Sermon – The Humble See God – July 23, 2026

Johannes Tauler, theologian (14th century) – Sermon 53

Our Lord said:

Many prophets and righteous people desired to see what you see but could not see it, and to hear what you hear but could not hear it. (Matthew 13:17)

By "prophets," we mean great, refined souls and thinkers who were attached to and boasted of the subtleties and reasoning of their natural intellect. These "eyes" are not happy.

By "those who are righteous," we mean people who see themselves as teachers; who possess the power and energy to control themselves, to master their words, actions, and language; who can do whatever they want, who fast, who hold prayer vigils, etc. However, they attach great importance to this, as if it were something extraordinary, and they look down on others. These are not happy eyes, because they cannot see what truly brings happiness.

They all wanted to see, but they couldn't. They wanted to see, but they were bound by their own will . Their own will, just as a membrane or film covers the outer eye, covers the inner eye and prevents them from seeing.

As long as you remain bound by your own will, you will be deprived of the joy of inner vision.

Because all true happiness stems from genuine surrender and detachment from one's own will. This arises from the depths of humility. The smaller and more humble one is, the less bound one is to one's will.

When everything is at peace, the soul sees its own essence and all its capabilities; it recognizes itself as the image of Him from whom it emerged. Eyes that direct their gaze into these depths can rightly be called "happy eyes" because of what they see.

Then man discovers the greatest of wonders, the purest and most reliable thing. This can never be taken from us.

Let us walk this path to attain happy eyes! May God help us!