinity." (8)
2. Suffering is not an end in itself. It is a means of freeing our true self from the ego and
its baser tendencies and desires. Time and again we find the theme of mystical suffering
expressed. In Sermon 104 Eckhart says: "If there were anything nobler than suffering,
then God would have redeemed man by means of that." And again: "If suffering were not
the noblest of all things, the Heavenly Father would have allowed his Son to live on earth
without suffering for some hours at least.... But Christ did not dwell a single hour on earth
without suffering."
3. Intimately associated with this asceticism in German mysticism, there is a special

attraction for Christ crucified, the mediator. From the initial God-centered mysticism there
arises a Christ-centered mysticism. It takes as its motto, "Through Christ-man to Christ-
God," a frequently recurring theme in the Fathers. Without Christ and his suffering no one
can have union with God. "If you wish to contemplate me in my uncreated divinity, then
you must learn to know and love me in my suffering humanity, for this is the surest way to
eternal happiness." (9)
Under various considerations German mysticism manifests a unique character, and so it

has a special place in the history of Christian mysticism. Scholastic teaching, a neo-
Platonic dynamism, and the German language blend in a new synthesis, which not only
points the way to God and union with him, but does so in a way congenial to the German
temperament with its propensity for introspection and abstract thought. Various historical
factors contributed to the flowering of mystical teaching and fervor in the fourteenth
century, and to the decisive role of the German Dominicans, as we shall see.
THE GERMAN DOMINICAN MYSTICS
A tendency toward mysticism can be noted even among the earliest German Dominicans.
We know that St. Albert the Great knew how to combine his manifold external activities
in all the fields of science and Church administration with a real striving for internal
solitude, a real striving for union with God. St. Albert was meditative by nature. Because
of his exceptional talents, he was given responsibilities and offices which in themselves

were enough to occupy him completely. But neither his scientific and literary labors nor
his frequent assignment to the necessities of practical affairs could distract his spirit, or
divert him from the life of faith. In the midst of external distractions he turned his eyes to
the center of all being and truth; his heart belonged to him who alone is love. Albert wrote
his works in Latin, but almost immediately his ascetico-mystical writings were translated
into German, and through this medium of the vernacular they influenced a larger
audience.
As evidence of Albert's special position in mysticism, a Marian sermon preached to the

canons of the Liebfrauenkirche at Trier and his Mariological and Eucharistic writings used
to be cited. Unfortunately, we can no longer offer these as evidence, since the strongest
indications are against their authenticity. (10) But even if we must set aside many familiar
passages testifying to his love, there are still many genuine sources proving Albert's
mysticism, namely, his commentaries on Scripture, on pseudo-Denis, and the unpublished
treatise On the Nature of the Good. These works manifest a very genuine mystical
personality and sensitivity. Through works such as these Albert exercised an undoubted
influence on the ascetico-mystical literature of the Middle Ages. Thus, by means of his
religious and scholarly personality, by means of his promoting the spiritual life in sisters'
convents, as well as through his neo-Platonically orientated school of philosophy and
theology (whose principal representatives are Ulrich of Strasbourg and Dietrich of
Freiberg), Albert contributed to the development of German mysticism within the Order
of Preachers.
Ulrich Engelbert of Strasbourg discussed questions dealing with the mystical life of prayer
in his unpublished theological Summa. His Summa was found in the library of the
Dominican convent of nuns at Adelhausen. And at the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries Dietrich of Freiberg is mentioned as a mystical preacher in German nunneries.
Of his works only the Latin Writings have been found, and these are strongly neo-Platonic
treatises on metaphysics and natural philosophy. His writings give the impression that,
misled by practical mysticism, he wanted to see God more intimately and more quickly in
this life than is really possible according to St. Thomas. Undoubtedly his audience did not
notice the questionable aspects of his teaching, since no shadow of doubt ever fell on his
person or his writings. "He never lost any of that noble modesty which characterizes his
fellow Dominicans and fellow mystics. On difficult questions he writes with awe, and he
states that only the grace of God enables him to continue further. (11)
MEISTER ECKHART
German mysticism reached its highest peak in the fourteenth century in the renowned trio
of Eckhart, Tauler, and Suso. Meister Eckhart is undoubtedly the most important and most
genial representative of German mysticism. Born about 1260 of noble stock in Hochheim
near Gotha, he entered the Dominican Order at Erfurt about the age of eighteen. After his

education at the Erfurt priory and at the general studium in Cologne, he became prior of
Erfurt and vicar-provincial of Thuringia in 1290. In 1302 he obtained the degree of Master
of Sacred Theology at the University of Paris. He energetically defended Thomistic
teaching against Duns Scotus. In 1303 he was elected provincial of the province of
Saxony, and in 1307 he was appointed vicar over the Bohemian province. Three years
later he was elected provincial of the German province of Teutonia, but the General
Chapter of Naples in 1311 did not confirm this; instead he was assigned to Paris for a
second term as professor of theology -- certainly a special mark of confidence. In 1313 he
was active in Strasbourg, the center of the growing movement of mysticism. The seven
convents of Dominican sisters in the city constituted a rich field of labor. Later we find
him at Cologne, where, while probably busy with his Order's development, he gained a
wide reputation as a preacher and spiritual director.
The fact that Eckhart held the highest offices is evidence of his high reputation in the
Order. However, as he was more mystical than catechetical in his sermons and
conferences, more inclined to lofty mysticism than to practical asceticism, and sometimes
theologically inaccurate and verbose, his teachings repeatedly came under suspicion and
were, for that reason, subjected to careful scrutiny. The heretical views of fanatical
Beghards and Brothers and Sisters of the Free Spirit forced the Inquisition to take a firm,
vigilant stand. Consequently in 1326 the Archbishop of Cologne submitted a list of forty-
nine statements taken from Eckhart's sermons and other writings. Later an additional list
of fifty-nine propositions was submitted. Eckhart defended himself on numerous
occasions, and in the Dominican Church at Cologne, on February 13, 1327, he solemnly
and unconditionally retracted all statements which might have a questionable meaning.
Having defended his position at the papal court in Avignon, he submitted himself to the
decision of the Holy See. But before a final, decision could be given, Eckhart died in
1327. Following a lengthy investigation, Pope John XXII condemned twenty-eight
propositions of Eckhart in a bull promulgated at Avignon on. March 27, 1329. Of these,
seventeen propositions were declared, heretical, and eleven pronounced rash and suspect
of heresy. However, at the end of the bull the Pope drew attention to Eckhart's
unconditional submission. Further, it should be noted that, this condemnation was directed
not only against Eckhart, but, also against current heresies of the day.
Eckhart left behind a mass of writings which only gradually have come to light. Even
today not all of them have been fully recovered or authenticated. Eckhart is thoroughly
scholastic, and indeed Thomistic, in his Latin writings (Opus tripartitum, containing
philosophical and theological treatises, his sermons and commentaries on the Bible, and a
portion of his theological Quaestiones, dating from his Paris professorship). On certain
crucial issues, however, he sometimes gives the doctrine of St. Thomas a neo-Platonic
turn. His great reputation, however, rests on his German sermons and treatises given as
conferences to Dominican sisters and the Friends of God; therein lies their real
importance. In these conferences he reveals himself "as a theologian with a genial
personality, a mystic with the loftiest flight. of soul, and an aristocrat with fine

sensitivity." (12)
The charges brought against him for deviating from orthodox doctrine had to do mainly
with two problems: how and when the world was created, and the nature of created being.
In all probability Eckhart did not teach the eternity of the world. But he stressed so
strongly the eternity of the creative act and so frequently neglected the temporality of the
effect, that he could very easily be misunderstood when he spoke of the intimate union of
the world and self with eternity. In his early Latin writings he had emphatically stressed
the essential difference between God and creatures. But his later mystical speculations
bordering on pantheism led him to regard the dividing line between created and uncreated
being somewhat vaguely, and so he seems to be reflecting Oriental and Hellenistic neo-
Platonism.
Starting with the essential being of creatures, Eckhart reduces creatures to their ideal
oneness in the mind of God. The essential core of the intellective soul, which in Eckhart's
mysticism is the important and truly immortal part of the soul, is the "spark of the
soul" (scintilla animae), also known as the soul's light, the soul's castle. It is the noblest
spiritual gift which could have been given to man. This flickering of the spark from nature
upward to God is a kinship with God; it is his image in the abyss of the soul. In this spark
of the soul is to be found the intimate conversation about the good, the holy, and the true;
here ensues the contemplation of eternal truths (St. Augustine's illumination); here is
found the participation in the life of the Trinity, the mystical union, the birth of God in the
soul. The notion of God's birth in the soul is an ancient theme in Christian mystical
literature. It came into Dominican mysticism from Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus
the Confessor, Scotus Erigena, Richard of St. Victor, and Bernard of Clairvaux. This birth
of God, this creation of the kingdom of God within man, is Eckhart's principal theme. For
Eckhart, as for all mystics, the ultimate goal is man's union with God, the emptying out of
all creatureliness, the renunciation of one's will, thoughts, and individuality. This is the
detachment, the poverty, in which God will be born within the soul.
When I preach I am accustomed to speak, first of all, of detachment, and that one must
renounce self and all things; secondly, that one must be again incorporated into the sole
good, which is God; thirdly, that one should consider the great nobility which God confers
on the soul whereby man enters into the wonderful life of God; fourthly, of the splendor of
the divine nature-the brilliance of the divine nature is ineffable. (13)
When the soul is touched by God, it receives divine life; through this participation in the
divine nature, the soul itself becomes divine. Here all the senses are still; understanding,
memory, and will are still. Then, in the spark of the soul one experiences a pure,
completely non-conceptual knowledge of God and the most intimate oneness of desire
with him. This knowledge extends to the divine essence, at least insofar as the soul
perceives the divine Persons and divine attributes as "pure unity." But this experience does

not last long. In this life an uninterrupted union is not possible for the soul, since it is still
wrapped in the darkness of faith and can have only a foretaste of the beatific vision
reserved for the next life. Thus Eckhart's mysticism operates entirely on the spiritual level
and is not bound up with visions, apparitions, stigmata, and the like.
In his speculations Eckhart tended to use doubtful, original expressions, hitherto unheard-
of phrases, which seemed to endanger the Christian faith. Radicals twisted his phrases in
favor of their ethical and religious free-thinking, while opponents snatched up his most
extreme expressions in order to denounce him to the Archbishop. Nevertheless, it is
certain that at all times Eckhart wanted to be orthodox; subjectively he was no heretic. In
any case, we must first have a critical edition of all his works in order to evaluate these
statements in their proper context and in their intended meaning. Whatever may be the
ultimate evaluation of these statements, Eckhart must be recognized as an exceptionally
inspired leader in the spiritual movement. He was a master of the spiritual life not only for
his own age, but also for later generations. His disciples in the Order avoided the censured
propositions of the master, and transmitted his mystical train of thought to a wider circle.
His foremost disciples were Tauler and Suso.
JOHN TAULER
The most deeply affected by Eckhart was John Tauler. For Tauler's biography we must
rely on meager and inadequate sources. He came from the respected and wealthy, but non-
aristocratic family of Strasbourg named Taler, Taweler, or Tauler. His date of birth seems to
be after, rather than before, 1305. When still a young man he entered the Order of
Preachers in is native city. There he could have completed his seven or eight years of
philosophical and theological study. Afterwards he was sent to the Dominican studium at
Cologne to pursue higher studies for three years. Although he did not sit at the feet of
Eckhart, he was truly his disciple.
Between 1330 and 1360 Tauler was lector in the Dominican school in his native priory of
Strasbourg, and he was engaged in preaching and spiritual direction within the city and
beyond. In this work he gained a wide reputation as a divinely gifted director of souls and
a patron of the spiritual life. To his friends and followers (Henry of Nördlingen, Margaret
and Christina Ebner) he was "our good and faithful father, Tauler," who "teaches the truth
and lives for it entirely," one "whom God considers the most beloved man he has on
earth," and one "whose name is written in heaven." Besides Strasbourg, the privileged
areas of his activity were Basel and Cologne, the main centers of the mystical movement.
At that time Basel was the headquarters of the Friends of God. On June 16, 1361, Tauler
died in Strasbourg at the height of his fame; today his tombstone can be found in the
recently built Protestant church. No more appropriate epitaph could have been composed
for him than the words which the gentle Dominican nun Christina Ebner heard about him
from our Lord in a vision: with his fiery tongue he had set the world on fire, and God
dwells in him as in a sweet-sounding harp.

G. Théry calls Tauler the truest heir of the best that can be found in the thought of Meister
Eckhart.(14) Tauler was anxious to interpret the questionable and condemned passages of
Eckhart in as orthodox a sense as possible. During his years of study at Strasbourg Tauler
had heard the doctrine of St. Thomas, according to the directives of the Order. But in
many instances he consciously departed from St. Thomas. Even on the question of
whether the intellect is a higher faculty of the soul than the will, he did not speak out
clearly and unequivocally for the Thomistic position on the primacy of the intellect.
Moreover, in certain passages of Tauler's writings there is a clear dependence on German
neo-Platonism.
In Tauler's mysticism there is more emphasis on ethical and spiritual direction than on
speculation. He has practical and ascetical aspects uppermost in mind even when he
speaks of rational, supernaturally revealed, and mystical knowledge of God, the
processions in the Trinity, purgation and self-denial, spiritual asceticism, contemplation,
and the activity of love. He is mainly interested in the practical aspects when he deals with
renunciation of all that is not God, the union with the divine will, man as the image of the
Trinity, the three ways of arriving at union with God, visions and ecstasies as mere
accidental manifestations, and the meaning of suffering. For Tauler true mysticism
involves the steep path of purification; it requires discipline and self-denial; it allows the
use of, but not indulgence in worldly things; it rewards superabundantly by a
transformation whereby the self is lost in God. In a sermon on the text, "Blessed are the
eyes that see what you see" (Luke 10:23), Tauler deals with a central theme of mysticism,
the abyss of the soul, the spark of the soul, the innermost sanctuary where the soul enters
into a mysterious, intimate relationship with God. (15) This mystical union consists in the
closest possible contact with the divine will. There is no mention in Tauler, however, of a
substantial oneness with God or of an ascent or descent into the divine abyss.
We have already noted that Tauler's main strength is not his speculation, but his
application of mystical doctrine to life. It is said that Eckhart viewed mysticism more from
the side of the intellect, Suso more from the sense of feeling, and Tauler more from the
will. Tauler's impressive clarity and his great power inflamed with zeal marked him as a
most remarkable orator and preacher. He was not a popular preacher in the sense of
preaching to great masses of people. His preaching was more aristocratic; his hearers were
the select group called the Friends of God, who by calling or inclination were already
prepared for the spiritual life and were receptive to it. His domain was the mysterious
experiences of the spiritual life, the inner man with his struggles and victories. Alongside
the contemplative life, Tauler recognizes the active life, the divinely willed temporal
calling, the married life, the daily labors, and the simple carrying out of one's vocation in
life.
Today to a great extent the life of perfection is inverted and distorted so that many who

have an appearance of spirituality have worldly hearts, and many living in the world have
spiritual hearts.... I declare to you that there are many women living in the midst of the
world with husband and children, and many men sitting in the shop and making shoes, and
their minds are on God and on feeding their children. And there are many poor peasants in
the village gathering dung and earning their daily bread with hard toil. It may very well be
that all of these are faring a hundred times better than you nuns, for they are following
their simple vocation, and yet it is galling for you.... The highest and sublimest form of
this vocation is to imitate the inspiring example of his most beloved Son, inwardly and
outwardly, actively and passively and imaginatively in contemplation or in that piercing
contemplation which transcends all images. Whoever follows this path with purest
motives and with fullest detachment will attain the loftiest point of perfection. (16)
HENRY SUSO
Another center of mysticism was Constance, because of the person and labors of the
mystic Henry Suso (Seuse). Born of an aristocratic family in Constance, he found his way
to the Dominican Order while still quite young. By coincidence he became acquainted
with Eckhart at the Dominican studium in Cologne. He witnessed the indictment,
condemnation, and death of his master, and all his life he cherished a loyal memory. His
first work, The Little Book of Wisdom, was written in 1327 entirely under the influence of
Eckhart. In it he draws a sharp distinction between the teachings of his master and the
frequently useless speculations of the Beghards and the Brethren of the Free Spirit. That
same year he completed his studies in Cologne and returned to his native priory at
Constance, where he was active as lector for the priory and spiritual director for the
neighboring convents of women. On his journeys, which took him as far as Holland, he
became acquainted with his disciple and biographer, Elsbeth Stagel, at the Dominican
convent of Tösz near Winterthur. He also had association with Henry of Nördlingen.
Between 1327 and 1334 he wrote The Little Book of Eternal Wisdom and The Timepiece
of Wisdom (Horologium sapientiae). In 1343 or 1344 Suso became prior of the house at
Constance. From 1349 onward he labored in Ulm, where he died in 1366.
Suso was a man of speculative ability, poetic sensitivity, and a richness of feeling. He has
been called "the minnesinger in prose of the spiritual realm," (17) inasmuch as he wanted
to establish a spiritual knighthood devoted to "Eternal Wisdom." He described the
mystical way in the well-known expression already quoted: "A recollected person must be
unformed of the creature, become informed with Christ and transformed into the
divinity." (18) This goal is reached through mortification, purification, and detachment
from the things of this world; in this way one follows Christ and is disposed for
contemplation of the highest kind, the contemplation of the Blessed Trinity. In his
speculation about God and the Trinity, he relies partly on St. Thomas and partly on the
school of Augustine and Bonaventure. He sees the peak of mystical union to consist in the
loss of oneself in the divine being.

Typical of Suso's mysticism is a theology of the Cross, in which Christ's sufferings and
death stand as the central theme: through Christ-man to Christ-God. "No one can arrive at
divine heights or taste mystical sweetness without passing through my human bitterness.
The higher anyone climbs without passing through my humanity, the deeper will be his
fall. Anyone who wishes to attain what you are seeking must tread the road of my
humanity and pass through the gate of my suffering." (19) "Eternal Wisdom" became for
him an object of special devotion in the form of the child Jesus with whom he engaged in
loving conversation. His Christ-centered mysticism finds its crowning perfection in the
bridal love for Jesus. (20)
Suso was a mystic in word and in deed. He labored more through what he was than
through what he taught. Suso is the only German mystic whose personality we can clearly
picture to ourselves. Much more than in the case of Eckhart or Tauler, of whose personal
sanctity we cannot be certain, the interior experiences cry out from the writings of Suso
and they clearly influence his speculation. The present age may not appreciate the
occasionally frightful self-torture and excessive asceticism of Suso, but even today he is
"the most lovable and most attractive of the German mystics." (21) Suso later realized the
excess of his penances and never required such practices from his penitents and disciples.
The distinctive marks of his personality -- his love, his mysticism of suffering, his
profound sensitivity, his romantically chivalrous spirit -- had a tremendous influence not
only in his own age, but also in the following centuries. "He still stands in our day as one
who makes us spiritually more free, spiritually more profound, spiritually more rich."
Whoever reads his works will "find that in the spiritual life there is nothing depressing,
nothing small, and nothing of stark pauperism, but rather that here everything leads to
freedom, to loftiness, to openness, and to a healthy fullness of life." (22)
St. Thomas is the principal scholastic source for Suso to a much greater degree than for
Eckhart or Tauler. At the same time, however, Suso is decidedly a disciple of Eckhart; he
follows him, but only so far as he can be reconciled with the teachings of the Church, and
he carefully avoids the reefs on which Eckhart crashed. There can be no question of
pantheism or quietism in Suso. He clings fast to the immanence and transcendence of
God, and against the Beghards he defends the essential distinction between God and the
human soul, even in the loftiest contemplation.
JOHN OF STERNGASSEN
Grabmann has shown that among the fourteenth-century German Dominicans a branch of
mysticism arose from the fertile soil of strict Thomistic theology. The foremost
representative is John of Sterngassen, of the family named Korngin. He was a
contemporary of Eckhart, but not his disciple, at least not in the sense that he accepted his
teaching. After Pfeiffer (23) and Wackernagel (24) had already indicated the mystical
trend of John of Sterngassen on the basis of a few fragments written in German,

Grabmann discovered a commentary on the Sentences, wherein the great questions of

mysticism are discussed entirely in the spirit of St. Thomas. " In regard to content, this
work has all the characteristic marks of the Thomistic school as such; to a large extent, as
a matter of fact, it is produced from the Summa and the writings and the questions of
brother Thomas." (25) What John of Sterngassen develops objectively and impersonally in
his Sentence commentary, he expresses in a fascinating and practical manner in his
German writings. He is entirely influenced by St. Thomas when he describes the presence
and action of God in the innermost recesses of the soul.
He has made us by himself and for himself. He has made us according to his image. It
should be clear to you how he has made us: we are a light in his brilliance, we are a word
uttered in his intellect, we are a life in his inner nature. Thus he made us according to his
image from all eternity. Then for a second time, what we now are in time: within us there
is a brilliance in which the light of divinity shines, without ceasing. Within us there is an
intellect, to which the Word of the Blessed Trinity speaks without ceasing. Within us there
is an inner nature, in which the life of eternity throbs without ceasing. Then for the third
time, what we shall be when time has ceased: we will be united to God intimately and
uniquely and entirely. How will we be intimately united to God? It will be by
contemplation and not by nature. His nature cannot become ours, but it will be our life. As
Christ says, If one knows thee, Eternal Father, and thy Son Jesus Christ, that is eternal life.
He did not say that it would be one nature. (26)
St. Thomas teaches that all created things are of eternal life in God as the content and
image of eternal divine ideas, in the Word, (27) and that this Word expresses not only the
divine nature of the Father, but also the created nature of creatures. (28) St. Thomas also
champions the view that the soul of man expresses an image of the Trinity. (29) The
theological foundation of the mystic's conception of God's activity and presence within us
and of our union with God in this life rests on the Thomistic view of divine causality,
participation in the divine nature by grace, and the supernatural presence of God in the
soul. For John of Sterngassen, as for St. Thomas, the beatific union with God in heaven
consists in the immediate vision of God. It is a unique union through knowledge, and not a
fusion of natures or a loss of individuality. He emphatically and explicitly rejects the
pantheistic suppressing of the distinction between absolute, uncreated Being and finite,
created being, between God and the soul. Thus, John of Sterngassen does not belong to
the neo-Platonic tradition of Meister Eckhart, whose disciple he was not; rather he
attaches himself closely to St. Thomas, in whose heritage he was formed. As a preacher
John stands next to Tauler, with whom he shares "a progressive style, a free use of
subjectivity, and a richly flowing expression of thought, hence a notable advancement in
mystical preaching." (30)
GERARD OF STERNGASSEN

We find the same Thomistic conviction in Gerard of Sterngassen, the brother of John.
Gerard discusses problems of mysticism in the second part of his Medela animae
languentis (Cure of the Sick Soul) entitled "Pratum animae" or "The little garden of the
soul," which was also discovered by Grabmann. (31) In his explanation of the
Supernatural union of the soul with God through grace, he follows St. Thomas almost
verbatim; in no sense does he interpret this union pantheistically. Particularly detailed and
profound is his analysis of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which loom so high in the
doctrine and practice of mysticism. Although mystical contemplation generally had been
associated with the gift of wisdom, Gerard of Sterngassen introduces the doctrine of
contemplation and his theology of mysticism in general in his discussion of the eight
beatitudes. Here he goes beyond the theory of the contemplative life presented by St.
Thomas, especially in the chapters dealing with the disposition for contemplation and with
the causes and degrees of ecstasy. The fresh, personal voice of the preacher and director of
souls rings forth from the work of Gerard of Sterngassen. According to Grabmann, the
importance of the Cure of the Sick Soul for our understanding of German mysticism lies
"above all in the fact that here we have a systematic presentation and development of the
main themes about which other mystics had preached in a practical way. Moreover, we
have here, from the pen of a German mystic, a comprehensive explanation of mystical
contemplation, the fundamental mystical experience, in which theological aspects are
more important than the psychological.... The Medela animae languentis manifests no neo-
Platonic tendency.... The principal scholastic authority, giving the whole work its
theological tone, is St. Thomas Aquinas, whose theological Summa was utilized in many
passages and verbally blended into the whole." (32)
NICHOLAS OF STRASBOURG
We should also mention the mystic Nicholas of Strasbourg, who, although a friend and
defender of Eckhart, completely follows the path of St. Thomas. He is predominantly
practical; only rarely are theoretical ideas of mysticism found in his writings, and even
then they are quickly dropped. In simple, colloquial, lively, picturesque language he
pleads for sincere conversion and the spiritual life, the love of God, and the following of
Christ. Bihlmeyer has edited a fragment of a conference, which was certainly given to
nuns. 33 In this fragment Nicholas of Strasbourg emerges as an experienced ascetic who
placed the greatest emphasis on the fundamental virtues of Christian life, and who avoided
all exaggerations. As for the genuine mystical ideas, he emphasizes especially that
whoever wishes to lead a spiritual life must transcend purely natural knowledge and
rational reflections in order to contemplate, and that he must lose himself in order to find
God.
NOTES
1 W. Oehl. "Die rheinische Mystik," Wissenschaftliche Blätter der Germania, 2 (1925),

98.
2 H. Denifle, in Hist.-Pol. Blätter, 75 (1875/1), 684.
3 H. Denifle (Archiv, 11, 645f.) does not say that this obligation was the sole reason why
the Order in Germany had no outstanding, productive theologian in the fourteenth century.
But he does show that those who were engaged in the care of souls lacked the necessary
time and quiet for scholarly work. "It would have been much better if Hermann of Minden
had exempted from spiritual direction those who were especially qualified for academic
studies and scientific research or if he had laid such spiritual direction and responsibility
on them only in emergencies. In this way he could have prevented the decline of
studies." (Ibid., p. 64 6, note I).
4 Archiv., II, 650.
5 Ibid., 641-48.
6 J. Hollnsteiner, Die Kirche im Ringen um die christliche Gemeinschaft (vol. II/2 of the
Church history ed. by J. P. Kirsch.), Freiburg 1940, p. 455.
7 A. Auer in the introd. to the 9th ed. of H. Denifle, Das geistliche Leben (Salzburg,
1936), p. 23.
8 Suso, Büchlein der Ewigen Weisheit, chap. 21; ed. K. Bihlmeyer, Heinrich Seuse,
Deutsche Schriften, (Stuttgart: 1907), p. 278ff.
9 Ibid., chap. 1, ed. cit., p. 203, 7.
10 F. Pelster, review in Zeitschr. f. kath. Theol., 42 (1918), 654-57; A. Fries.

"Messerklärung und Kommuniontraktat keine Werke Alberts des Grossen?" Zeitschr. f.
Phil. u. Theol., 2 (1955), 28-67: and Die unter dern Namen des Albertus Magnus
überlieferten Mariologischen Schriften (BGPMA, Miinchen: 1954), vol. 37/4.
11 E. Krebs, Meister Dietrich, ed. cit., p. 154.
12 Bihlmeyer-Tüchle, Kirchengeschichte, 13th ed. (Paderborn: 1952), pt. 2, p. 425.
13 Sermon 22, ed. Pfeiffer, 91, 24.
14 G. Théry, "Esquisse d'une vie de Tauler," La vie spirituelle, Suppl. 15 (1927), 135.

15 Cf. F. Vetter, Die Predigten Taulers aus der Engelberger und der Freiburger
Handschrift (vol. XI of "Deutsche Texte des Mittelalters," Berlin 1910), 347.
16 Ibid., 243, 13.
17 W. Wachernagel, Geschichle der deutschen Literatur (Basel, 1872), p. 336.
18 Suso, Leben, c. 49, ed. Bihlmeyer, 168, 9.
19 Suso, Little Book of Eternal Wisdom, chap. 2, trans. Sister M. Ann Edward, O.P., The
Exemplar (Dubuque: The Priory Press, 1962), II, 10.
20 The notion of the mystical bride in the mystical marriage with Christ is found mainly
among women mystics, but it is not entirely lacking among the men; inasmuch as every
creature, as such, must take the passive role with regard to God, it has the character of a
bride.
21 K. Bihlmeyer, Heinrich Souse, Deutsche Schriften (Stuttgart: 1907), p. 141.*
22 W. Lehmann, Heinrich Seuses Deutsche Schriften (Jena, 1911), li-lii.
23 "Predigten und Sprüche deutscher Mystiker," Zeitschrift f. deutsches Altertum, 10

(1851), 251 ff (on John of Sterngassen) ; "Sprüche deutscher Mystiker, "Germania, 3
(1858), 235 ff.
24 Altdeutsche Predigten und Gebeten aus Handschriften (Basel: 1876), p. 163 ff. and p.
544 ff.
25 M. Grabmann, Neuaufgefundene lateinsiche Werke deuticher Mytiker (Sitz. d. Bay.

Akad. d. Wissenschaften, Munich 1922), p. 22; Cf. A. Landgraf, "Job. Sterngasse, O.P.,
und sein Sentenzenkommentar," Divus Thomas, N.F., 4 (1926), 40-54; 207-14; 327-50;
467-80.
26 Cited by Wackernagel, op. cit., p. 164.
27 De verit., q. 4, a. 8.
28 Summa theol., Ia, q. 34, a. 3.
29 Ibid., q. 93, a. 5.

30 Wackernagel, op. cit., p. 435.
31 Grabmann, Neuaufgef. Werke, ed. cit., p. 35 ff.
32 Ibid., p. 42 f.
33 "Kleine Beitrige zur Geschichte der deutschen Mystik," Beiträge zur Gesch. d.
Renaissance u. Reformation (Munich-Freising: 1917, Festschrift J. Schlecht), p. 46 ff.

Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart &
the German
Dominican Mystics
by Gundolf M.
The Importance of Dominican Sisters in German Mysticism

For some years it has been thought that the reason for the flowering of mysticism in the
fourteenth century is to be found principally in the peculiar structure of the period with its
bitter conflicts, its political and spiritual crises, its temporal trials and tribulations. Even
today there are many authors who give this interpretation. It is said that the tragic conflict
between papacy and empire under Louis of Bavaria (1314-1347) and other political
disorders as well as destructive natural events, such as earthquakes, floods, famine, and
plagues, led more sensitively inclined individuals to renounce the world and withdraw into
the innermost sanctuary of the soul in search of a mystical life of grace. To be sure,
extraordinary conditions are generally conducive to the growth of mysticism. But this
explanation will not do for our period. The political confusion and temporal needs, to
which reference is continually made, is first found only toward the end of the golden age
of mysticism. The thirteenth and fourteenth centuries were years of prosperity for the
German people. One of the leading economic historians, Gustav Schmoller, has pointed
out that the thirteenth century witnessed a tremendous advance in all areas of
technological and cultural life, particularly along the Rhine; these were "genuine
advances, which, even toward the end of 1300, provided for a materially comfortable
enjoyment of life among the bourgeoisie." (1)
Among the prerequisites for a flowering of mysticism were numerous and flourishing
convents of nuns. Here one finds the principal centers of mysticism. Numerous vocations,
however, cannot be accounted for merely by saying that women entered convents because
of economic and temporal needs. Frequently, an oversupply of women is mentioned,
resulting from the many wars, feuds, and especially the crusades. No doubt economic
needs or loneliness may have led a good number of women into the nunnery, but one does
violence to historical facts when these motives are alleged as the basic force or decisive
motive in the flowering of women's convents in this period. Most of the nuns in
Dominican convents of southwest Germany came from flourishing cities, from wealthy

homes, or at least from good bourgeois environments. (2) Consequently, they could hardly
have been motivated to enter the convent by economic necessities.
The real causes of mystical life in the fourteenth century lie deeper. In order to understand
"German mysticism," one must begin with the religious movements of the twelfth century.
At that time there arose, in reaction to ecclesiastical feudalism and the moral laxity of the
clergy, strong religious movements which aspired to a new Christian way of life
consisting in voluntary poverty, chastity, apostolic simplicity, and in preaching the gospel.
One part of this movement came into conflict with the Church because it evaded or
rejected official channels or because it sympathized with the dualistic teaching of
Manicheanism. Other parts of this movement led to the founding of new religious orders,
which gave organizational stability to the religious movement of the time. Against this
background one can understand the religious foundations of Blessed Robert of Arbrissel,
St. Norbert of Xanten, and especially of St. Francis and St. Dominic. The mendicant
orders spread quickly throughout Germany even at the beginning of the thirteenth century.
Independently, and at a time when mendicant orders were not yet a factor, similar
religious movements arose in northwest Germany during the twelfth century, especially in
Brabant and Flanders. The fundamental character and ultimate objective of these efforts
were very similar to those developing at the same time in southern Europe -- here too was
renunciation of worldly honors and wealth, surrender of social and domestic enjoyment,
voluntary poverty and chastity. But in the German movement it was principally women
who were the representatives of the new ideal, and especially women of the nobility, of
the knightly class, and of the ruling patrician families. (3) When this movement came into
contact with the mendicant orders spreading from Italy and France, one group of women
sought to realize their ideals in conjunction with these orders. Another group wanted
association with an order without actually becoming its members; these latter were known
as "Beguines." (4) Thus the religious movement among women had as little to do with a
"proletarian movement" as did the religious male movement of the twelfth century. It
arose not from economic needs, but from religious desire, a longing for a life of Christian
renunciation and meditation. That contemporaries noted this change in the world of
women is clear, for example, from the Frauenbuch of Ulrich of Lichtenstein, composed in
1257, wherein he complains: "How, then, can we maintain the true spirit of chivalry when
women suddenly appear dressed as nuns, veiled, and with the rosary, going to church day
and night, and no longer granting us a single glance, a single word, or a single favor?" (5)
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION OF THE SISTERS
The spiritual direction of these women, some living in cloisters, some living together as
Beguines, was assumed, after an initial reluctance, by the mendicant orders, particularly
by the Dominicans. Clearly the Friars Preachers did not have to awaken the initial desire
for the spiritual life in these women; this longing was already present. At that time the

ideal of a rich spiritual life dedicated to love of God and spiritual marriage had already
captivated thousands, and it led to visions, ecstasies, and preternatural revelations. Much
material concerning these manifestations can be found in books written by nuns of
German Dominican convents, which date from the fourteenth century but which reflect
the life of an earlier period. The Dominicans had to deepen this spiritual life.
Consequently, they had the task of organizing the traditional view of Christian mysticism
and of bringing it into contact with the newly awakened desire for religious experience
and the readiness for a vernacular exposition of the doctrine among these women. (6) This
situation provided the Friars Preachers with the opportunity of making theological
speculation a real instrument in the spiritual life. It afforded them an occasion of
cultivating the more mystical elements in theology, so that what was acquired through
study and meditation as an inner fullness and a personal spiritual possession was
communicated first and foremost to the sisters who were associated with the fathers in
dedication to the same ideal and the same rule.
These spiritual instructions fell on fertile ground in women's orders. German Dominican
sisters' convents became the haven and the center of a fervent feminine mysticism.
Eloquent testimony of this fervor is to be found in the writings of outstanding individual
nuns who were themselves favored with mystical experiences, for example, Margaret
Ebner in Medingen, Christina Ebner and Adelheid Langmann in Engelthal. Margaret
Ebner has left us her Revelations. Christina Ebner, who bore the same family name as the
former, but was not related to her, described her visions in a book written under the
direction of her confessor. the Dominican, Conrad of Füssen. She also wrote a little work
on the mystical life of deceased nuns, entitled On the Abundance of Grace. Moreover, we
also possess chronicles from various Dominican convents in southwest Germany, namely,
Medingen near Dillingen, Unterlinden near Kolmar (Catherine Gebweiler),(7)
Adelhausen near Freiburg, Kirchberg in Württemberg, Töss near Winterthur (Elsbeth

Stagel), (8) Oetenbach near Zürich, Katharinenthal near Diessenhofen, Engelthal near
Nürnberg, and Weiler near Esslingen. In these chronicles biographical sketches are given
of several particularly virtuous and holy women of the cloister. The absence of similar
accounts for other convents does not necessarily mean that the spiritual life was any less
vigorous in those places. Many valuable accounts may have been lost, as the one for the
convent of Altenhohenau near Rosenheim. Naturally we must rely only on chronicles
which are demonstratively authentic. The chronicle of Unterlinden is certainly the oldest
work of this kind and, in contrast to the others, it is written in Latin. In it there is an
account of forty-three sisters, describing how they loved God, how they bore the
adversities of life with patience and humility, how they took upon themselves voluntary
works of penance, and so were rewarded by exceptional favors, visions, and ecstasies. In
the chronicle of the convent of Adelhausen there is an account of thirty-four nuns, of their
fervent grasp of the truths of faith, of their life of recollection and prayer, of self-denial
and mortification, together with a great deal about ecstasies, prophecies, and so forth.
Elsbeth Stagel, the disciple and friend of Henry Suso, wrote the chronicle of Töss. In the

convent of Oetenbach devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was already fully developed.
The chronicle of Kirchberg readily dwells on descriptions of mystical phenomena,
especially on the grace of contemplation, where the individual, withdrawn from the outer
world, remains in the world as though dead, while its spirit dwells in the contemplation of
eternal truths. It also describes the grace of exultation, where the soul bursting with joy
can no longer restrain itself, but must express its interior joy of heart through singing and
dancing. Many accounts remind one of the later descriptions by the great St. Teresa. The
spiritual trials and particular experiences in the lives of fifty-four sisters are handed down
in the chronicle of Katharinenthal. Touching forms of mystical devotion to the Passion
can be read in the chronicle of Engelthal. And in the chronicle of Weiler, visions play an
important role. (9)
These chronicles were written by nuns who were, for the most part, highly educated
women, fluent in speech, and profoundly instructed in the spiritual life. There is mention
of heroic practices of virtue. But there is also talk of visions and raptures, ecstasies and
manifestations, perceptions of the secrets of the heart, prophecies, and wounds in body
and soul. Heroic deeds are indeed described, yet one cannot avoid the impression that
there is a certain preoccupation with exceptional signs, a concern for extraordinary
consolations. The writers seem to hunt out these presumed signs of divine favor,
assurances that their love, their devotions are pleasing to the Most High, and that they are
worshiping him in the right way. This is not to suggest that phenomena of mystical life in
sisters' convents in the fourteenth century are based jointly and singly on imagination. In
many reports there is no question of error or exaggeration. Nevertheless, it would have to
be admitted that a doctor would be consulted today for an explanation of one or another of
these cases, and that some of these might be diagnosed today as hysteria, although the
reports in their original form would still retain their mystical and historical value.
Fundamentally, they are historical expressions of a sincere striving after perfection. One
will have to explain many of these visions by saying "that the mystic projects outwardly
his whole spiritual life, even his emotions and imagination expressing religious
knowledge and experience." (10) What the mystic "has beheld in contemplation with
burning affection, what his imagination has set before him in brilliant colors, can easily be
transformed into realities in the still of the night. Most visions are experienced early in the
morning after Mass, by a mystic kneeling in choir or in his cell, living entirely in the
sphere of the supernatural and expecting extraordinary manifestations. A purely internal
process becomes divided, as it were, in conversational duality, and appears to the dramatic
inclinations of the poetic soul as an external event, as conversation and communication
with the divine." (11) But they cannot be spoken of as deliberate deceptions or conscious
exaggeration by the nuns. An Elsbeth Stagel, a Catherine Gebweiler, or a Christian Ebner
were far above that. For every Catholic there is no question that God can grant such
consolations, and that he sometimes actually does. The pursuit of such manifestations is
rejected today as an exaggeration and an excess. They do not pertain to the essence of
devotion. Today we have become more sober, more critical, and more sceptical.

Nevertheless, it remains a fact that the mysticism of these German women was pre-
eminently a religious manifestation in which the supernatural forces of Christianity
became active. One can think what one likes about visions, ecstasies, private revelations,
and other phenomena of this sort; they did not constitute the essence of piety among these
sisters. The ultimate and most profound element which shines forth from all these
accounts is intimate union with God, love of God, and friendship with God, which is
rooted in sanctifying grace. One act of love is, in fact, of greater value than all
extraordinary, miraculous occurrences.
THEIR GRASP OF CONTEMPLATIVE TRUTH
The distinctive feature in the piety of these nuns is not their devotion to the holy
Childhood and the bitter Passion of Jesus, for these are to be found in all ages. The unique
feature is rather the sensitive, sympathetic grasp of contemplative truths. Further, the
contemplation of the highest abstract truths of faith should be noted: The Blessed Trinity
with the profoundly mysterious generation of the Son and the procession of the Holy
Spirit; the creation, value, and dignity of the human soul; the Incarnation and union of the
soul with Christ through grace; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the souls of the just,
and his cooperation in all meritorious actions.
On the other hand, it would not be true to say that the sisters became so one-sided in their
mystical striving and concentration that they lost touch with the world and the practical
affairs of life. Such a view would be contrary to historical facts. These nuns were, of
course, completely dedicated to God with all their heart and soul. But this in no way
impaired their awareness of contemporary affairs. The chronicles show us a strenuous
work day; they inform us of many economic anxieties and many economic
accomplishments; they reveal a profound concern for the fate of the world and
Christianity. Thus, we know from Margaret Ebner that she was in spiritual anguish over
the dispute between Emperor and Pope. The Medingen convent showed great loyalty and
gratitude to Louis of Bavaria, since he had given many favors to the nuns. In 1350 Charles
IV left Nürnberg with a large retinue for the out-of-the-way convent of Engelthal in order
to see Christina Ebner and to ask her blessing for himself and the welfare of the Empire.
Judging from the content of the sisters' meditation and from their way of life, one can
definitely conclude that their piety did not stem from daydreams or pathological
hallucinations. The nuns stood on the solid ground of reality -- even though in some
instances there may have been exaggerations and strove realistically for true, genuine
perfection. Deeds of selfless love and surrender, severe mortifications of soul and body,
constant practices of patience and humility -- all these were possible only because their
entire life and strength were supported by the most intimate union with God and love of
him.

If we consider the great number of vocations to sisters' convents, (12) the high level of
education which women already had in medieval society (13) and which was often a
prerequisite for entrance into the convent; (14) if we consider the longing of women,
particularly sisters, for a life of religious surrender and joy even in mystical speculation;
and if we further consider the fact that the nuns were guided by professors of theology
from the Dominican Order who laid the philosophical and theological foundations for a
life of mystical love in vernacular language, which had never been done before -- then it is
readily apparent that all this had to lead to a sublime cultivation of the mystical life. This
produced an organic expression which assured Germany a special place in the history of
mysticism, known as "German mysticism."
THE BOND OF DOMINICAN PIETY
Men and women mystics of the fourteenth century were not isolated individuals. Rather,
they felt closely bound together in a common striving for union with God, and in view of
Christ's words, "You are my friends if you do the things I ask you" (John 15:14), they
called themselves "Friends of God." These mystics, who lived not only in cloisters but
also in the world, wanted no secret ties with heretical sects, but rather an association of
like-minded individuals for mutual encouragement and edification.
The number of Dominicans writing mystical works under the influence of Eckhart was by
no means insignificant. Henry of Erfurt, who was held in high esteem as a preacher, wrote
a collection of sermons which was very widely known around 1340. (15) John and
Gerhard of Sterngassen lived at Cologne at the same time as Eckhart, although we have no
certain proof of their personal relationship with Meister Eckhart. (16) We know that
Nicholas of Strasbourg, who was visitator of the German Province from 1325 to 1329,
came to the defense of his confère in the proceedings against Eckhart. To the Erfurt circle
of Meister Eckhart belonged Giselher of Slatheim, lector at Cologne and Erfurt, who
assembled an anthology of German sermons on the liturgy of the Mass throughout the
ecclesiastical year.
It is quite certain that Henry Suso knew and cherished a number of contemporary mystics,
almost all of whom belonged to his order. He mentions only one other person in his
writings besides Eckhart: "the holy brother John the Fouterer of Strasbourg," (17) who is
known to have been a member of the Dominican priory at Basel. According to Bihlmeyer,
(18) it is practically certain that Suso was a friend of Tauler and that their paths crossed
more than once in their lifetime. Perhaps they had become acquainted at the general
studium in Cologne,(19) and perhaps Suso visited with Tauler When he frequently
traveled to Strasbourg "as was his custom." (20) Tauler possessed Suso's Horologium
sapientiae a few years after its composition. Of Tattler we also know that he frequently
visited Ruysbroeck. (21)

The Dominican sisters' convents offered a welcome opportunity to the Friars Preachers for
their spiritual zeal to share with others the inner fullness of mystical ardor, for here the
striving for perfection could most readily and surely be fostered. Tauler, as we have
already mentioned, delivered his sermons principally in the seven nunneries of Strasbourg.
The eleven convents of Dominican sisters in Constance, which were entrusted to the local
Dominican priory, undoubtedly heard the voice of Henry Suso, although there is no
existing proof of this. The convents of Oetenbach, Adelhausen, and Unterlinden also came
under his influence. (22) And it is certain that he was frequently and extensively in Töss,
where he found an able disciple and true friend in Elsbeth Stagel.
To this circle of Friends of God belonged the diocesan priest Henry of Nördlingen, who
associated not only with Tauler and Suso, but also with many cloistered nuns of the
Dominican order. (23) He was privileged to be spiritual director, for a time, of such highly
favored nuns as Margaret and Christina Ebner. Particularly intimate bonds associate him
with Margaret Ebner. He believed that she was called to the sublimest goal, and he
continually encouraged her ever further along the path of mystical union. He spoke of his
spiritual daughter to all he met. Through him many persons commended themselves to her
prayers. "Thus it happened that this simple, unworldly nun became a pillar of strength and
tranquillity for a large circle of men and women in difficult and tempestuous times, a
guide amid the dangers and trials of life. Throughout Germany, from the Netherlands to
Switzerland, Margaret Ebner gave consolation and hope to all the Friends of God through
her prayers and revelations." (24)
More generally, however, we can observe a singular, powerful attraction for mysticism in
late medieval piety. "German mysticism," that is, mysticism influenced by Eckhart,
Tauler, and Suso, and cultivated particularly by Dominicans, is only one form of mystical
life and aspiration in the period. Mysticism in Germany during the fourteenth century took
yet another form. Its principal representative was the Carthusian (a former Dominican)
Ludolf of Saxony, who died in 1377. In his vividly written and widely read Life of Christ
(Vita Christi), which was based on the Meditations on the Life of Christ (Meditationes da
vita Christi) composed by the Tuscan Franciscan Giovanni "de Caulibus" around 1300,
Ludolf of Saxony is not so much concerned with historical accuracy as he is with going
beyond the Gospel narrative by including subjective, mystical fancies and apocryphal
accounts. He finds the way to union with God by submerging himself in the details of
Christ's life, and so he is "the most successful teacher of Christian meditation in the late
Middle Ages." The Life of Christ exerted a remarkable influence far beyond the Middle
Ages, even contributing decidedly to the conversion of St. Ignatius Loyola and to his form
of spirituality. St. Bridget of Sweden (• 1373), a contemporary of Ludolf, was inclined
toward the same type of piety. That her influence was felt early even in Germany is
evident from the dates when Brigittine convents were founded in Germany: Maria Brun
near Danzig in 1396, Maria Wald near Lübeck in 1455, Gnadenberg near Stralsund in 142
1, Mariaforst near Godesberg in 1450, Maria Baum in the archdiocese of Cologne in 1457,

Maria Mai [hingen] near Nördlingen 1472, (Maria) Altomünster in the diocese of Munich-
Freising 1497.
Divine Providence blessed the German people abundantly with men and women
consumed with mystical aspirations and devotion. In this regard the religious piety of the
Middle Ages reached a certain peak in Germany. All these mystics are heralds of one
Christian ideal of union between God and man. Although the mysticism of that period is
firmly attached to the medieval scene and, in principle, introduced no innovations in
doctrine, it is still characterized by distinct elements which go beyond traditional forms of
devotion. One need only recall the striving for individual expressions of piety, the
partially emotional emphasis together with the sincere concern for the essential elements
of religious life, the notable predominance of women (sometimes carried away to the
point of fanaticism and exaggeration), and the extensive use of the German language not
only in writings of edification, but also in theological expositions of doctrine. Almost all
the great representatives of "German mysticism" in the Order of Preachers labored in the
western part of Germany. They, too, felt the popular appeal and called themselves Friends
of God. A glance at the religious life of the time gives us some idea of the greatness of the
German people in the fourteenth century, a time when restlessness had already begun to
intrude, and a new era seemed to be dawning.
NOTES
1 G. Schmoller, Strassburgs Blüte und die volkswirtschaftliche Revolution im XIII

Jahrhundert (Strassburg 1875), p. 17.
2 See Quellen u. Forschungen z. Gesch. d. Dorninikanerordens in Deutschland, 3

(Leipzig 1908), pp. 45, 56, 66-67; H. Wilms, op. cit., p. 119.
3 See H. Grundmann, "Die Frauen und die Litertatur im Mittelalter," Archiv für
Kulturgeschichte, 26/1 (1935), p. 159 f.
4 See Quellen u. Forschungen, 15 (Leipzig 1920), p. 66 ff.
5 Quoted by H. Grundmann, op. cit., p. 159.
6 H. Gründmann (Religiöse Bewegungen im Mittelalter, p. 459 ff., 467 ff.) has shown that
even before the thirteenth century women had exercised positive influence on the creation
of edifying religious literature in the vernacular. He has shown that this type of literature
sprang up first in convents, then generally wherever women wished to read spiritual
works, sermons, meditations, prayers, and, of course, Holy Scripture, or wherever women
wished to write such works as were formerly written by clerics and monks, but these had
to be written in the vernacular, since they were not well versed in Latin. -- F. Maurer

("Studien zur mittelhochdeutschen Bibelübersetzung vor Luther," in Germanische

Bibliothek, 26 [1929], 68 ff.) stresses the importance of Dominican sisters' convents in the
development of Biblical studies.
7 Catherine Gebweiler, Lebensbeschreibungen der ersten Schwestern des Klosters der

Dominikanerinnen zu Unterlinden, ed. by L. Clarus (Regensburg 1863).
8 E. Stagel, Das Leben der Schwestern zu Töss, ed. by F. Vetter in vol. VI of "Deutsche
Texte des Mittelalters", Berlin 1906.
9 For a more detailed description of women mystics and their personal experiences, see H.
Wilms, Geschichte der deutschen Dominikanerinnen, p. 110 ff.
10 M. Grabmann, Mittelalt. Geistesl., I, 485.
11 K. Bihlmeyer, Heinrich Seuse, Deutsche Schriften (Stuttgart: 1907), p. 123*.
12 At the beginning of the fourteenth century there were about seventy Dominican
nunneries in the jurisdiction of the German Dominican Province.
13 "Medieval women, even those not living in cloisters, were for the most part able to
read as could the clergy universally, while the male members of the laity who could read
were an exception. However, women did not confine themselves to Latin and to spiritual
reading, as did clerical institutions; they were capable of reading works in their own
spoken language and even secular poetry. Consequently a vernacular literature sprang into
existence for them." So speaks H. Grundmann, "Die Frauen und die Literatur im.
Mittelalter," loc. cit., p. 133.
14 "Not only individual Dominican nuns of the period arouse our profound admiration,
but also do the mystical sermons setting out for the whole convent a height of spirituality
that we can visualize clearly only with great difficulty. For admission to those convents a
religious motive and aptitude for some kind of occupation were not sufficient; one had
also to have a certain level of intelligence and education, which, it would seem, was by no
means mediocre." F. Jostes, Meister Eckhart und seine Jünger. Ungedruckte Texte zur
Geshichte der deutschen Mystik. Collectanea Friburgensia, 4 (Freiburg i. Schw. 1895), p.
xx.
15 Cf. A. Walz, Compendium historiae Ordinis Praedicatorum, 2d ed. (Rome: 1948), pp.
154, 200, n. 1, 241.
16 M. Grabmann, Neuaufgef. Werke, ed. cit., p. 44.

17 Suso, Leben, c. 6, trans. Sister M. Ann Edward, O.P., The Exemplar (Dubuque: Priory
Press, 1962), I, 19.
18 K. Bihlmeyer, Heinrich Seuse.
19 See W. Preger, Geschichte der deutschen Mystik im Mittelalter, Vol. III (Leipzig
1893), p. 93 ff.
20 Suso, Leben, c. 27, ed. K. Biblmeyer, 81, 6.
21 See J. Kuckhoff, Johannes von Ruysbroeck (Munich 1938), pp. 30-31; G. Schniirer,
op. cit., p. 184.
22 Cf. H. Wilms, op. cit., p. 81.
23 Ibid., p. 83.
24 Ibid., p. 84 -- Concerning Margaret Ebner, see also M. Grabmann, Mittelalt. Geistesl.,

I, 479 ff.

Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart &
the German
Dominican Mystics
by Gundolf M.
Fifteenth-Century Dominican Spirituality

We need not delve deeply into the writings of fifteenth-century German Dominicans to
discover that, instead of discussing the mystical aspects of prayer as fourteenth-century
writers did, they expended their efforts on practical problems of the spiritual life. (1)
Fourteenth-century writers such as Eckhart, Tauler, and Suso encouraged, both in theory
and practice, the closest possible intimacy with God attainable in the present life. They
asked the question: "How can I attain unto God?" And they answered: "Look within
yourself, there you will find him." By mystical prayer they looked within; by mystical
experience they found God.
But the outstanding fifteenth-century writers, John Nider (º 1438), John Herold (º 1468),
John Meyer (º 1458), Mark von Weida (º c. 1516), rarely mention such subjects as rapture
in the present life and vision in everlasting bliss. They treat of simpler, more immediate
matters, and encourage their readers to strive for those goals which are attainable by all
souls even before death. By developing a devotional system based on practical charity
they intended to help the faithful reach union with God.
Whereas the mystics approach God through abnegation of self in all its powers and senses,
fifteenth-century German Dominican writers point out the road of an actively virtuous life.
When the mystics set off on a lofty flight, they frequently soar into rarefied, uncharted
regions. But the fifteenth-century Dominicans, eager that their words and requirements do
not exceed the capability of ordinary mortals, never pass beyond the borders of the
imitable. In reading the writings of the mystics, many statements and formulas elude our
comprehension. Fifteenth-century Dominicans of the practical school set forth an ordinary
doctrine comprehensible and useful for ordinary Christians.
Mystical prayer shows us man as he should ideally be and act. John Nider and his
contemporaries speak of man in concrete situations and direct their teaching and

preaching to morality, the care of souls. In short, mystics describe the spirituality of feast
days, whereas fifteenth-century writers present the spirituality of everyday life. Mystical
preaching aims at a few select and well-disposed souls, able to comprehend these sublime
thoughts. But the practical, less elevated literature of fifteenth-century Dominicans
attracted and influenced the wider radius of the common people.
Merely to read fourteenth-century treatises on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus brings
one into contact with the essence of mysticism. Although this devotion was still very
popular in the fifteenth century, it had been stripped of its depth and grandeur, and its hold
on the people proved the eloquence and persuasion of Eckhart, Tauler, and Suso. Nider
and his contemporaries sometimes used mystical terminology, but a study of the context
shows that although they used the same words as their predecessors, they watered down
the meaning. One gets the feeling that the writers are trying to explain something they do
not understand themselves. They seem to be echoing mystical thoughts from the past,
while they themselves are absorbed in ethical, theological questions. They are more
interested in the here-and-now problems of everyday living than in sublime mystical
flights. We look in vain for such heart-warming fourteenth-century expressions as:
mystical union of the soul with God in the present life, God's birth in the soul of man, the
doctrine of the soul's abyss, the condition of complete resignation in which the soul is
stripped of all images.
INFLUENCE OF THE FRIARS ON THE GERMAN NUNS
The same change occurred in sisters' convents. The mysticism which flourished there
during the fourteenth century was the result of the teaching, guidance, and encouragement
of the Friar Preachers. When the Friars lowered their doctrine and inculcated a more
prosaic, realistic spirituality, the sisters put the change into practice. And so "we read little
of mysticism in the lives of fifteenth-century German nuns."(2) On this subject, Jostes
says: "The mystic-ecstatic life decreased in depth, originality, and sublimity in proportion
to its extension among more people. What hagiographers relate about the lives of these
pious people is for the most part shallow, mediocre, monotonous, stereotyped, with very
rarely one individual who dared leave the common road and wander into the lush pastures
of high spirituality. (3)
We have detailed accounts of the intellectual and spiritual life of various nuns in
Dominican convents during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The reform of religious
orders then in vogue demanded that both male and female religious be satisfied with a
practical sort of spirituality and desist from mystical aspirations. This accounts for the
paucity of such extraordinary phenomena as visions, ecstasies, private revelations, and
similar occurrences. But we do see shining forth from these staid chronicles glimmers of
the delights flooding a soul in the state of grace that cultivates divine union and divine
love. The renewal of strict discipline in convents was not limited to such external, but

necessary, regulations as conventual silence and attendance at community exercises, but

functioned in the deeper realms of interior renewal by detaching the religious from the
distractions of worldly interests and possessions.
Among the nuns, the usual ascetical practices of vigils, fastings, scourgings, and hairshirts
were combined with prayer and work in order to lead the whole person, soul and body, to
God. But the emphasis was more on a change of heart than on mortification of the body.
Spiritual directors tried to guide the nuns in the paths of "divine love and fidelity to their
vows, toward humble resignation in true patience and obedience to all the demands of
community life, rather than in the ways of excessive severity which often are contrary to
the rule of the Order. (4)
We are given a deep insight into the religious discipline observed in St. Catherine's
Convent at Nürnberg by the fact that the fairest treasures of German mysticism were
preserved there. They possessed at least the principal works of Eckhart, Tauler, and Suso,
as well as other fourteenth-century mystical literature. Of one of Eckhart's sermons we
read: "This should be read in the refectory on Our Lady's feast in Lent." (5) Around the
middle of the fifteenth century, the works of Tauler and Suso were transcribed along with
those of Eckhart. But one of the sisters felt ill at ease in this rarefied atmosphere and
described the doctrine as "heavy and obscure."(6) No doubt, this mystical literature was
supplemented with the writings of contemporary authors, such as Nider and Herold, with
whom the sisters were personally acquainted.
The spiritual life of fifteenth-century nuns followed a different course from that of their
predecessors. Even the isolated examples of mystic-minded religious strengthens our
conviction that they were the exception, not the rule as formerly. We may say that these
pre-reformation German nuns strove to do the right thing in the right way. This shifting
from mystical union with God to practical asceticism is exemplified in a booklet written
by Sister Catherine Eder in 1515: A Pattern and Rule for Novices. (7) The novices are
taught sound principles concerning the purpose of religious life, their conduct towards
superiors and equals, their behavior at table, in choir, in the cell, and at work. They are
told to prove their appreciation of spiritual values by their adherence to perfect poverty,
humble obedience, continual prayer, strict mortification, and zeal in the liturgical offices.
These lessons are exemplified in John Meyer's account of nineteen reformed Dominican
convents. Because of the force of example, these reformed convents suffered no dearth of
vocations. New convents were constructed; abandoned ones were reopened.
Meyer describes the effect of spiritual resurgence on the laity and on non-reformed
convents: "These convents (of strict observance) have a surplus of vocations; ladies beg
and plead to be admitted. As soon as a community adopts the reform, ladies of
the world vie with sisters from relaxed communities for admission, which is often refused

because of crowded conditions. All this proves that the desire to love and serve God in
religious life is innate in the female sex."(8)
THE MODERN DEVOTION
The altered spirituality of both men and women religious of fifteenth-century Germany
followed the change from mystical prayer to a practical, petitionary form of prayer. As
was to be expected, there appeared at the same time and in the same country many
doctrinal treatises concerned more with the concrete and particular than with the abstract
and universal. Perhaps the foremost among these writers was Henry von Langenstein (º
1397), professor of theology at Paris and Vienna, who composed many books on
philosophy, science, exegetics, dogma, church history, and asceticism, and was renowned
as a preacher throughout Austria and southern Germany. Another outstanding preacher
was Matthew of Cracow (º 1410), professor, diplomat, and preacher at Prague, Paris, and
Heidelberg who died as Bishop of Cracow. And Münster gave to the Church Dietrich
Coelde (º 1515), renowned Franciscan writer and missionary. These three men may be
said to have joined forces with the contemporary German Dominicans in fostering the
spiritual movement inaugurated in the Netherlands, the Devotio moderna, which had
profound repercussions on the religious life of the century. (9) The popularity of this
spirituality is proved by the fact that even contemporary writers styled it "the modern
devotion." Although the Devotio moderna claimed to follow Ruysbroeck's teaching, it was
a very practical, down-to-earth sort of spirituality. It dealt with "applied mysticism ...
contemplation applied to life." (10) It's purpose was sanctification of the individual in his
ordinary secular life. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis exemplifies this
doctrine. Devotio moderna sought "to transplant the spirit of the cloister into secular
life . . . to strive for evangelical perfection while living in worldly surroundings."(11) Far
from being extraordinary, this is an ordinary and wholesome condition, attainable by all.
And so we may justly consider this offshoot of Devotio moderna, a deep, simple, sincere
sort of piety, as the religious ideal of medieval layfolk. Its champions were practical men.
We find a similar adherence to practical principles among contemporary German

Dominicans. But some differences are distinguishable. While the Devotio moderna,
exemplified by the Imitation of Christ, held on to some mystical principles even though in
practice active asceticism guided the conduct, the German Dominicans were out-and-out
practical activists. As preachers and missionaries to the laity, their outlook on life was
wholly practical.
Henry Suso had summarized mysticism in the aphorism: "A recollected person must be
unformed of the creature, become informed with Christ, and transformed into God."(12)
But John Nider and his contemporaries directed their attention elsewhere, to something
equally important but closer at hand. They prepared men for the daily struggle, to live a
truly Christian life while buffeted by temptation and distractions from within and without.

Only from this standpoint do the fifteenth-century Dominicans make sense. True, they are
no longer mystics, but this does not qualify us to condemn them as heretics. Not to have a
mystical attitude does not make a person anti-mystical or spiritually relaxed. Those who
desert mysticism are not apostates, but realists.
We must remember that man does not live in a vacuum or on a barren mountain top, but in
human society, surrounded by other human beings. And although human needs are
basically the same in every century, yet in accidental matters these needs vary. Therefore,
if man lives in an age of tension, dissolution, and transition, he can best serve his
contemporaries by adapting his teachings to their needs. This is a sign of salutary,
inexhaustible vitality. He combines what is new with what is old and introduces a fresh
era.
ALTERED SPIRITUAL OUTLOOK
Various reasons have been adduced for the transition from mysticism to practical
spirituality among fifteenth-century German Dominicans and the nuns whom they
directed. We have already touched upon one reason: the tendency among religious persons
of the later Middle Ages to leave the universal in favor of the specific, the abstract in
favor of the concrete. Among German Dominicans this inclination took the form of
discouraging mystical union with God, and of encouraging the perfection of good ethical
conduct.
INTERNAL CAUSES
Alongside these spiritual and historical factors we detect certain internal and external
causes. The most important of the internal causes is a certain psychological impetus
inherent in the very term "mysticism." To be a mystic, a man must dedicate all his
faculties to God. The Augustinian neo-Platonic system demanded that a mystic remain
constantly on this superior plane. But in actual life, no man can live permanently in this
rarefied atmosphere of the spiritual mountain peak. Even a mystic's zeal and enthusiasm
have limits. Man's faculties, especially the physical, cannot long endure under severe
strain. Therefore, mystical nuptials are summits where man can live for a time, but then he
must descend to the valley and inhale the normal air of ordinary spiritual life. Although
theoretically the summit of mystical contemplation is a peak within the reach of every
individual, yet in reality only a few, the elite, attain it. Mystics are always in the minority,
the silent, unknown ones. The majority never scale the mystical mountain peak, much less
feel at ease there.
A second factor to be considered is that mysticism, because its assumptions are not always
in accord with a healthy rational attitude, bears within itself the seeds of disintegration. A
mystic is prone to confuse he products of his imagination and subjective experience with

mystical revelation and divine contemplation, to be guided by personal emotions rather

than by theological knowledge, to drift into the sphere of purely personal experience, and
to forget the distinction between the human and the divine, between true revelation and
imaginative fancy. Th is was sadly exemplified in certain fourteenth-century women
mystics who were guided by theologians of the Augustinian neo-Platonic school.
Affective, enthusiastic, spontaneous, and arbitrary aspirations frequently took precedence
over spiritual zeal, guided and enlightened by faith. This resulted in the unbalanced and
exaggerated digressions which made an unfavorable impression on contemporary
Christians as well as on modern, more critical and prosaic readers, and sometimes turned
the mystics into antisocial beings.
Although it is true that man's entire being, heart included, worships God, yet the emotions
must be kept in check. Stability results when the intellect holds the reins and governs the
individual's spirituality according to sound rational principles. Consequently, we can point
out two tendencies in mysticism: one based on reason enlightened by faith, the other on
experience dominated by emotions. Mysticism based on emotion strays into dangerous
heresies, a rational, practical attitude toward piety guards the mystic from aberration.
We must remember that mystics, being athirst for lofty theological truths, are always in
need of encouragement, instruction, and direction. In the fourteenth century, Dominican
masters and lectors of theology exercised great influence on the spiritual life of the nuns
and so were responsible for the rare flowers of mysticism. But the decline of
scholasticism, accompanied by a lack of theological instruction and spiritual vigor, had
sad repercussions in the realm of fifteenth-century piety. As spiritual directors became
more engrossed in practical problems, they became less concerned about divine truths.
To understand the decline of mysticism we must remember that not all Germans had
become mystic-minded; the mystical preachers had only spoken to and influenced a small
minority. These preachers appealed to a select audience, capable of following their lofty
flights of speculation and their stringent demands for self-discipline. Because this
audience was usually composed of nuns, members of the Dominican or other orders, we
may say that in the fourteenth century mysticism was preached in cloisters, whereas in the
thirteenth and fifteenth, preachers addressed popular sermons to Catholics at large.
When reading the writings of fifteenth-century German Dominicans we are struck by the
numerous quotations from Tauler and Suso, but few from Eckhart. What is the reason for
this? It is attributable to the condemnation of certain of Eckhart's propositions, and to the
abstract character of his speculations, comprehensible only to those who had been
previously prepared for his doctrine. Even the natural attraction of the human mind,
especially woman's, towards occult secrets, did not overcome this obstacle. (13) But the
practical, realistic piety of the fifteenth century departed from this mystical vein. No
doubt, the condemnation of Eckhart scared people away from his line of thinking. The

very terminology which he used in describing the sublime degrees of mystical union with
God exposed the reader to the danger of misinterpretation. Sometimes he used a word in
its strict literal meaning, then again in a metaphorical sense. Such vague expressions as
"In God there is neither good, nor better, nor best," (14) "God is all things," (15) "God is
neither being nor intellect," (16) are perplexing in context, but absolutely disconcerting
out of context. Even Eckhart's defender, Cardinal Nicholas of Cues, expressed the wish
"that Eckhart's writings be removed from general circulation because what he had written
for the use and instruction of the intellectual class was incomprehensible to the common
people."(17) Denifle remarks pertinently: "Even the intellectuals preferred those writings
wherein they found more wholesome nourishment for their souls." (18) It is not surprising
that they avoided Eckhart's writings (19) and preferred Tauler's and Suso's so as not to
endanger their own orthodoxy.
EXTERNAL CAUSES
To these internal causes for the decline of German mysticism we must add certain external
factors, incapable in themselves of bringing about a change, but potent when acting in
connection with the internal: (1) the reform movement in religious orders occasioned by
the relaxation of discipline; (2) the shortage of vocations and the acceptance of aspirants
of inferior character or spirituality.
The spirit instilled into the orders by their founders cooled because of human weakness
and worldly considerations. Even Suso, who lived in the golden age of monasticism,
paints a depressing picture in his Horologium sapientiae. He depicts many religious who
pursued distinctions, posts of honor, and unnecessary dispensations, neglected their sacred
duties, and ridiculed their zealous companions. But the supreme evil infecting religious
houses was the "private life." (20) Masters general and general chapters repeatedly urged
universal reform movements, (21) but only a few isolated convents returned to the
primitive observance of the rule.
The real internal reform of the Dominican Order began with the election of Raymond of
Capua as Master General at the General Chapter of Bologna in 1380. He ordained that in
every province at least one convent of primitive observance be established. For this
project, Raymond found an energetic supporter in Conrad of Prussia, whom he appointed
prior of the convent of Kolmar in Alsace where with thirty friars he adopted the primitive
rule in all its rigor. A few years later he established a monastery of strict observance for
the nuns of the Order at Schönensteinbach near Kolmar. A salutary reform current flowed
from these two sources across Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Thirty-four
convents of men and many monasteries of nuns of the German province adopted the
reform by 1483 (Nürnberg in 1397 and Bern in 1419). This reform movement was
propelled by many saintly fifteenth-century German Dominicans. So busy were they in
this struggle to revive the ideals of the early brethren that they had no time to encourage

the aspirations of any individual who may have been led on mystical paths. They devoted
all their energies to one purpose: to prevent the disintegration of the whole Order by laxity
of discipline. In his book Concerning the Reform of Religious, Nider pleads with religious
to fight against relaxation, to return to the ideals of their founder, to cherish their vows
and customs. He made no mention of mystical union with God, because this was not his
purpose in writing. He restricted himself to the essentials. This basic tendency explains
why all the writings of fifteenth-century Dominicans, whether directed to the laity or to
religious, are primarily practical, educational, reformative.
Other circumstances also played a part in the diminution of mysticism in the latter part of
the fourteenth century. A terrible earthquake at the beginning of 1348 killed many people.
In Asia, the Black Death began its ravages. Italian ships carried the contagious germs to
Sicily, Pisa, Genoa, and Marseilles. From there the epidemic spread across the Alps and
invaded all of Europe. Primitive hygienic conditions encouraged the rapid spread of
infection wherever people lived in close proximity. So we can see how in convents the
plague had devastating effects. Contemporary records reveal that the Black Death claimed
60,000 victims in Florence, 100,000 in Venice, 50,000 in Paris, 16,000 in Strasbourg,
16,000 in Erfurt, 12,000 in Basel, 9,000 in Lübeck, and 5,000 in Weimar. (22) Granted
that these numbers are probably exaggerated, the casualties were undoubtedly very high.
The Dominican Order was not spared its high quota of deaths, and of those religious who
survived, men and women, many returned to secular life. The resulting scarcity of
religious left behind to carry on the work of large convents was in itself an obstacle to the
development of the mystical spirit. Many years would pass before an atmosphere
conducive to contemplation could be renewed. And by then the age of mystical fervor had
passed.
Another important factor must be noted. Because of the many men who died in the
constant wars and feuds of the period, there did not seem to be enough husbands to go
around. So parents practically forced their daughters to enter the convent against their
natural inclination. Convenience was considered more important than piety. This custom,
a serious threat to exterior discipline and interior prayer, required stern corrective
measures.
Many factors contributed to the decline of medieval German mysticism. Among these we
have mentioned those which lie in mysticism itself and those which arise from external
causes. We should also consider that the fifteenth century was poles removed from the
fourteenth in the major areas of life: political, economic, cultural, and religious. And
fifteenth-century German Dominicans did recognize and fulfill their Christian obligation
to make Christ's spirit and teaching attractive to their contemporaries. German mysticism
had passed its apex. Practicality in spiritual matters superseded the former lofty
perspective. Only from this viewpoint can we appreciate the life and work of fifteenth-

century German Dominicans. However, we should not consider this altered outlook as a
sign of spiritual retrogression and decadence, but as a proof of religious health and vigor.
NOTES
1 See G. M. Gieraths, Die Lehre vom Gebet bei der deutschen Dominikanern des 15
Jahrhunderts (Bonn: 1950); John Nider, O.P., and "Deutsche Mystik" des 14
Jahrhunderts, Divus Thomas, 30 (1952).
2 G. Schnürer, Kirche und Kultur im Mittelatter, Bd. 3 (Padenborn: 1929), p. 184.
3 F. Jostes, Meister Eckhart und seine Jünger. Ungedruckfe Texte sur Geschichte der
deutschen Mystik. Collectanes Fribugensia, Fasc. IV (Freiburg in Schw.: 1895), p. 17.
4 Quellen v. Forschungen z. Gesch. d. Dominicanerordens in Deutschland (Leipzig:

1907), 2, 36.
5 Cited by Jostes, 107, note 25. Reference to the Annunciation.
6 Jostes, 24, note 2.
7 Published by K. Rieder in Alemannia, XXV, S. 166 ff.
8 Quellen u. Forschungen (Leipzig: 1908) 3, 94.
9 This is an example of how the Dominicans and the proponents of the Devotio moderna
utilized the spirit of the age. Because the purpose of Devotio moderna was to spread the
monastic spirit among the laity, the Dominicans were at first opposed to the idea. So we
find the Dominican Matthew Grabow asking the Bishop of Utrecht and the Council of
Constance to condemn the movement. But his efforts failed. See J. Hollnsteiner, Die
Kirche im Ringen um die christliche Gemeinschalt (Vol. II, 2 of the Church history ed. by
J. P. Kirsch) (Freiburg: 1940), p. 443; R. Langenberg, Quellen und Forschungen zur
Geschichte der deutschen Mystik (Bonn: 1902), p. 179f.
10 J. Kuckhoff, Johannes von Rysbroeck (Munich: 1938), p. 25.
11 W. Neuss, Die Kirche des Mittelalters, 2 Aufl. (Bonn: 1950), p. 364.
12 Suso, Leben, c. 49, ed. K. Bihlmeyer, 168, 9.
13 See H. Denifle, Die Deutschen Schriften des H. Seuse (München: 1880), I. p. 143.

Concerning Elsbeth Stagel we read: "In her first beginning someone had diverted her
thoughts to lofty metaphysical subjects: the naked Godhead, the nullity of all creatures,
the submersion of oneself into the nothingness, and the extrication of oneself from all
sensible images. She found much pleasure in these and similar ideas, all clothed in
dazzling, extravagant terms. Although good in itself, this doctrine proved to be a
hindrance to her because lack of education and experience disqualified her for making the
necessary distinctions between sense and spirit."
14 F. Pfeiffer, Deutsch Mystiker des vierzehnten Jahrhunderts, Bd. 2 (Leipzig: 1857),

269, 18.
15 Ibid., 282, 31.
16 Ibid., 29.
17 Cited by H. Denifle in Archiv, II, 522, note 1.
18 Ibid.
19 Even though his writings were widely disseminated in Germany and had far-reaching
effects in certain spheres.
20 See Henry Suso, O.P., Horologiurn sapientiae, ed. C. (Paris: 1903-1914), (Richstitter,
Taurini: 1929), p. 43 ff.
21 See F. D. Mortier, Histoire des Maitres Généraux de l'Ordre des Frères Precheurs, III,
546ff.
22 See J. B. von Weiss, Weltgeschichte, (Graz-Leipzig: 1894), VI.

Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart &
the German
Dominican Mystics
by Gundolf M.
Mystical Writers: Meister Eckhart

CONCERNING TRUE LOVE OF GOD
Do you want to know if your love for God is true and perfect? Ask yourself: Is my
confidence in him boundless? Confidence is the infallible test of love, because perfect
love and utter confidence are inseparable. Whatever you lovingly expect of God you find
in him in overflowing measure. And because God's love for you is both infinite and
omnipotent, you can never expect too much from his bounty. One act of perfect
confidence in God is more meritorious than all other good works. God will never abandon
you if you have anchored your soul on the firm rock of perfect confidence, because he has
accomplished a stupendous task in you, a task resulting from love. Along with this
confidence, love will also give you clear knowledge and firm security.
There are two types of knowledge of eternal life. The first, possessed by few people, is
given to them by God, either personally, by an angel, or by private revelation. The second,
incomparably better and more useful, is enjoyed by every soul who truly loves God. God
bestows this favor in return for the soul's love of God in himself and in all creatures. A
soul imbued with this love will never be disconcerted, whether all creatures turn against it
and betray and deny it, or if God himself deserts it, for love cannot doubt, always believes
in the good, and has no need of counsel concerning the relations between lover and
beloved. The soul's experience of God's love assures it of whatever is needful and
conducive to salvation. As the soul feels drawn to God, so it likewise feels God drawn to
it in an infinitely greater degree, and the more the soul believes in God the more it realizes
how precious it is in his sight. All souls who truly love God have this assurance: God is
the essence of loyalty. (1)
The rebellion of the physical against the spiritual can only be curbed by corporal
discipline. Man's fierce bodily impulses are continually warring with his spiritual
faculties. Being earthly, the body is bold and strong on earth. And the earth, in turn, favors

its bodily citizen with food, drink, and sensual pleasure. All these war against the spirit
which is a stranger on earth, pining for reunion with its friends and kinsmen in heaven.
That is the whole purpose of penitential exercises: the subjection of the body.
But do you want a quicker and surer method of accomplishing this purpose? Curb the
body with the reins of love. God himself uses this technique. He who is chained by love is
bound with the strongest chains and at the same time carries the sweetest burden.
Whoever shoulders the yoke of love travels faster and penetrates deeper into the divine
intimacy than he who jogs painfully along the road of penance and mortification. No
burden is heavy nor trial bitter for him who loves. Nothing more quickly draws a man to
God and God to man than the delightful bond of love. He who has found this highway
need look for no other. He who is imprisoned in this castle is completely imprisoned: feet,
hands, mouth, eyes, heart. His entire being is consecrated to God. His most insignificant
action is more meritorious for himself and all mankind, and more pleasing to God, than
the actions of other men who, though being in the state of grace, love God less. His repose
is more useful than their labor. Therefore, seek this imprisonment and remain peacefully
in it. The more you are shackled, the more you will be free. May he who is love
personified grant us the grace of this liberating imprisonment. Amen.(2)
THE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD'S CHILDREN
Meister Eckhart lists five qualities which assure a man of God's undying friendship. First,
no matter what trials befall him, whether from God or creatures, he praises and thanks the
donor instead of complaining. Secondly, he does not take vain complacency in his
success. Thirdly, he is free from all personal desire and leaves his entire life at the
disposition of God's loving providence. Fourthly, nothing in heaven or on earth can
sadden him; if heaven became hell and hell heaven, he would consider this reversal as
God's will and find his happiness in it. Fifthly, just as nothing in heaven or on earth can
sadden him, so also nothing can gladden him. (3)
ON HOLY COMMUNION
In receiving Holy Communion, be not guided by sensible fervor but by good will and
right intention. Ignore your feelings, but give heed to your motives.
Before approaching the Sacramental Lord, ask yourself three questions: (1) Am I detached
from all sin? (2) Is my will so closely attached to God's that I find pleasure nowhere but in
him, and displeasure with whatever displeases him? This detachment and attachment
determine your proximity or remoteness to God. (3) Does frequent reception of the
Eucharist increase or decrease my love, awe, and reverence for the Lord? Just because
someone else derives spiritual benefit from Holy Communion doesn't mean that you will
also. Your own results must be the criterion. If frequent Holy Communion increases your

fervor and piety, then go frequently and pay no attention to what others say or do. Christ
desires to take up his abode with you.
But perhaps you say: "My distraction, coldness, and indifference make me unworthy to
approach Christ."
I answer: "All the more reason to receive him. For it is in being united with him that you
will be sanctified. The Sacrament possesses the special potency of uniting your natural
powers and faculties to Christ's bodily presence, of collecting and unifying your scattered
sensory impressions, and of purifying and consecrating to God your heretofore natural
traits. In this way God will detach you from temporal things, instruct you in the secrets of
the interior life, cure you of your sinful habits, and quicken, strengthen, and renew you
with his body. Indeed, you will be so completely transformed into him and united with
him that what is his will be yours and what is yours will be his. Your heart and his will be
one heart; your body and his, one body. In this way all your physical powers and spiritual
faculties will be engrafted in him, and you will be conscious of his presence."
But you object: "Alas, in my misery I am unaware of any such great graces operating in
me. How dare I approach him?"
I reply that in order to throw off your misery you need only approach the gracious
plenitude of his inexhaustible abundance and you will be rich. Believe me, he is that
priceless treasure which will delight and satisfy you. Press near to him, and his riches will
counteract your poverty, his infinity neutralize your nothingness, and his eternal Godhead
sublimate your despicable, corrupted humanity.
Again you protest: "My sins are too great to be forgiven."
But I urge you even more strongly to go to him, for he has superabundantly atoned for
your sins. And furthermore, offer Christ himself to the Eternal Father as a worthy sacrifice
for your guilt.
"I would like to follow your advice," I hear you saying, "But something holds me back."
There is only one remedy for your hesitancy. Even if you are not convinced, go blindly to
the Son who is the unending, perfect, and true adorer of God, well pleasing to his Father.
There is no other way to conquer sin, to acquire virtue and grace, and to experience a
foretaste of heavenly bliss than to dispose yourself to receive frequently and worthily the
sacrament in which you are ennobled by union with Christ.
So closely is the soul united with God in Holy Communion that not even the cherubim
and seraphim can distinguish between them. Where the soul is, there is God, and where

God is, there is the soul. This union is unique in its intimacy, because the soul is more
closely united to God than to the body which it inhabits. If you were to let fall a drop of
wine into a barrel of water, the union of water and wine would be very intimate, but far
removed from the soul's identification with God in Holy Communion.
Again you object: "I am insensible of all this. So how can it be?"
No matter. Your faith is deepened, heightened, and ennobled in proportion to your lack of
feeling and strength of conviction, for belief transcends sentiment and reason. Faith
imparts knowledge. If we complain that we receive little grace from God, it is our own
fault, because he gives in proportion to our faith in him. And the source of faith is the
Holy Eucharist, not some favored devotion.
Now you present a final difficulty: "How can I, a weak, sin-infected mortal aspire to such
sublime heights?"
You should consider two factors in Christ. In him the higher and lower faculties each
accomplished their particular purpose. While he was on earth, his higher faculties
possessed and enjoyed the beatific vision at the same time as his lower faculties endured
excruciating torture and pain. But the higher faculties did not interfere in the sufferings of
the lower, nor the lower diminish the bliss of the higher. The same should be true of you.
Do not let your passions interfere with your soul's accomplishment of God's will. Even
more, your love for God should strengthen you to practice mortification of the senses so
that your spirit, freed from earthly cares, may submerge into God. In truth, the soul is
superior to the body's pains and passions, and the stronger the attack the more honorable
the victory and more laudable the conqueror. You become dearer to God in proportion to
the virtues you acquire and practice in the combat against evil. Therefore, if you wish to
receive Holy Communion worthily, concentrate on directing your higher faculties toward
God, alert your will to the fulfillment of his wishes, direct your mind toward him, and
establish your loyalty in him. Molded in these dispositions, you will find in every Holy
Communion a source of precious grace. And the oftener you receive, the better.
Receiving just one Holy Communion in these dispositions would make you like to the
first choir of angels, and a second reception would elevate you to the second choir. And
eventually you would resemble the eighth or ninth choir. Consequently, if two persons
practiced the same virtues in life, but one went to Communion more frequently than the
other, lie would outshine the other in heaven because of these additional Communions and
would experience a correspondingly closer union with God.
The soul's interior intention and fervent desire for Holy Communion are more important
than the actual reception. It is possible that a person's burning desire for Communion,
even if he is unable actually to receive, may be more meritorious than another person's

actual reception without such a fervent disposition. And this so-called spiritual
Communion we can receive thousands of times daily, no matter where we are or what the
condition of our health. This does not mean that we should not receive sacramental
Communion as often as possible, but that we should carefully prepare ourselves. And this
very preparation is a means of sanctification in time and a foretaste of bliss in eternity.
May the God of truth give us a great love of Holy Communion, of chastity, and of life
everlasting. Amen .(4)
CONCERNING RESURRECTION FROM SIN
Whenever a man seriously arises from sin and rejects it, God forgives him completely,
acts as if that man had never sinned, and requires no retribution. Even though one man
were guilty of all the sins committed in the world since the time of Adam, if he truly
repented for them God would forgive him and love him as much as an innocent person.
God regards the present dispositions, not past failures. God is the God of the present
moment. He takes you as he finds you; he receives you as you are now, not as you were
formerly. God bears with years of crime and insult, so that by his divine patience he may
conquer man's heart, turn the sinner into a saint, and transform the lover of ease into a
model of discipline and penance. In this way he draws good out of the evil of sin. (5)
CONCERNING THE FOLLOWING OF CHRIST
To follow Christ does not mean to speak of spiritual matters and to act piously, to spread
around us a sanctimonious sheen, to be well-known, and to have many devout friends.
Neither does it imply that God treats us with great tenderness and coddles us to the point
where we are convinced that he thinks only of us to the exclusion of other creatures. Even
less does it mean that God immediately answers our every prayer. Not at all! It means
rather that we remain firm and unshaken when men calumniate and falsely accuse us, and
when God withdraws his consoling presence from us, and we feel separated from him by
an impenetrable wall, and we are abandoned by him in our struggle as Christ was deserted
by his Father on the Cross. Behold, this is when we should consider ourselves plunged
deep into his divinity and exclaim: "Father, may thy will be done in me!" (6)
The austerity and detachment seen in the life of Christ and the accounts of many saint's
lives cause certain people to become discouraged and fearful. Feeling disinclined and
unable to follow such example, they consider themselves at variance with God. How
foolish! Nothing need keep us away from God, not even misery or guilt. Even though our
sins prevent us from drawing near to God, we can still draw God close to us. Man is truly
miserable when he sets up a barrier between himself and God. Man is free to approach
God or run away from him. God never departs, and if he is expelled from man's interior,
he stands patiently by the door.

The closeness of one's following of Christ depends on each one individually. Try to find
out the manner in which Christ wants you to follow him, and then fulfill his wishes
earnestly and perseveringly. According to St. Paul, no two men find God in the same way.
Therefore, do not frown on someone who does not tread the road of external activity and
bodily mortification. These are accidentals, and not necessary to sanctification unless God
calls a soul to them by extraordinary means. And if you yourself do not feel drawn to the
way of extraordinary penance, do not lose your peace and confidence.
Perhaps you object: "If it is not important, then why did our predecessors and very many
saints practice great austerities?"
They were called to this way by Christ, who also gave them strength to walk on this path
in a manner pleasing to him and meritorious to themselves. But God did not lay this
burden on all mankind. On the contrary, he destines each particular person to reach
salvation by a particular road, and lie places on each road all the helps necessary for its
traveler. One good does not oppose another good. That is why it ill-behooves any man to
think that his neighbor is wasting time traveling on a different road than he himself
traverses. This is an error. We should respect our neighbor's devotion and never revile his
pious exercises. Everyone should live according to his own measure of grace and pray for
his neighbor's welfare.
Neither should you feel obliged to adopt your neighbor's type of spirituality. The
important thing is that your devotional exercises lead you to God, whereas the austerity of
a particular saint might lead you away from him. Honor and respect the saints, but do not
feel bound to follow their examples slavishly.
You say: "Certainly the way trodden by Jesus Christ was the loftiest and the safest for us
to imitate."
True. We should follow our Lord. But not in every minute detail. just because Christ
fasted for forty days does not oblige each of us to do so. Many of Christ's actions are to be
imitated spiritually, not literally. And because he is more desirous of our love than of our
deeds, we should take pains to imitate him reasonably, lovingly. This is really the only
way to follow in his footsteps. Often ask yourself: how and in what manner?
I have often said that I consider the spiritual imitation of Christ more important than the
physical. What does this mean? Christ fasted forty days. To imitate him spiritually, find
out what is your predominant fault, and guard yourself against it. This self-restraint will
profit you more than a strict fast from food. For one person this spiritual fast may consist
in holding back an unkind word. Another person may experience real pain by enduring
silently criticism or reproach, whereas a hard physical blow would not bother him at all,
Another person, a hermit by temperament, may endure a secret martyrdom by preserving

recollection in company with other people. Often these spiritual trials appear trifling but
are in reality excruciating and far outweigh physical penances.
Therefore, no matter how weak a person is, he can still follow our Lord, and should never
consider himself far from him. (7)
CONCERNING SOLITUDE
Someone asked me: "Is it a sign of high sanctity for a person to withdraw completely from
society and spend all his time in church?" I answered negatively, because lie whose
dispositions are rightly ordered can pray in any place and find God in all people. But he
whose conscience is not right is always at variance with his surroundings and with his
fellow men. The man who possesses interior peace possesses God who remains with him
in the crowd, on the street, in church, in the desert, in his cell. Nothing can disturb the man
who truly possesses God. Why? Because God is taking care of him and operating in him.
And he who causes a work is more truly its originator than he who performs it. Therefore,
if God alone is man's true and sole intention, he is the originator of his deeds and will
preserve him in recollection regardless of his environment. Wherefore, as God remains
undistracted by multiplicity or confusion, so such a man acts likewise because he is one
with him in whom all multiplicity and variety are unity and simplicity.
Man should experience God's presence in all things and discipline his spirit to retain an
awareness of this presence in his mind, will, and heart. Examine yourself on this
awareness. You should be conscious of it in church or in your cell, in the noise of the
street or in the jostling of the crowd. And as I have repeatedly told you, being tranquil
does not mean being oblivious or indifferent to your surroundings or your employment.
To teach this would be erroneous, because in itself being in church is better than being on
the street, and praying is better than spinning. But no matter where you are or what you
are doing, you can and should preserve your soul in peaceful, loyal reverence toward God.
Of this be sure: if you do not desert God, no creature can deprive you of his blissful
presence. But if, not possessing God in this intimate way, you seek him distractedly in
many places, you will never really possess him. Then every little thing will distract you
because you are not living in intimacy with God, are not seeking and loving him alone nor
directing your intentions solely to him.
In such a state of soul good companions as well as evil, the sanctuary as well as the street,
holy words and actions as well as evil ones will be an obstacle because the impediment
resides within your soul which is at variance with God. But as soon as God reigns
supreme within you, all will be well with you. Then no creature will disturb your peace or
interfere with your good works. (8)
CONCERNING TRUE PRAYER

In reply to his own question as to whose prayer God always answers, Meister Eckhart
says: "God answers the prayers of him who calls upon God as God. But the man who calls
upon God for temporal goods is not calling upon God as God but upon temporal goods as
a God, and so uses God as his slave." On this same subject, St. Augustine says: "You
worship what you love." True, complete, and perfect prayer being synonymous with love,
man worships what he loves. And therefore true worship of God consists in worshiping
him for his own sake, with no other intention than that of giving glory to him. (9)
Some ask whether repeating the same prayer makes it more efficacious. Meister Eckhart
answered this way: Verbal repetition adds little or nothing to a prayer's efficacy. Prayer is
excellent in its own right, and what becomes excellent by repetition is not so in its own
right. One Hail Mary, prayed with devotion and resignation, is more excellent and
efficacious than a thousand psalters prayed with the lips but devoid of inner affection. (10)
Meister Eckhart declares: Two factors keep God from granting our requests. We lack
humility of heart and our desires are inordinate. I swear by my life that God can do all
things in his divine power, but he cannot refuse to give himself to the humble-hearted
person, ruled by lawful desires. Therefore do not entangle yourself with trifles because
you were created for loftier things. Worldly, honors are nothing but a dissimulation of
truth and an impediment to sanctity. (11)
CONCERNING SUFFERING
A just man's faith in God and confidence in his providence should be so great that he
believes it impossible for God to permit any pain or misfortune to befall him which is not
capable of warding off greater pain, consoling him on earth, or being transformed into
something more pleasing to God. This being the case, then the just man's mind should be
so united and conformed to God's will that he would wish his own injury and damnation if
this were God's will. In this spirit St. Paul desired to be separated from God because of
God, according to God's will and for his glory.
The command "Mortify yourself!" should be so familiar to the truly spiritual man,
transformed into God and conformed to his will, that his sole blessedness consists in
ignorance of himself and all creatures, and knowledge of God alone. Like St. Paul, he
must neither know anything nor be able to know anything except God as he is in himself
and knows himself. Consider how great a privilege such a man enjoys even while on
earth. And in heaven he will enjoy God himself. Discomfort is as pleasing to him as
comfort, pain as pleasant as pleasure.
Here is another startling consideration. If I live a life of grace and virtue, peace and
happiness are my constant companions no matter what fortune or misfortune befalls me. If

I have not yet arrived at this blessed condition, I should cast off the obstacles which fetter
me to earthly misery.
If God answers my prayer, I should receive his gifts with gratitude and joy. If God refuses
what I ask of him, I should no longer desire it because it is not pleasing to God. And God
being closer to us when he refuses our requests than when he grants them, we should not
give in to sadness and depression at his seeming deafness to our prayers. When we receive
our desires, we find our happiness and consolation in something we now consider our
own. But when our requests are refused we neither have nor find nor know any joy but
God and the accomplishment of his will. (12)
NOTES
1 Reden der Unterweisung (14, 15); F. Pfeiffer, 558, 29; J. Bernhart, Deutsche Mystiker,
Vol. III, Meister Eckhart (München: 1914), p. 100 f.
2 Predigt IV; Pfeiffer, 29, 17; 0. Karrer. Meister Eckhart (München: 1926), p. 170 f.
3 Sprüche; Pfeiffer, 603, 17; Bernhart, 182 f.
4 Reden der Unterweisung (20) Pfeiffer, 565, 5; Bernhart, 110 ff.
5 Reden der Unterweisung (12); Pfeiffer, 557, 14; Bernhart, 97 f.
6 Predigt LVII; Pfeiffer, 182, 1; 0. Karrer, 200 f.
7 Reden der Unterweisung ( 17 ) ; Pfeiffer, 561, 18; Bernhart, 104 ff.
8 Ibid.; (6) ; Pfeiffer, 547, 14; Bernhart, 81 f.
9 Sprüche; Pfeiffer, 610, 4; Bernhart, 181.
10 Ibid.; Pfeiffer, 611, 16; Bernhart, 181 f.
11 Ibid.; Pfeiffer, 602, 22; Bernhart, 182.
12 Buch der göttlichen Tröstung; P. Strauch, Meister Eckharts Buch der göttlichen
Tröstung und vom edlen Menschen (2nd ed. 1922), 13, 5-1 Bernhart, 142 ff.


Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart &
the German
Dominican Mystics
by Gundolf M.
Mystical Writers: John Tauler

THE THREEFOLD BIRTH
Today Christians throughout the world are commemorating a threefold birth. On this feast
day our hearts should be filled with such sentiments of love and gratitude that they are
exuberant with joy and gladness. Anyone not experiencing at least a little of this holy
delight is to be pitied.
The first and most sublime of these births is the birth, within the Godhead, of the only Son
of the heavenly Father, alike to him in divine substance but distinct from him in person.
The second is his human birth which was effected in the virginal womb of Mary. The third
is God's daily and hourly rebirth by grace and love in the souls of the just.
We solemnize these three births in the three Christmas Masses. The first, celebrated at
midnight, begins with the words: "The Lord said to me: You are my son, this day I have
begotten you." These words refer to the mysterious birth which occurred in the depth of
the unsearchable Godhead. "This day shall a light shine upon us," the opening words of
the second Mass, refer to the light of the Godhead shining through his human nature. This
Mass is offered at dawn because the second birth is partly known and partly unknown.
When the sun is fully risen, we intone the Words of the third Mass: "A child is born to us
and a son is given to us." These words signify the interior birth which is continually going
on in the souls of men of good will who turn lovingly and prayerfully toward God. To
experience this mystical birth, is to attain the highest bliss possible on earth.
To approach properly this glorious birth symbolized by the third Mass we must study the
eternal birth of the divine Word in the bosom of his Father. The Father desired with an
infinite desire to pour himself out and to share his goodness. According to St. Augustine,
it is of God's nature and essence to diffuse himself. This we see exemplified in the
procession of the divine Persons, and in the divine indwelling in creatures. St. Augustine

says further that we exist only because God is good, and whatever good a creature has can
be traced back to God's essential goodness.
What then, is to be learned from the eternal birth of the Son of God from the Father? The
Father, as Father, turns to himself with his divine knowledge, looks into the abyss of his
eternal essence, and by virtue of his pure comprehension of himself he expresses himself
perfectly and completely. The Word by which he expresses himself is his Son, and the
eternal birth is nothing else than the Father's knowing of himself. The Son remains within
the Godhead in essential unity, and proceeds from him in distinction of person. Thus, God
first turns in and knows himself, then expresses himself in begetting his Word, and then
reflects on himself in perfect satisfaction with his own being. And this satisfaction flows
out in an ineffable love of Father and Son, of which the Holy Spirit is the term.
Man's soul is made to the image of the Blessed Trinity. It is endowed with three spiritual
functions: memory, intelligence, and free will. These three functions enable the soul to
receive God and whatever God may wish to bestow upon it, and to contemplate him in
time as a preparation for eternal contemplation. Almighty God created the human soul
both for time and eternity. By its higher faculties the soul is in touch with eternity; by its
lower faculties, which are sensible and animal, it is in touch with time.
In the present state of union between soul and body, the soul's higher and lower faculties,
occupied as they are with temporal things, are prone to lose taste for the eternal.
Therefore, a person who longs for spiritual birth must discipline and integrate his
faculties. As an archer closes one eye so as to fix his gaze on a target, so a man must
collect all his spiritual and physical powers and direct them toward God. Stripping himself
of self-will and selfish desires, he must resolve to live and work for God alone, to refuse
no request God makes of him, to permit God to dwell within him. If two persons are to
become one, one must remain passive while the other acts. In order to see a certain picture
on the wall, man must divert his eyes from other images and concentrate on that one
picture. The eye cannot clearly see one color while it is blurred with many colors. Nor can
a person hear other sounds clearly if there is a continual ringing in his car. The soul, too,
to be receptive of God must be empty, passive, and free.
St. Augustine puts it this way: "Empty yourself, so that you may be filled; go out, so that
you can go in." Elsewhere he asks: "Why do you seek outside yourself for him who is
always and truly within you? You share in the divine nature: why do you entangle
yourself with creatures? If man prepares the place, God will surely come and fill it with
himself. If there were a void here on earth the heaven would fall to fill it. God allows
nothing to be void. To do so would be contrary to his very nature.
If you wish to hear the Word of God speaking within you, you must be silent. If you
speak, he will be silent. The best way to serve the Word is to keep silent and listen. He

will fill you with himself in the measure that you empty your soul of self.
So much for the first and third birth. Let us now turn to the second, in which God's son
was born of a human mother on this holy night, and became our brother. In eternity he is
born without a mother; in time he is born without a father. St. Augustine tells us that
Mary's sanctity shines forth more by reason of her conceiving God spiritually in her soul
than by conceiving him physically in her body. If we wish God to be born spiritually in
our souls, we should know what were the qualities possessed by Mary, who was his
spiritual and physical mother. She was a pure and spotless virgin; she was an espoused
virgin; and when the angel came to her, she lived in seclusion, cut off from the world.
Each of us, first of all, should desire to be a pure and spotless virgin. If we have perhaps
failed in this matter, we should promptly return by penance to the path of virtue. To men's
eyes a virgin appears to be sterile, but she is inwardly fruitful. "All the splendor of the
king's daughter is from within." This should be true of every virgin. If she lives detached
from the world with her thoughts fixed on God, she will be most fruitful. She will give
birth to God's Son, to God's Word, who is everything and contains all things within
himself.
Secondly, Mary was an espoused virgin, as we also should be. St. Paul said: "I have
betrothed you all to Christ." We must sink our vacillating wills in God's unchangeable will
and exchange our weakness for his strength.
Thirdly, the virgin should imitate Mary's seclusion if God is to be truly born in her. She
must cultivate and maintain interior silence, tranquility, and detachment. The Introit of the
Mass of the Sunday following Christmas tells us: "When all around was in silence and
everything was utterly still, when the night had run its course, then, O Lord, your almighty
Word descended from the kingly throne." This is how it must be with us: perfect silence
everywhere. Then we shall be able to hear the Word. (1)
PREPARING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT
"They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as
the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak" (Acts 2:4). These words refer to the sacred day
on which the Holy Spirit descended in fiery tongues on the apostles and those who were
gathered with them. On that occasion the treasure was restored which had been lost in
Paradise through man's weakness and the demon's counsel. Even outwardly this was a
wonderful day. Sense and reason could not fathom the inconceivable, ineffable marvel
which transpired. So magnificent is the Holy Spirit's abundance that human reason
staggers before it. Compared with it, heaven and earth sink into nothingness and all
creatures combined seem less than a speck of dust. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must
himself prepare the tabernacle which is to receive him, and then receive himself in it.

God's unutterable abyss must be his own tabernacle and prepare his creatures to receive
him.
"The whole house was filled." When God fills, he fills to the brim. When God comes to a
soul, he permeates and penetrate every nook and corner.
The disciples "were filled with the Holy Spirit." Notice where the disciples were at the
time of this inpouring. They were locked together in a room, and were sitting in silence. In
this lies a profound lesson for us, for the Holy Spirit comes to men whenever they turn
away completely from creatures and convert themselves to God. Neither does he tarry in
his coming, nor give himself sparingly. And conversely, he immediately and utterly leaves
the soul, taking along all his graces and gifts, the very moment a man inordinately chooses
creatures in preference to God. To seek self is to reject God.
"The whole house was filled." According to some scholars, the house symbolizes the
Catholic Church, God's dwelling. Others say it signifies every single person in whom the
Holy Spirit abides. And as in one house there are many rooms and closets, so likewise in
man there are many faculties and senses. To each of these the Holy Spirit comes in a
particular manner, embracing, stimulating, enlightening, strengthening, and guiding
according to individual needs. Although he dwells in all good men, yet whoever
would experience his presence must shut himself up in holy recollection, lock out all
worldly distractions, and permit the Holy Spirit to perform his deeds in an atmosphere of
peace and repose. Only then does man truly find himself and the Holy Spirit within
himself. And the more freely a man permits the Holy Spirit to perform his wondrous
works, so much the more will he reveal himself.
The disciples were "gathered together." Here we see the necessity of quieting our inner
and outer faculties so that the Holy Spirit may find a place wherein to work. He cannot
work unless we provide a place for him. Furthermore, they were "seated." So we must be
firmly "seated" in the truth, and set all creatures in God's will: love and sorrow, pleasure
and displeasure. This is important advice for spiritual persons, for they are termed
"spiritual" precisely because their will is united, conformed, and joined to the Spirit's. In
order to be saved, all Christians must will what God wills; all must strive for perfection.
(2)
PRAYER IN SPIRIT
The noblest, most productive, and most necessary occupation of man on earth is prayer. It
is important, then, for us to understand what prayer is, what are the methods of prayer, and
how we should pray.

I shall speak to you about how we should pray, how we should prepare ourselves for
prayer, and how we should behave while we pray. The person who sincerely desires to
pray, no matter what his spiritual state, should recollect himself outwardly and inwardly
and concentrate all his senses and faculties on God. A good way for him to do this is to
ask himself what obstacles hinder his devout contemplation, and then remove them.
It is important to remember that he who wants his prayer to be heard must resolutely turn
his back to all temporal concerns, reject all that is not of God, be it vanity in clothing or
adornments or anything that has not God for its end, and curtail anything that might
distract him from God in word or conduct, within or without.
If a man prepares himself thus for prayer, he will find that his soul is completely
dependent on God, his inner vision riveted on the divine indwelling, his will lovingly
attached to God, and his appetites completely unified.
My children, all that we have we have from God. We cannot return all to him unless our
soul is completely detached from creatures and attached to him. That is why we should
stretch forth and offer to him all our faculties, interior and exterior.
This is the correct way to pray. Do not suppose that true prayer consists in chattering
many words with the lips, reading many pages in the psalter or some other pious book,
clattering a rosary while the heart is roaming hither and thither. If you find that vocal
prayer or other acts of devotion hinder you in the spirit of prayer, you should not hesitate
to give them up, however efficacious they may be in themselves. This does not apply, of
course to your Office or to other prayers prescribed by law.
Prayer in spirit far excels in efficacy all merely outward prayers The Father loves those
who pray to him in this manner. All other kinds of prayer are merely to help us toward
such prayer. Those that are not conducive to prayer in spirit should be renounced.
Here we can draw a lesson from a crew of men building a cathedral. All the varied skills
and activities are directed to one task: the completion and perfection of the cathedral, the
house of prayer.
When true, interior prayer of the spirit has been achieved, all the sacrifices that have
helped toward its accomplishment have fulfilled their purpose. Such prayer is much better
than outward prayer, unless the individual can use both without their interfering with each
other. This occurs when he can enjoy the repose of contemplation in the midst of external
activity. But for contemplation and an active life to be properly blended, neither
impending the other, we need to be truly spiritual. Our lives must resemble the life of
God, in whom the loftiest activity and the serenest contemplation coexist without
impediment. (3)

CARRYING THE CROSS
Our Lord said: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to
myself." (John 12:32) "All things" means man, because he has points of resemblance to all
things. Every man has a cross to carry, and unless he carries it he will not attain God. But
it is not enough to discover a cross; man must lift, exalt the cross, as we celebrate in
today's feast of the Holy Cross. If a man looked attentively into himself he would daily
discover countless opportunities to carry and exalt his cross. But human nature is sadly
prone to superficiality. As a result, few men recognize the cross, embrace it, exalt it, and
experience the truth of Christ's words: "I will draw all things to myself."
We find some persons, especially in the religious state, who carry the cross outwardly in
an edifying manner. They sing and study, go to choir and refectory, serving Christ
externally. But God has not chosen these religious merely to be his songbirds; he has
greater things in mind for them; he wants them to be his friends, his spouses. Still, they
continue to carry their cross merely in an outward way, taking care that it does not
penetrate into their innermost self. They love their interior distractions and will not part
with them. These persons are not bearing the cross with Christ but with the unwilling
Simon. But even this type of cross bearing is good, because it protects them against many
bad habits, shortens their purgatory, saves them from hell.
Our Lord promised to draw all things to himself. Before a person can draw things to
himself, he must collect them. This is precisely what our Lord does. First of all, by
withdrawing a man from his occupations and distractions, he collects his senses, powers,
words, deeds, thoughts, intentions, desires, imaginations, understanding, will, and love.
This step is necessary because man cannot be attached to God while inordinately attached
to creatures. This process of detachment is always a cross, heavy or light depending on
man's attachment. Every unruly affection which man places in creatures, no matter how
holy it may appear, must be removed before he can be drawn up to God. This utter
renouncement is the first step toward divine union.
The next cross man faces is an interior one, the renouncement of spiritual joy, the
satisfaction resulting from the practice of virtue. Spiritual writers discuss whether or not
we should enjoy virtue, or whether we should practice virtue without seeking any personal
satisfaction in it and caring only for God's good pleasure. My children, our Lord does not
want us to seek self-satisfaction in fastings, vigils, prayers, observances; he wants us to do
these things for a higher purpose: his glory. These practices, it is true, may sometimes
cause us enjoyment, but we should not perform them for this egocentric purpose.
Have you ever wondered why it is that you seldom live through an entire day in the same
spiritual state? What helps Your devotion in the morning, may hinder it at night. Today
you make plans; tomorrow they may vanish. Take this changeableness as a cross, accept it

from God, embrace it. Whether or not a cross unites you to God depends on how you
accept it. You must clasp it with conformity to God's will and tranquility of spirit, saying
in a spirit of gratitude, "My soul magnifies the Lord;" "The Lord gave and the Lord has
taken away" (Luke 1:46; Job 1:21).
My children, you are basically good, but you still cling to and relish spiritual and sensible
delights. Refrain from these things and aim at true resignation, considering yourself
unworthy of consolation. Choose the cross of afflictions in preference to the blossoms of
sweetness. Man must always have a cross.
Our Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me" (Mark 8:34). Not with pleasant experiences, but with the cross do
we follow him. The lovable St. Andrew exclaimed: "I greet thee, most cherished cross, my
heart's desire. Take me away from men and give me back to my Master." It is not enough
to repeat this prayer one day in the year and then forget about it. Every day, without
interruption, in all circumstances, interiorly and exteriorly, this should be your prayer.
Consider also your sins and offenses. If you fall seventy times a day, then get up seventy
times a day and ask God's forgiveness. Instead of keeping you from God, your sins should
take you to, him. Even your sins will turn to your good because they make you realize
your weakness and nothingness and thus increase your humility and resignation. You do
not share in Our Lady's sinlessness. So be content with your suffering and your cross. But
be careful not to exaggerate your difficulties and to be sincere in your contrition.
No condemnation awaits those who are in Christ Jesus; but there is damnation in store for
those who turn inordinately to creatures. For those who love God with their whole heart
all things turn to the good. Listen to my warning: if you freely occupy yourself with
Creatures and seek after distractions you will cause your own damnation. And even if you
should, by a very special grace, repent at the end, a long and painful purification awaits
you in purgatory.
May God give us the grace to be numbered among those whom Christ draws to himself, to
embrace our cross and follow him to that holy mount upon which he died for us on a
cross. (4)
"VARIETIES OF WORKINGS"
Consider St. Paul's words: "There are varieties of workings, but the same God who works
all things in all" (I Cor. 12:6). The same body has various members, and each member has
its particular function. Eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet do what they are supposed to do
and refrain from usurping the function of other members. This is part of God's plan. In the
spiritual order we are diverse members of the body of which Christ is the head. The

Church's official teachers are the eyes. The other members should strive to discover the
particular duty to which Christ has called them and for which he has given them grace. No
matter how insignificant their function may appear it is a great privilege, and if they
correspond with God's grace, the Holy Spirit will use them to effect great good for
mankind.
The feet and the hands should not envy the eyes. No matter how humble your job, you
should accomplish it as being God's will for you. Perhaps no one else could do that
particular job. This holds true also for sisters living in a religious community. Each one
has her assigned charge or duty. Those who can sing well should chant the psalms. All
this diversity originates in the Spirit of God. In the words of St. Augustine: "God is a
uniform, divine, simple being. But he performs diverse operations and is all in all, one in
all, and all in one." It is only by a special gift of God that man is permitted to perform
even the most insignificant action. Moreover, each man should lovingly and graciously
assist his neighbor whenever possible. And remember that he who does not assist his
fellow man according to his ability must render to God a strict account of his stewardship,
for God wills that every man share his God-given gifts with his neighbor.
Man should work assiduously, but leave the results to God. He should preserve
recollection of spirit, live in intimacy with God, and, while occupied with exterior duties,
frequently turn within himself so as to examine his motives. Whether working or resting,
he should be sensitive and docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Then he will
perform his duties peacefully and virtuously. He should be helpful to the aged, the sick,
and the poor. If he ignores the opportunities he has of serving God in his neighbor, God
will punish him with spiritual aridity and poverty. If his duties distract him, let him
examine whether he has done them from wrong motives or in too hurried a manner.
Every man should set aside a certain period of time, during the day or at night, which he
will devote to devout meditation. If possible, he should meditate without the aid of
sensible images. But if anyone feels the need of pictures or symbols, he may use them as
long as necessary. We cannot all be pure contemplatives, but all of us can fulfill our duties
with love, peace, and conformity to God's will. God answers the prayers of those who
serve him according to his will. He also answers the prayers of those who serve him
according to their own will -- but according to his will, not theirs.
My children, true peace results from the practice of virtue and the denial of self-will. Of
this be sure: any other peace is spurious. And true virtue must be both interior and
exterior. The peace which comes from within no one can snatch from you. (5)
NOTES
1 Sermon; Vetter 7, 12; transcribed from Der stumme Jubel (Bonn: 1926), p. 247 ff.

2 Sermon 26: Vetter 103, 6; transcribed from W. Oehl, Deutsche Mystiker, Bd. 4; Tauler,
Kempten-München (I. J.) p. 46 ff.
3 Sermon 39: Vetter 154, 8; Der stumme Jubel 187 ff:
4 Sermon 65; Vetter 353, 26; W. Oehl, p. 98 ff.
5 Sermon 42; Vetter 177, 4; Der stumme Jubel, p. 103 ff.

Life in Abundance:
Meister Eckhart &
the German
Dominican Mystics
by Gundolf M.
Mystical Writers:Blessed Henry Suso & John of Sterngassen

SUSO: THE STRUGGLES OF A BEGINNER
The Servitor's first beginning occurred during his eighteenth year. Although he had
already worn the religious habit for five years, he was still restless in the depths of his
nature, and as long as God's grace preserved him from falling into the grosser forms of sin
which would bring him into clashes with authority, he was satisfied. The voice of
conscience kept reminding him that this easy-going life was unworthy of his vocation, but
he was unable to break with careless habits until one day God converted him very
suddenly. His companions were surprised at the sudden shift in his behavior and
exchanged many jokes at his expense, but no one knew what powerful motive had made
him give up his former lukewarm habits. In reality he had experienced a heavenly vision;
God had taken possession of his heart.
This heavenly vision was followed by a horde of temptations by which the devil tried to
mislead the Servitor. The lures used by the devil were the following:
Grace strongly urged him to leap over all stone walls between himself and God. The
tempter opposed this inspiration with a tricky line of reasoning: "Think twice and stay on
the safe side; it is east to begin such a rigorous life, but to persevere in it is beyond human
nature."
The voice of conscience reminded him that God's grace is all-powerful, but the Father of
Lies suggested that here there was no question of God's might but of his own palsied will.
This sophism the Servitor overcame by recalling Christ's clear-cut promise to help anyone
who calls on his name. The sense of victory following this struggle was quickly shattered
by another virulent thought clothed in friendly garb: "It is perfectly all right to mend your
ways, but do it sensibly. Begin with easy penances so that your health will not be
impaired; eat and drink whatever your body requires; take care of yourself. The best

penance is to avoid sin. just keep the rule and do not march out of step by acting
differently from your companions. Remember that singularity easily scandalizes pious
people. just have a good intention, and everything you do will be meritorious.
Ordinarily, good people get to heaven, so why should it be necessary for you to live such a
penitential life?"
Eternal Wisdom quashed this insidious argument with the following reasoning: "It is as
impossible to begin a life of piety with half measures as it is to catch a slippery eel. He
who draws up a plan of subduing his pampered, obstinate body with delicate treatment
lacks common sense. The idea of serving God without renouncing worldly comforts is
self-contradictory and in opposition to the gospel teaching. Therefore, if you cease your
mortifications, logically you must also give up hope of becoming a saint."
The Servitor's soul was agitated for quite some time by these alternating seasons of good
cheer and depression. When these black moods fell on him and he felt he could not face
all the hardships that a complete turning away from tepidity brought in its train, he tried to
escape from the importunities of his conscience by slipping away in search of his fellow
students. But his hopes were always quickly dashed because his friends' frivolous talk
seemed inane to him, while his spirituality was dull and heavy to them. Thus, when he
appeared among them they used to tease him, hoping that friendly banter might restore
him to normality.
"What are these fixed ideas you have fallen into?" asked one.
"The ordinary way is the safest," a second added.
"These novelties will bring you to a bad end," said a third.
The Servitor looked from one to the other in dumb misery. It was evident that he would
find no help here, so he slipped away murmuring to himself: "Help me, dear God!
Solitude is the only safe place for me because when I am alone no one says things to upset
me."
Perhaps the iron that entered deepest into his soul was the fact that he had no experienced
spiritual director in whom to confide. Thus he went wearily about his duties, forcing his
frustrated spirit to go against the grain until suddenly one day a beautiful thing happened
to him: he fell in love. (1)
JESUS, THE NAME MOST LOVABLE
One time the Servitor of Eternal Wisdom went on a pilgrimage from the upland to Our

Lady's Shrine in Aix-la-Chapelle. After his return Our Lady appeared to a devout person
(2) and told her: "See, my Son's Servitor has zealously broadcast the lovable name of
Jesus as did the apostles in time past; because he is animated with the same apostolic zeal
to stir up in all chilly hearts the smoldering fire of devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, he
will share after death the eternal reward now possessed by those apostles."
The devout person looked at Our Lady and saw in her hand a lovely candle, encircled with
the name of Jesus, burning so brightly that it lighted the whole world. Our Lady spoke:
"Behold, this burning candle signifies the name of Jesus, the true light of all hearts which
are pregnant with the Christ-spirit, honor his name, and carry it about with them. And my
son has made special choice of the Servitor to be the evangelist of his name by enkindling
this devotion in the hearts of many people and so assuring their eternal salvation."
Having repeatedly observed her spiritual father's intense devotion and confidence in the
Holy Name of Jesus, which he had engraved on his heart, the above-mentioned person,
fired with a like fervor, embroidered the name of Jesus (IHS) with red silk on a small
piece of cloth and wore it as a love-token. She also made many more of these love-tokens,
and asked the Servitor to touch them to his heart and distribute them among his spiritual
children. It was revealed to her that whosoever wore one of these sacramentals and daily
recited a Pater Noster in honor of the Holy Name would enjoy God's special friendship
during life and die in his favor. (3)
HE BRANDS THE NAME OF JESUS ON HIS HEART
The Servitor's soul luxuriated in the seedtime of spiritual consolation. His soul was fired
with such an intense flame of divine love that he forever had to seek fresh fuel to feed the
flame. One day this blaze became almost unbearable, so he went to his cell to be alone. As
he knelt in contemplation, the desire of his soul to have some sign that he might bear on
his body as a reminder of the interchange of love between himself and his heart's beloved
became so intense that he cried out: "Oh, sweet Lord! If only I could devise some love-
token which would be an everlasting badge of love between thee and me, an authentic
document that I am all thine and that thou art the only beloved of my heart, written in
letters which my fickleness can never erase."
In his burst of fervor he pushed back his scapular, bared his bosom, took a sharp stylus,
and called on God to help him saying: "Almighty God, give me strength this day to carry
out my desire, for thou must be chiseled into the core of my heart."
Then stabbing the stylus backwards and forwards, in and out of the flesh, he engraved the
name of Jesus (IHS) over his heart. Blood gushed out of the jagged wounds and saturated
his clothing. The bliss he experienced in having a visible pledge of oneness with his
truelove made the very pain seem like a sweet delight.

When he had finished this bloody act he went in this wounded condition to the church,
and, kneeling before the crucifix which hung above the pulpit, he made a further request
of God: "Oh Lord, my sole delight, behold how eagerly my heart craves to be united with
thee. I myself cannot imprint thee more deeply on my heart, but I beg thee to complete the
work and carve thy sacred name deep down into my inmost soul, so that we will never
again be separated."
His prayer was answered, for when the wounds that he had made were healed the sacred
name still remained above his heart in letters the width of a stylus and the length of the
joint of his little finger. He bore this keepsake upon his heart until his death to pulsate
rapturously with every heartbeat. And when the hard blows of life were at the point of
taking his breath away he breathed spiritually by looking at this loveproof. Sometimes his
emotions would break forth in such expressions as: "Dear Jesus, I have written your name
on my heart as earthly lovers display the name of their betrothed on their clothing."
One night he went to his cell after Matins to continue his prayer. Resting his head on the
Book of the Ancient Fathers, he became absorbed in contemplation and it seemed to him
that the sun was trying to escape from the prison of his heart. He tore open his tunic and
saw that his breast was flooded with radiance and surmounted with a gold cross imbedded
with precious, glistening stones. Quickly grabbing his cape, he threw it over his heart in
an attempt to hide this mystical brilliance from the gaze of the mundane, but he might just
as well have tried to catch the wind in a net. (4)
THE ADVANCED SCHOOL OF HOLINESS
It happened once that he was seated in his cell after Matins reflecting on spiritual matters.
As he pondered the wonders of Eternal Wisdom, his senses were stilled in ecstacy and it
seemed to him that a princely young man drew near and spoke to him: "You have spent
enough time in the elementary school and are ready to take up higher studies. Follow me;
I will conduct you to the spiritual graduate school where you will be instructed how to
bend your stiff neck to the divine yoke. This will establish your soul in holy peace and
bring your devout beginning to a blessed end."
The Servitor jumped happily to his feet and it seemed to him that the young man led him
by the hand through an unfamiliar countryside. After walking across a meadow they
entered a schoolhouse and were received with open arms by the students. When the
headmaster heard the uproar being made over this would-be disciple, he said in true
professional style, "Before accepting him as a pupil, I must question him personally."
After a short interview the headmaster announced to the student body: "This
undergraduate has within him the seed of a first-rate scholar. But whether the seed will
sprout or lie fallow depends on himself; if he is willing to be pulverized by the constant

friction of hard work and stringent rules, luscious fruit will result from the seed of his
dead self."
The Servitor, not understanding the meaning of these words, turned to the young man who
had acted as his guide and questioned him: "Dear companion, tell me more about this
graduate school and the higher studies one pursues there."
"The science learned in the advanced school of holiness," said the young man, "is nothing
else than a complete, perfect resignation of oneself, so that a man's will is so evenly
balanced that the scale turns neither to the right nor left when God places on it joy or
suffering, directly or through creatures. Man must strive earnestly to remain as steadfast in
this total renunciation of self as is possible to human weakness, and to look only at God's
honor and glory, imitating in this Christ's continual hunger for his heavenly Father's
glory."
This explanation satisfied the Servitor. Hence, he resolved to put it in practice, cost what
may, and to submit to all the school's regulations. The young man instructed him further:
"This science requires a single-hearted idleness; here, the less one does to the eye, the
more one accomplishes as a matter of fact." He was referring to those activities in which a
man gravitates around himself instead of seeking God's honor.
After a few minutes the Servitor returned to himself and sat for a long time pondering on
these truths which are but a reiteration of Christ's own doctrine. His musing found
expression in self-reproach: "Look into the secret depths of your soul and you will see
that, notwithstanding all your exterior penances, pride and self-love still rise in rebellion
when you have to put up with a contradiction from others. You are like a scared rabbit
hiding in a bush and trembling every time a leaf rustles in the breeze. This is how things
stand with you: you shrink from sufferings which are not of your own seeking; the sight of
uncongenial people makes you grow pale; you fly from humiliation, rejoice in praise, and
avoid blame. Strike the iron while it is hot and enroll in the advanced school of holiness."
His heart sought relief in God's mercy: "Dear Lord, I can no longer find excuse in
ignorance. Will I ever arrive at true resignation? Help me." (5)
THE INTERIOR LIFE: A MUST
Make your whole life a prayer and do not agitate your spirit by useless words or hurried
actions.
Make sure that reason takes the lead in your actions because untold evil results from
undirected natural impetuosity.

Do not recreate according to caprice but according to truth.
God does not want to deprive us of enjoyment; he wants to give us the totality of
enjoyment.
Deepest submission is the fertile seed of highest resurrection.
He who would live a truly interior life must empty his soul of all multiplicity and
resolutely tear himself away from whatever is not divine.
Where nature is allowed to run rampant, there unhappiness, suffering, and darkening of
the intellect work havoc.
If anyone loves another person because of his attractive face or pleasing personality it is
accident loving accident; that is unsuitable. But it is possible for a man to sublimate this
unsuitable love.
If you want to be of service to all creatures, turn away from them.
Some matters are beyond man's comprehension; if he is holily indifferent these very
matters will comprehend him.
Guard yourself against any outburst which would be at variance with the ideal.
The ability to abstain from things gives a person more power than to possess these things.
One disorder opens the door for another.
See to it that nature is denied, and that the outer man is in agreement with the inner.
Man's outer and inner progress depends on his faithfulness to the spiritual part of his
being.
Truth triumphs as the senses are defeated.
The practice of interior prayer helps a person to execute temporal affairs successfully.
The reason certain people stumble so frequently into the mudhole of sin is that, not
realizing their spiritual blindness, they are not sufficiently on guard against dangerous
occasions.

Be not too concerned about pleasing people, because it often happens that where there is
most effort to please, there least pleasure is given. A humble, recollected demeanor is your
best guarantee of pleasing others. He whose actions are at variance with his disposition
makes himself incongruous.
The person who remains recollected in the midst of exterior occupations will find that his
recollection becomes deeper, purer, and more vital than if he had remained in selfish
seclusion.
A self-abandoned person is never unhappy.
Sin is the cause of all human pain and sadness. Evict sin, and misery will also be
homeless.
A self-abandoned person must be deformed from creatures, informed with Christ, and
transformed into the Godhead.
Four things clamor for the attention of anyone who has resolved to live a truly
contemplative life. First of all, he should take pains to harness his senses because God is a
spirit. Secondly, he should examine his conscience to see if he has set up some obstacle.
Thirdly, let him see if he is in any way preferring his own will to God's. Fourthly,
remembering that he is merely an instrument of God who dwells within him, let him study
the divine blueprints of his spiritual edifice.
A person's union with God in holy love parallels his detachment from self and all
creatures.
If you want to climb the mountain of contemplation, then throw aside your personal plans
for holiness and be indifferent whether God, either directly or by means of creatures,
coddles you or irritates you.
Do not waste time on anything that is not God.
Minding one's own affairs is a very meritorious practice.
Unnecessary interest in worldly matters robs a man of prayerfulness. Do not entangle

yourself in them and if they clamor for your attention run away from them into your castle
of contemplation.
A self-abandoned person is as indifferent about whatever concerns him as if he knew

nothing about himself, because God's good pleasure is his sole ruling-concern.

Pay close attention to your exterior conduct and control your animal instincts so that the
outer man will be in harmony with the inner.
Remain firm and be not contented, but put up a good fight until in the midst of this world's
changeableness you are as unchangeable as is possible to human weakness. (6)
HOW ONE SHOULD LIVE INTERIORLY
The Servitor: Lord, there are many kinds of exercises, many different modes of life;
customs and habits are numerous and varied. Lord, there are countless books and
doctrines. Eternal Wisdom, synthesize these doctrines for me in such a way that I will
understand the essential truths which I must know and practice in my spiritual life.
Answer of Eternal Wisdom: The truest, the most necessary, the swiftest doctrine which
you can find in any book, which will instruct you in few words concerning all truth, and
lead you to the summit of a pure life, is this:
1. Keep yourself detached from all men.
2. Keep yourself disengaged from all images introduced from outside.
3. Free yourself from everything which could bring disturbance, attachment, and trouble.
4. Elevate your mind constantly to a secret divine contemplation in which you keep me as
a fixed object before your eyes, and from which they never wander.
And as regards other exercises, such as poverty, fasting, vigils, and other mortifications,
direct them to this end and practice them only to the extent that they lead you thereto.
Behold, in this way you will arrive at the summit of perfection which not one man among
a thousand reaches, because, practicing their mortifications for other motives, they go
astray for many years.
The Servitor: Lord, who can live perseveringly and uninterruptedly in your divine
presence?
Answer of Eternal Wisdom: It is impossible for anyone while still on earth. You are told
about it so that you will know where you are bound, after what you should aspire, and in
what direction you should set your mind and heart. And when you can no longer visualize
this goal, you will feel as if you were deprived of your eternal salvation. Then you should
immediately return to it so that you may again possess it and watch over yourself, because
whenever you are deprived of it you resemble a boatman whose oars have slipped out of

his hands in the rough waves and who does not know where he is going. But if you are
unable to abide permanently in this state, the number of your returns and assiduous
avoidance of falls will bring you to a permanent state as far as is possible.
Listen, listen, my child, to the faithful instruction of your faithful Father. Pay close
attention to it, imprint it deep in your heart! Bear in mind who it is that teaches you this,
and that he means all he says. If you desire never again to become tepid, then never lose
sight of it. No matter where you may sit, stand, or walk, consider that I am there and
exhorting you: "My child, conduct yourself spiritually, purely, modestly, and nobly."
Behold, then you will soon understand my words, even those which up till then puzzled
you.
The Servitor: Ah, Eternal Wisdom, may you be eternally praised. My Lord and my most
faithful friend, even though of my own accord I would hesitate to do so, you force me to
do so by your amiable words and loving doctrine. Lord, I should and will devote all my
energies to this end . (7)
WHY GOD PERMITS HIS FRIENDS TO FARE SO BADLY
The Servitor: Lord, there is another matter which my mind cannot solve. May I discuss it
with you? Ah, tender Lord, permit me to debate with you as holy Jeremias did. Gentle
Lord, do not be irritated, but listen patiently to me. Lord, this is what they [men] say:
Although your love and friendship are very intimate and agreeable, you occasionally make
them seem extremely bitter and disagreeable because of the way you treat your friends.
You send them sufferings within and without and make them the laughingstock of the
whole world. The first thing a person who desires your friendship must do is to prepare
himself resolutely for immolation. Trusting in your goodness, Lord, I ask you to tell me
how this treatment benefits your friends or why you expect them to put up with such
treatment. Or do you not want me to know these things?
Answer of Eternal Wisdom: I love my friends as my Father loves me. My treatment of

them is the same today as in ages past, from the world's beginning until this very moment.
The Servitor: Lord, this is just what occasions the caustic remark that your harsh treatment
of your friends is the reason you have so few. Lord, that also explains why many forsake
you and -- my heart is wrung with anguish and steeped in tears -- why all relapse into the
habits they had abandoned for your sake. My Lord, what answer have you to these
objections?
Answer of Eternal Wisdom: Only men who are weak in faith, poor in works, tepid in life,
and undisciplined in spirit raise these objections. But you, beloved, lift your spirit above
the grime of temporal enjoyment. Unlock your inner senses, open your spiritual eyes and

consider carefully what you are, where you are, and where you belong. Then you will
understand that my treatment of my friends is supremely an inspiration of love.
According to your natural being you are a mirror of the Godhead, an image of the Trinity,
and a type of eternity. You are boundless in your desires as I, in my eternal uncreatedness,
am the boundless Good; and as a tiny raindrop falling into the ocean adds but little to its
vast depth, so all that the world can offer is ineffective for the fulfillment of your desires.
You are living in a vale of sorrows wherein every joy has its gloom, every smile its tear,
every pleasure its pain, and wherein no heart ever acquired unalloyed happiness. And all
this is because it [the world] cheats and lies, promises much and fulfills little; it is brief,
inconstant, and changeable. As I shall tell you further on, the way of the world is:
Today there is no sorrow

So sip the cup of pleasure,
But grief shall fill the heart tomorrow. (8)
THE IMMEASURABLE VALUE OF CONTEMPLATING CHRIST'S PASSION
The Servitor: Truly, Lord, no mind can comprehend the infinite good hidden in the
leisurely and loving contemplation of your passion. Yes, indeed, the way of your passion
is a safe path winding over the hill of truth, up to the highest summit of perfection.
What happiness for you, brilliant star in the heavenly constellation, Paul, to have been
raised so very high and led so very deep into the obscure secrecy of the naked Godhead,
where you heard those profound words that defy human utterance, and where your heart
was pierced so thrillingly with the sweetness of Christ's lovable passion that you
exclaimed: "For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ and
him crucified."
Blessed also among all masters be you, irresistible St. Bernard, whose soul was so
completely illuminated with the pure rays from the Eternal Word that your love-laden
tongue, pouring out the dew from your heart's fullness, announced the sufferings of his
humanity: "The blossoming branch of myrrh of my beloved Lord's bitter passion I have
tenderly clasped between my breasts and pressed deep into my heart. Unlike the spouse, I
do not seek the noonday resting place of him whom I embrace in the depths of my heart. I
do not ask where he eats whom I embrace in the depths of my heart. I do not ask where he
eats at midday, he whom my soul gazes at so lovingly on the cross. The former is higher,
but my choice is sweeter and more in readiness. From the lovable passion, the only source
of justification, I draw full compensation for my lack of merit. This contemplation I call
Eternal Wisdom, the fullness of all knowledge, the plenitude of all happiness, and the
complete satisfaction of all reward. It moderates me in success and sustains me in

adversity; it keeps me in equal balance between the world's joys and sorrows, and securely
protects me against all evil. Many times I have received therefrom a draught of his
bitterness, and occasionally a draught of divine consolation and spiritual sweetness."
Therefore, amiable master, St. Bernard, it is fitting that your tongue overflowed with
sweetness, because your heart was completely sweetened by his sweet passion.
Eternal Wisdom, this is my conviction: whoever craves immense reward and eternal
salvation, sublime knowledge and profound wisdom, equality in joy and sorrow, full
security from all evil, and a draught of your bitter passion and extraordinary sweetness,
must constantly hold you, Jesus Crucified, before the eyes of his heart.
Answer of Eternal Wisdom: You do not yet fully know the great blessing contained
herein. Behold, the assiduous contemplation of, my lovable passion transforms an
uneducated man into a highly learned master. It is indeed a vivifying book, containing all
knowledge; truly blessed is the man who studies it without interruption. He will acquire
wisdom and grace, consolation and sweetness, freedom from faults, and my continual
presence. I will give you an example.
It happened many years ago that a young preaching monk [Suso] underwent a siege of
inordinate sadness, which at times depressed him so deeply that no one who has not
experienced a similar trial can understand it. Sitting in his cell one day after the morning
collation, so overcome by this inordinate sadness that he could neither study, nor pray, nor
do any good work, it seemed to him that, being unfit for any other spiritual work for God's
glory, he could just as well stay sitting there with his hands in his lap. As he sat there in
this dark mood, he seemed to bear this thought spoken to him in a spiritual manner: "Why
are you sitting here? Arise, plunge into my sufferings and you will overcome your own
sufferings!" He jumped to his feet, convinced that these words had been hurled at him
from heaven, and meditated so assiduously on Christ's sufferings that he forgot about his
own and never again felt them.
The Servitor: Ah, my amiable Wisdom, discerner of all hearts, you know that I ardently
desire your painful passion to pierce my heart more than any other heart, so that it should
cause a flood of bitter tears to flow from my eyes, day and night. Alas, my soul is grieved
because my heart is not thus pierced and I cannot contemplate your passion in a way
worthy of you, tender, beloved one. Therefore, teach me what to do.
Answer of Eternal Wisdom: Do not contemplate my passion hurriedly and perfunctorily,

whenever you have a few minutes to spare; but do so leisurely, with burning love and
plaintive thoughtfulness, because otherwise your heart will experience no more devotion
than the mouth derives sweetness from unchewed licorice. If you cannot contemplate my
bitter passion in tearful anguish then do so in heartfelt cheerfulness, because of the

exhilarating blessings you derive from my agony. If, however, you can neither weep nor
rejoice, reflect in aridity of heart to my glory. In this way you will have no less merit than
if you overflowed with tears and sweetness, because you are acting from love of virtue
without any self-seeking.
And in order that your courage and confidence may always grow stronger, listen further.
My justice permits no injustice in all nature, no matter how small or great it is, to go
unpunished and unexpiated. What then will become of a great sinner who has perhaps
committed hundreds of mortal sins, and who according to Scripture is bound either to
perform seven years' atonement for every mortal sin or to complete the neglected penance
in purgatory's fiery furnace? Behold, my innocent blood and worthy passion will quickly
punish and satisfy for all these sins. If the soul seizes this treasure of my acquired merit it
can quickly erase a thousand year's guilt and temporal penance and enter eternal joy
without any purgatory at all.
The Servitor: Ah, my gentle Eternal Wisdom, deign to teach me how to seize this treasure.
Answer of Eternal Wisdom: This is how it is done:
1. A man must often and seriously consider, with a contrite heart, the greatness and
multitude of his grievous misdeeds by which he offended his heavenly Father so
scandalously.
2. This consideration must convince him that his own works of expiation are unavailing,
because in comparison to his sins they are a drop of water to the deep ocean.
3. Then he should joyfully ponder that every drop of my precious blood, shed with divine
prodigality, was sufficient atonement for the sins of a thousand worlds, but every man
benefits by this atonement in exact proportion to his imitation of me in my sufferings.
4. After this, a man should reflect and deliberate, very humbly and very suppliantly, the
smallness of his own expiation in comparison with the greatness of mine.
To summarize, be assured that all the masters of numbers and magnitudes (arithmeticians
and geometricians) are unable to compute the immeasurable excellence which is hidden in
the assiduous contemplation of my passion.
The Servitor: Ah, tender Lord, say no more about this I have digressed too far-and unlock
to me yet more of the hidden treasure of your lovable passion. (9)
A PRAYER BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION

Ah, you are the living fruit, the sweet bud, the delicious pomegranate of the flowery
paternal heart. You are the sweet grape of Cyprus in the vineyard of Engaddi. Who will
grant me to receive you today so worthily that you will be delighted to come to me, to
remain with me, and never to be separated from me? Ah, boundless Good, you who fill
the kingdoms of heaven and earth, incline graciously towards me and despise not your
poor creature! Lord, if I am not worthy of you, at least I am in need of you. Ah, gentle
Lord, are you not he who with a single word created heaven and earth? Lord, with a single
word you can heal my sick soul. Alas, gentle Lord, deal with me according to your infinite
mercy, not according to my deserts. You are truly the innocent Paschal Lamb which is
offered today for the sins of all men. Ah, sweet savory Bread of Heaven, having all
delightful flavor according to the desire of every heart, grant that the dry mouth of my
soul may find delight in you today. Feed me and give me to drink. Strengthen and adorn
me, and unite yourself intimately with me. Ah, Eternal Wisdom, enter so powerfully into
my soul that you will drive out all my foes, melt away all my faults, and forgive all my
sins. Enlighten my understanding with the light of your true faith; inflame my will with
your delightful love; illumine my memory with your gladsome presence; and give virtue
and perfection to all my faculties. Guard me at the moment of death, so that I may enjoy
you face to face in everlasting bliss. Amen. (10) 310
STERNGASSEN: CONFORMITY TO GOD
Few people understand what is meant by conformity to God, because few conform to him
in actual life. How can he whose heart is distracted about many things comprehend unity?
How can he who delights in temporal matters understand eternal truths? How can he who
grovels in impure thoughts appreciate the beauty of a pure heart? External renunciation of
possessions is not sufficient. Every interior attachment to or delight in worldly goods or
pleasures must be repudiated.
Alas, if you realized the great harm you do to yourself by not being conformed to God,
you would keep strict guard over your interior, and soon experience the delights of the
eternal truths. Yes, you would soon know as much, and more, of these things than I do.
The reason I now seem to understand these things better than you do is not because I have
read more books. Science can teach us very little in these matters. My only advantage is
that I have tried earnestly to free myself of earthly trammels. It is as impossible for God to
unite himself intimately with a distracted heart as it is for him to coexist with satan in a
soul. Miracles occur in the soul which strips itself of attachment to and delight in worldly
matters. And then God takes complete charge of the soul. (11)
PURITY
Detachment from creatures leads me to divine intimacy and utmost perfection.

Purity engenders forgetfulness of creatures and invites God to dwell within me.
Purity makes me Godlike, propels me inward, and cleaves me from creatures. An impure
heart will never behold God. Knowledge teaches me to perceive created things, but purity
enables me to perceive God. Purity shuts God within me, enables me to experience his
presence and to forget all else. Purity generates detachment and finds contentment only in
God. (12)
EXERCISES OF A DEVOUT PERSON
He should lock his external senses to all created things and close his inner perception to
all transitory concerns. He should direct his thoughts inward, and listen in silence to what
God will say to him. He should forget himself and fill his soul to overflowing with divine
ideas. He should contemplate the light in the light, await the light in the light, become the
light in the light. He should merely touch the earth with his body. Possessing a beginning
of eternity in time, he should be continually achieving higher knowledge. (13)
THE HUMBLE HEART
To be humble of heart means to acknowledge your defects and sins and to plead God's
mercy: "Lord, I have sinned. Have mercy on me." He who lives in this spirit will never
lose God. (14)
WHAT TO REQUEST OF GOD
Ask of God only what is best for you. He wants to give you what is best for you, not what
is dearest to you. So ask him to accomplish his will in you. (15)
NOTES
1 Henry Suso, "Life," The Exemplar (Dubuque, Iowa: The Priory Press, 1962), 1, 3 f.
2 The reference is to Suso's spiritual daughter, Elsbeth Stagel, a Dominican nun in Tösz.
3 Suso, op. cit., 1, 143.
4 Ibid., 1, 13 f.
5 Ibid., 1, 49 f.

6 Ibid., 1, 152-159.
7 Henry Suso, "Little Book of Eternal Wisdom," The Exemplar, II , 92 f.
8 Ibid., II, 41 f.
9 Ibid., II, 58-61.
10 Ibid., II, 104 f.
11 W. Wackernagel, Altdeutsche Predigten und Gebete (Basel: 1876), pp. 163 ff.; A.
Rozumek-A. Dempf, Vom inwendigen Reichtum (Leipzig: 1937), p. 25.
12 F. Pfeiffer in Zeifschrift für deutsches Alterturn, VIII, p. 257; Rozumek-Dempf, op.

cit., p. 29.
13 F. Pfeiffer, op. cit., p. 254; Rozurnek-Dempf, op. cit., p. 31.
14 F. Pfeiffer in Germania, III, 1858; Rozumek-Dempf, op. cit., pp. 31.
15 F. Pfeiffer, op. cit., p. 238; Rozumek-Dempf, op. cit., p. 32.
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Gieraths: Life in Abundance - Intro

by Gundolf M. Gieraths, O.P.

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Thus, as a general introduction to the Dominican Rhineland mystics of the fourteenth

-- Richard Woods, O.P., Editor

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Richard Kieckhefer, "John Tauler," An Introduction to the Medieval Mystics of Europe,

Richard Kieckhefer, "Meister Eckhart's Conception of Union with God," Harvard

Bernard McGinn. "Meister Eckhart: An Introduction," An Introduction to the Medieval

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Bernard McGinn, "Meister Eckhart on God as Absolute Unity," Neoplatonism and

Bernard McGinn, "Meister Eckhart's Condemnation Reconsidered," Thomist (1980), pp.

Frank Tobin, "Recent Work in English on Meister Eckhart," Thought: A Review of

2 See Alain de Libera, Introduction à la Mystique Rhénane d'Albert le Grand à Maître

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center of a religious movement known as Waldensianism, which probably began with

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THOMISM VERSUS NEO-PLATONISM

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Thomism. To this Thomistic current of thought belong John Picardi of Lichtenberg,

MYSTICISM AS A PART OF DEVOTION

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THE THREE STAGES

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theology constructed upon Aristotelian philosophy. In the forefront of all mystical

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To define Christian mysticism as "the Christian teaching on ecstasy," (18) is to give a

In mysticism it is ultimately a question of winning God, of embracing him in the very

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1 H. Felder, Geschichte der wissenschaftlichen Studien im Franziskanerorden bis um die

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Introduction entitled "The Intellectual Ideal of the Early Friars Preachers."

4 "Even in the most consistent representative of the Aristotelian tradition, Thomas

7 M. Grabmann, Neuaufgefundene lateinische Werke deutscher Mystiker, Sitz. der Bay.

8 H. Suso, Horologium sapientiae, ed. J. Strange (Cologne: 1861), p. 151.

9 E. Krebs, Grundfragen der kirchlichen Mystik (Freiburg i. Br.: 1921), p. 36.

11 H. Suso, Predigt III, ed. Bihlmeyer, 523, 29.

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16 E. Krebs, Meister Dietrich, p. 132 f.

18 W. Muschg, Die Mystik in der Schweiz, (Frauenfeld-Leipzig: 1935), p. 22.

19 H. Kunisch, Anzeiger f. deutsches Altertum, 56 (1937), 166.

22 Summa theol., Ia, q. 84 ff.; IIa-IIae, q. 175, aa. 1, 4, and 5.

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sixteenth and seventeenth century." M. Grabmann, Mittelalt. Geistesl., I, 476 f.

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The Elements of German Dominican Mysticism

expression of a spiritual movement, being essentially a philosophical, ascetic, and poetic

German mysticism is essentially characterized by the harmonious blending of four

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It is understandable that these theologians, thoroughly trained in scholasticism, would use

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3. Intimately associated with this asceticism in German mysticism, there is a special

Under various considerations German mysticism manifests a unique character, and so it

THE GERMAN DOMINICAN MYSTICS

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As evidence of Albert's special position in mysticism, a Marian sermon preached to the

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