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Meister Eckhart on “The Nobility Inside” 06/07/2024 |
[FROM THE ARCHIVE, 5/30/2019] Scripture has plenty to say about the “royal person” and the “nobility inside.” After all, Meister Eckhart’s approach to the topic, as we saw yesterday, is based on a gospel story that he develops. We consider Scriptures’ teaching on
royalty and nobility in this DM. |
We have been speaking of the forgotten “nobility inside” of men in our time and of women as well, though the phrase comes from a Native American chaplain working in a men’s prison. The great prophet and mystic of the middle ages, Meister Eckhart (1260-1329), devotes an entire treatise to the “Noble” or “Aristocrat” that resides in each of us. Following are some observations he offers on the nobility we carry within
us. |
Our Lord says in the Gospel: ‘A man of royal birth went to a distant country to be appointed king, and afterward he returned’ (Lk. 19:12). Our Lord teaches us in these words how royal people have been created in their nature; how divine is the state to which they can rise through grace; and, in addition, how people are to reach that point. In addition, a large part of the Holy Scripture touches upon these words. We all have within us an outer person or a false self as well as an inner person or true self. This person, |
Portrait of Meister Eckhart by Andrea Bonaiuti, recently identified on a 14th-century Florentine fresco in Sta Maria Novella. Wikimedia Commons. |
who is hidden within us, is the inner person. Scripture calls this person a new person, a heavenly person, a young person, a friend, and a royal person. Eckhart plays with the German words for eagle (Adler) and for “noble” (Edler) in the following
observation: What our Lord calls a royal person is named by the prophet (Ezk. 17:3-4) a large eagle. Who then is more royal than one who was born, on the one hand, from the highest and best that a creature possesses and, on the other hand, from the most intimate depths of the divine nature and its wilderness? |
Matthew Fox reflects on the image of the royal person described by Meister Eckhart and based in the early Jewish
scriptures. | The royal person is one who bears good fruit, indeed who bears Divinity itself for The seed of God
is in us….Now the seed of a pear tree grows into a pear tree, a hazel seed into a hazel tree, the seed of God into God (cf. Jn. 3:9). Eckhart’s entire spirituality can be seen as a spirituality of the emergence of the royal person |
in
us. A noble person is responsible for preserving the gift of creation and such a person is committed to fighting for justice. Justice being the ultimate test of the goodness of the king or royal person and therefore of what it means to be in touch with the “nobility inside.” |
Matthew Fox, Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart, pp. 510-530. Banner Image: Golden eagle soaring over the mountains. Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash |
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Queries for Contemplation |
In prayerful meditation, sit with the following questions: what are the insights that they open within you? - Do you feel you are born “from the most intimate depths of the divine nature and its
wilderness?”
- How does that feel to you?
- What does it mean about relationships with others?
- How do you wrestle with finding your true self as
distinct from your false (or external) self?
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Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart
Matthew Fox’s comprehensive translation of Meister Eckhart’s sermons is a meeting of true prophets across centuries, resulting in
a spirituality for the new millennium. The holiness of creation, the divine life in each person and the divine power of our creativity, our call to do justice and practice compassion–these are among Eckhart’s themes, brilliantly interpreted and explained for today’s reader.
“The most important book on mysticism in 500 years.” — Madonna Kolbenschlag, author of Kissing Sleeping Beauty
Goodbye.
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In the Beginning There Was Joy: A Cosmic Celebration for Kids of All Ages
The first book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series tells the story of the big bang and how humans fit into the awesome, fantastical,
cosmic picture! With artwork curated from illustrators around the world, this book expresses the joy and wonder of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work together for the healing of our planet. "Matthew Fox does it again, here for our young ones, who so need a positive, cosmic vision
to thrive, or even survive, in a sad time." - Father Richard Rohr, Author of The Universal Christ "Matthew Fox offers a resounding affirmation of what our souls have always suspected: we are made for joy." - Mirabai Starr, Author of God of Love and Wild Mercy |
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Matthew Fox speaks on "Preserving Things in the Good" at the Unity of Walnut Creek Earth Day worship service held on April 21, 2024. |
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