The
pupils
of
St
Dionysius
asked
him
why
Timothy
outstripped
them
in
perfection
?
Dionysius
said,
‘
Timothy
is
a
God-receptive
man.
He
who
is
expert
at
this
outstrippeth
all
men.’
In
this
sense
thy
unknowing
is
not
a
defect
but
thy
chief
perfection,
and
suffering
thy
highest
activity.
Kill
thy
activities
and
still
thy
faculties
if
thou
wouldst
realise
this
birth
in
thee.
To
find
the
newborn
King
in
thee
all
else
thou
mightest
find
must
be
passed
by
and
left
behind
thee.
May
we
outstrip
and
leave
behind
such
things
as
are
not
pleasing
to
the
newborn
King.
So
help
us
thou
who
didst
become
the
child
of
man
that
we
might
become
the
children
of
God.
Amen.
HI
THIS
TOO
IS
MEISTER
ECKHART
WHO
ALWAYS
TAUGHT
THE
TRUTH
In
hisy
quee
patris
rnei
sunt,
oportet
me
esse
(l,nc,
2jy).
‘
I
must
be
about
my
Father’s
business.’
This
text
is
opportune
to
what
we
have
to
say
concerning
the
eternal
birth
which
took
place
here
in
time
and
is
still
happening
daily
in
the
innermost
recesses
of
the
soul,
in
her
ground,
remote
from
all
comers.
To
become
aware
of
this
interior
birth
it
is
above
all
necessary
to
be
about
our
Father’s
business.
What
is
pecxiliarly
the
Father’s
?
Power
is
ascribed
to
him
beyond
either
of
the
other
Persons.
And
I
tell
you,
no
one
can
experience
this
birth
without
a
mighty
effort.
None
can
attain
this
birth
unless
he
can
withdraw
his
mind
entirely
from
things.
And
it
requires
main
force
to
drive
back
all
the
senses
and
inhibit
them.
Violence
must
be
offered
to
them
one
and
all
or
this
cannot
be
done.
As
Christ
said
:
‘
The
kingdom
of
heaven
suffereth
violence
and
the
violent
take
it
by
force.’
Regarding
this
birth
there
arises
the
question,
Does
it
happen
continuously
or
only
at
intervals
when
one
is
disposed
for
it,
what
time
one
is
exerting
oneself
to
the
utmost
to
forget
things
altogether
and
be
conscious
in
this
?
Here
let
us
discriminate.
Man
possesses
an
active
intellect,
a
passive
intellect
and
a
potential
intellect.
Active
intellect
is
ever
in
act,
ever
doing
something,
be
it
in
God
or
in
creature,
to
the
honour
and
glory
of
God.
That
is
its
province
and
hence
its
name
active.
But
when
God
undertakes
the
work
the
mind
must
preserve
a
state
of
passivity.
Potential
intellect
again
has
regard
to
both
these,
to
the
action
of
God
and
the
passion
of
the
soul,
to
its
acting
potentially.
In
the
one
case
the
mind
is
active,
when
it
is
function-
ing,
to
wit
;
in
the
other
receptive,
when
God
takes
up
the
work
and
