Meister Eckhart vs. Drogo

Another day, another mystic, as the great thinker Meister (please don't call me 'Mister') Eckhart faces off against Drogo, 12th century saintly soul and patron saint of coffee. WARNING: Don't even try to make your choice without first drinking a hot, steaming cup of coffee -- as long as this action will in no way ultimately influence your vote.

Yesterday in a tight, emotionally-charged contest, amid heavy voting, Julian of Norwich prevailed over William Wilberforce 52% to 48%. Julian will face the winner of Roch vs. Gertrude in the next round.

The SEC also released their weekly Monday Madness video in which a contest(!) was announced. Watch now to learn how you can own the cardboard cutout of 2015 Golden Halo winner, Francis Assisi (as seen at the Episcopal Church's 2015 General Convention).

And finally, if you need to add some extra Lent Madness commentary to your day, tune in to Priest Pulse's recent interview with one half of the Supreme Executive Committee (Tim). We suggest listening to it while on the treadmill, for that extra motivation, or during your commute, to make it speed seamlessly by.

Meister Eckhart

Meister_Eckhart_(Skulptur)_2012

Eckhart von Hochheim, commonly known as Meister Eckhart, is one of the greatest mystics of the Christian tradition. After his initial schooling, he alternated between the universities at Cologne and Paris, first as a student and later as a professor. Born in Germany around 1260, Meister Eckhart joined the Dominican Order of Preachers as a young man. He returned to Strasbourg in 1314, but his popularity soon began to draw the wrong kind of attention.

Encouraged by the Archbishop of Cologne, the head of the Dominican Order in the German region investigated the soundness of Eckhart’s doctrine and cleared him of heresy. Unsatisfied with these findings, the archbishop ordered a more formal and comprehensive review. In February, 1327, despite Eckhart’s public declarations of innocence, he was called before the Inquisitors, who declared him a heretic.

Eckhart appealed his conviction to the Holy See. Accompanied by his Dominican superiors, Eckhart traveled to Avignon and submitted himself to
the judgment of Pope John XXII. Following the usual procedure, the appointed examiners did not receive complete texts of the writings to be judged, only suspicious lines taken out of context. On March 27, 1329, the papal commission upheld the conviction from Cologne, but by that time Eckhart had died, insisting to the end that he was faithful to the teachings of the Church.

Eckhart was a subtle and creative thinker. His Latin commentaries, produced for advanced Dominican students, demonstrate his mastery of the technical categories of the Scholastic philosophy. His German sermons were engaging and poetic, filled with puns and wordplay, drawing heavily on the vocabulary of courtly love, adapting it to speak of the birth of the Word in the soul.

After centuries of neglect, Meister Eckhart’s teachings experienced a revival at the end of the nineteenth century. Similarities between his thought and the mystical traditions of Asia have made him a fruitful resource for modern interreligious dialogue.

Collect for Meister Eckhart
O God, create in us hearts reconstructed by your simple goodness. Thank you for the life of your servant Meister Eckhart, who, for the love of you, put his life and honor at the feet of power to speak plainly of your abundance. Grant that we too might be awed by your marvelous depth of creativity and mystery, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

— Derek Olsen

Drogo

Drogo Sint_Druon

Near the beginning of the twelfth century, Drogo was born into a family of Flemish nobility—but his path began to change immediately. Drogo’s father died prior to his birth, and his mother died because of complications in childbirth. The newborn orphan was given over to the care of family members. When he was ten-years-old, Drogo, a sensitive child, was devastated to learn the cause of his mother’s death and held himself personally responsible for it.

Reaching adulthood, Drogo renounced the wealth and ease that was his birthright and became a shepherd in the Flemish countryside. During his time in the pastures, Drogo developed a reputation for holy living and for the spiritual gift of bilocation. Tradition holds that Drogo would be observed in
the fields praying while watching his flocks and simultaneously attending worship in the village.

After a time, perhaps still seeking to assuage the guilt he felt for his mother’s untimely death, Drogo felt called to head out on pilgrimage. Drogo traveled to Rome in order to encounter the holy places and relics there. Over the course of nine years, he traveled to Rome and back nine times.

These pilgrimages came to an end when Drogo was afflicted by an unknown malady, which caused him disfigurement and estrangement from his community. In order to protect the residents of the village where he lived from his appearance, Drogo took up a hermit’s life. He took up residence in a cell adjacent to the local parish church and lived there for the rest of his life. Stories say that when a fire engulfed his cell, Drogo refused to leave and was discovered praying among the ashes.

Lately discovered by popular culture, Drogo of Sebourg is the subject of countless listicles, thanks to his identification as the patron saint of coffeehouses and baristas. Drogo died on April 16, 1186, and was buried in the parish church in which he had spent the majority of his life. For obvious reasons, Drogo is the patron of unattractive and repulsive people. It is less clear why he has long been associated with coffee—so we will pour another cup and ponder this connection.

Collect for Drogo
God of unsearchable wisdom, you hear us praying even among the ashes of our lives. Thank you for the example of your servant Drogo, who lived a life of deep prayer despite profound suffering, who walked holy roads and prayed for worldly souls. Grant us the grace to seek your face in all things and in all places. We ask this for the love of your son, Jesus. Amen.

— David Hansen

[poll id="145"]

Meister Eckhart: Meister Eckhart, Skulptur in Bad
Wörishofen, Kneippstraße. Image by Lothar Spurzem
(Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.0 de (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia
Commons

 

Drogo: By Unknown, 18th-century drawing [Public
domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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288 comments on “Meister Eckhart vs. Drogo”

  1. What with the coffee and the sharing the same name as Frodo Baggins' s father, I almost went with Drogo. But Meister Ekhart' s story just grabbed me. So Meister Eckhart got my vote.

    1. Thanks, Anne! My husband and I have been trying and trying to remember which hobbit was named Drogo!

  2. Meister Eckhart gets my vote because he remained true to his convictions and actively defended his position. If he had backed off, his wisdom would likely have been lost.

  3. Very glad to meet Drogo and shall remember him with my daily coffee and honor his faithfulness. However, I vote for my old friend Meister Eckhart who wrote: We are all mothers of God.

  4. Mysticism and poetry versus repulsive people? For me it was no contest. Drogo, priez pour moi, but I'm voting for Meister Eckhart. The mystics always win in my book. Speaking of books, I love the art for Eckhart above. I wondered whom he was reading with and what the book was. It is a lovely peaceful scene, perfect for a contemplative moment. (They only need a cup of coffee to complete the scene.) Mystics rule.

  5. I have an icon of Drogo on the cupboard where we keep our coffee, so I had to vote for him.

  6. Unable to cast vote due to some kind of glitch. I don't feel there is enough info on the contents of Meister's works for me to be swayed his direction. So, my vote would go for Drogo. To survive a fire by acts of faith and prayer proves Divine Intervention.

    1. Until today, I have been able to vote from my phone. The vote button would come up right after the second saint's blog. Comments would not appear until after casting vote. However, today a code in brackets appeared between the blog and comments.

  7. Any article that contains the words "listicle" and "bilocation" deserves a vote for its subject.

    1. A better reason would be the bilocation thing. That would be an awesome skill to have. They don't teach that in the seminaries anymore, alas. I did study it in the convent, though.

  8. I am so done with Lent Madness! How can a community, serious about being contemporary Christians, dismiss William Wilberforce in favor of a navel-gazing hermit? OK, so I am a sore loser, but it is time for me to release Lent Madness from my Lenten schedule and go spend more time loving my neighbor. Enjoy yourselves! Good-bye.

    1. Hey, Beth Ann, many people voted for William Wilberforce. It was a close vote. Many praised him in their comments. Lady Julian was a writer with windows on her immediate world and on worlds beyond, and touched many lives through the ages. Hope your soreness eases and maybe you give Lent Madness another try some time. Take care.

      1. What Peg said. But also -- though Julian was physically shut in, she did stay connected to community in a helping way. People came to her for counselling and prayers, and she was able to talk to them through a little window in her cell. She also, through her writings, deftly accomplished the miracle of communicating a more inclusive and forgiving God than was strictly being taught by the church of her time. Today's Eckhart bio highlights the very real hazards she was navigating to do that - it's not like they didn't know where to find her if they wanted to chat about her gentle challenges to the prevailing magisterial wisdom.
        She was physically confined, but her spirit was free and in touch with God who sustained her, and who gave her a message to convey. As a woman she was not permitted to teach or preach...but she wrote. Different circumstances and different oppression than what Wilberforce worked to overcome, but still in the cause of freedom and God's love for all (IMHO).

        1. Lady Julian did teach those who came to her for counsel. And, through her writings, she continues to bless us to this day with her wisdom and God's revelations to her. She wasted no time navel-gazing! That term was devised by those who have no idea who mystics are and what they do!

  9. Hmmm, I see this as a contest between two mystics. Drogo lived in a cell, like our friend Julian, and stayed there till it burned down around him.

  10. After reviewing today's choices with my daughter, I asked her opinion. Her reply, "Like this one's hard. pffffft! patron saint of baristas, of course!"

  11. Voting for that poor tortured soul, drinking my coffee, and praying for the spiritual gift of bilication. And it's his feast day today! Go Drogo!

  12. Clearly, carrying a bilocator to term is dangerous to one's health. Teleporters would be much safer.

  13. How could I not vote for the patron saint of coffee shops!!!! Drogo it is. (Oh - and I like his ability to be in two places at once - I'd like that 'gift')

  14. I owe Meister Eckhart a great debt. I studied Zen for a number of years before returning to the Church (I still draw inspiration from it). Professor D. T. Suzuki wrote a book on Mysticism East and West, and the West was represented primarily by Eckhart. Rudolph Otto wrote a book with almost the same title, and there was Eckhart again. When I read Thomas Merton's Mystics and Zen Masters, and yet again I found Eckhart, I knew I had to find out more about him. I read the some Sermons and a few of the more Scholastic writings. I was hooked. Most importantly, he showed me that the transcendence that I was seeking in Eastern religions could be found right here in the tradition that raised me. I went back to church - Unitarian, then Quaker, and finally Episcopalian - all the while seeking that Word inside me. I still am. I have many people to thank, but Meister Eckhart is near the top of the list.

    1. I identify a lot with this, Mike; I have a similar spiritual story. It wasn't Meister Eckhart specifically, but the mystical tradition generally - and Evelyn Underhill, I guess, now that I think of it - that influenced me.

      But I do love Eckhart.

    2. Ah, Mike, thanks for representing the serious side of this for pur church! I, of course, offered a less than serious response and voted for Drogo. Though, like you, I came across Eckhart early in my formation. I used to keep a journal of inspirational quotes by Christian thinkers (in high school, nonetheless!) and two of the earliest one in my journal were Eckhart and E.B. Pusey. That probably explains a lot about me, actually...

    3. Well said, Mike - ! Love the story of Drogo, perhaps because i can certainly have a more empathetic understanding of the human experience of feeling unattractive,, lonely and misunderstood - as well as a love for coffee - but Meister Eckharts works help my soul open to the more transcendent and mystical heights that are possible- when feeling unattractive, lonely and misunderstood isn't even a thought or consideration! When times are tough, the recalling of the glimmers of love, radience and inspiration are what I need.

    4. Wow~I was all set to vote for Drogo because of coffee. Your thoughtful comment made me rethink my choice, partially for the opportunity to learn more about him in later rounds. However, after a difficult night dealing with the mental illness of a family member, and upon learning that Drogo is also patron saint of the mentally ill, I'm going with him.

  15. "God of unsearchable wisdom, you hear us praying even among the ashes of our lives."
    And coffee too? Plus I learned a new word today -listicle. And I do love my bulleted lists. Drogo for me.

  16. Did a college project on Meister Eckhart, so it's surely got to be him. That said I love my coffee.

  17. I voted for Meister Eckhart, because I've always loved what he thought and wrote. But now I'm a bit sorry I didn't vote for Drogo; I really love that collect.

    I guess this means I won't be sorry, no matter who wins the round.

    (And I'm surprised to find that coffee doesn't enter it at all, for me....)

    1. Not knowing much about either one this morning, and not having had sufficient coffee to do my own research... I followed up on Carol's link above. My vote for Meister Eckhart as many of those quotes spoke to me.

  18. Another tough one. I'm voting for Drogo in solidarity with young people who don't fit in, who are afflicted by nameless guilt, who have no family, who cannot find their way to a conventional productive life, who undertake one journey after another yet never find what they are looking for, and who self-isolate out of what they perceive to be their own worthlessness and repulsiveness. I don't know where the coffee association comes from, but I'm reaching out to Drogo as the patron of teens and young adults with mental illness and "failure to launch."

  19. How can I say no to coffee? Also, there's something comedic I love about a saint so horrible to look at that he locked himself up to "protect" the townspeople.

  20. "Subtle and creative thinking" "sermons poetic... filled with word-play and puns...adapting vocabulary to speak of the birth of the Word in the soul" That's where he caught me. What's not to like? I've got to go with the Meister. Besides, I prefer chai latte to coffee.

  21. I was all set to vote for Eckhart, but I was touched deeply by the image of Drogo praying in the ashes, reminding me that God hears our prayers, even when we cry out from the ashes of death or despair, and raises us to new life.

  22. "Priez pour nous..." and coffee - Drogo for the win! "Priez pour nous" is a line from the Hail Mary in French, which we were taught the first week of French 1 in our all-girls Catholic High School. To this day, thanks to the nuns from elementary school, I 'break out' in the Hail Mary every time I hear an ambulance/fire engine's siren - mais, en francais, bien sur. Savoring my first strong cup of joe of the day --- aaah! Maybe the illustration of Drogo will, miraculously, appear in one of my favorite local coffeehouses 🙂

  23. I'm such a fan. Drogo lives! And his brother Frodo too!

    What are those torches and pitchforks about people?