On the Birth of God in the Soul

Written in Middle High German, Sermons 101 to 104 have just been the subject of their critical edition in German.

Their authenticity is now perfectly established, and they have the remarkable particularity of forming a perfectly homogeneous sequence, thus constituting a small treatise whose sole theme is the birth of God in the soul. This is, as we know, one of the central themes of Eckhartian thought, but nowhere is this theme developed in such a continuous and structured way as here.

This is why, even more than the already known Treatises, this collection is destined to become one of the great classics of Master Eckhart's work.

The structure of this collection is strong and simple. Inspired by the Book of Wisdom (18, 14), Sermon 101, "Amidst the silence", begins thus: "Behold, we are entering the time of the eternal birth, by which God the Father has begotten and continually begets for eternity, so that this same birth may occur today in time in human nature.

May this birth always occur, says Saint Augustine, what good is it to me if it does not occur in me? That it occurs in me, that is what matters." Starting from Matthew 2, 2, Sermon 102 continues the same questioning "'Where is he, the King of the Jews who has just been born?'

Now, observe this birth: where does it occur? I say, as I have already explained at greater length, that this eternal birth occurs in the soul in the exact same way as it occurs in eternity: neither more nor less." Sermon 103 adopts the angle of Luke 2, 49: "'It is necessary for me to be in the things that are my Father's.'

This word comes to us just in time for the discourse we must hold on the eternal birth, which has just occurred in time and every day still occurs in the innermost and depths of the soul, without any interruption."

Finally, bouncing off Luke 2, 42, Sermon 104, "The ascent to Jerusalem", concludes this small treatise with a beautiful image: "Therefore only await this hook and you will happily be caught, and the more captive you are, the more free you will be.

So that we may thus be captive and free, may He who is Love Himself come to our aid."