The Angel's Greeting
by Meister Eckhart "Hail, thou that art highly favored among women, the Lord is with thee." - Luke
1:28
Here there are three things to understand: the first, the modesty of the angel;
I affirm that had the Virgin not first borne God spiritually He would never have
been born from her in bodily fashion. A certain woman said to Christ, "Blessed
is the womb that bear Thee." To which Christ answered, "Nay, rather blessed are
they that hear the Word of God and keep it." It is more worthy of God that He be
born spiritually of every pure and virgin soul, than that He be born of Mary.
Hereby we should understand that humanity is, so to speak, the Son of God born
from all eternity. The Father produced all creatures, and me among them, and I
issued forth from Him with all creatures, and yet I abide in the Father. Just as
the word which I now speak is conceived and spoken forth by me, and you all
receive it, yet none the less it abides in me. Thus I and all creatures abide in
the Father.
Hereto I adjoin a parable. There were a certain man and wife; the woman by
accident lost an eye, and was sorely troubled there after. Her husband then said
to her, "Wife, why are you troubled? "She answered, "It is not the loss of my
eye that troubles me, but the thought that you may love me less on account of
that loss." He said, "I love you all the same."
Not long after he put one of his own eyes out, and came to his wife and said,
"Wife, that you may believe I love you, I have made myself like you: I, too,
now, have only one eye." So men could hardly believe that God loved them till
God put one of His eyes out, that is, took upon Himself human nature, and was
made man. Just as fire infuses its essence and clearness into the dry wood, so
has God done with man. He has created the human soul and infused His glory into
it, and yet in His own essence has remained unchangeable.
If you ask me whether, seeing that my spiritual birth is out of time, whether I
am an eternal son, I answer "Yes," and "No." In the everlasting foreknowledge of
God, I slumbered like a word unspoken. He hath brought me forth His son in the
image of His eternal fatherhood, that I also should be a father and bring forth
Him. It is as if one stood before a high mountain, and cried, "Art thou there?"
The echo comes back, "Art thou there?" If one cries, "Come out." the echo
answers, "Come out."
Again: If I am in a higher place and say to some one, "Come up hither," that
might be difficult for him. But if I say, "Sit down," that would be easy. Thus
God dealeth with us. When man humbles himself, God cannot restrain His mercy; He
must come down and pour His grace into the humble man, and He gives Himself most
of all, and all at once, to the least of all. It is essential to God to give,
for His essence is His goodness and His goodness is His love. Love is the root
of all joy and sorrow. Slavish fear of God is to be put away. The right fear is
the fear of losing God.
If the earth flee downward from heaven, it finds heaven beneath it; if it flee
upward, it comes again to heaven. The earth cannot flee from heaven: whether it
flee up or down, the heaven rains its influence upon it, and stamps its impress
upon it, and makes it fruitful, whether it be willing or not. Thus doth God with
men: whoever thinketh to escape Him, flies into His bosom, for every corner is
open to Him. God brings forth His Son in thee, whether thou likest it or not,
whether thou sleepest or wakest; God worketh His own will. That man is unaware
of it, is man's fault, for his taste is so spoilt by feeding on earthly things
that he cannot relish God's love. If we had love to God, we should relish God,
and all His works; we should receive all things from God, and work the same
works as He worketh.
God created the soul after the image of His highest perfection. He issued forth
from the treasure-house of the everlasting Fatherhood in which He had rested
from all eternity. Then the Son opened the tent of His everlasting glory and
came forth from His high place to fetch His Bride, whom the Father had espoused
to Him from all Eternity, back to that heaven from which she came. Therefore He
came forth rejoicing as a bridegroom and suffered the pangs of love. Then He
returned to His secret chamber in the silence and stillness of the everlasting
Fatherhood. As He came forth from the Highest, so He returned to the Highest
with His Bride, and revealed to her the hidden treasures of His Godhead.
The first beginning is for the sake of the last end. God Himself doth not rest
because He is the beginning, but because He is the end and goal of all creation.
This end is concealed in the darkness of the everlasting Godhead, and is
unknown, and never was known, and never will be known. God Himself remains
unknown; the light of the everlasting Father shineth in darkness, and the
darkness comprehended it not. May the truth of which we have spoken lead us to
the truth. Amen.
Source: Meister Eckhart's Sermons
the second, that he thought himself unworthy to accost the Mother of God;
the third, that he not only addressed her, but the great multitude of souls who
long after God.
See Also:
Sermons, Bible Commentaries, Bible Analyses on Annunciation to St. Mary
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