Meister Eckhart

This birth cannot coexist with the darkness of sins.

even though it takes place not in the powers but in the essence and ground of the soul.

The question arises, since God the Father gives birth only in the essence and ground of the soul and not in the powers,

What concern is it of theirs?

How do they help, just by being idle and taking a rest?

What is the use, since his birth does not take place in the powers?

Every creature works toward some end.

The end is always the first in intention, but the last in execution.

Thus too, God in all his works has a most blessed end in view, namely himself.

to bring the soul and all her powers into that end, himself.

For this, all God's works are wrought.

For this the Father bears his Son in the soul, so that all the powers of the soul shall come to this.

He lies in wait for all that the soul contains.

But the soul is scattered abroad among her powers and dissipated in the action of each.

The power of sight in the eye, the power of hearing in the ear, the power of tasting in the tongue,

Thus her ability to work inwardly is enfeebled, for a scattered power is imperfect.

So for her inward work to be effective, she must call in all her powers and gather them together from the diversity of things to a single inward activity.

Saint Augustine says the soul is rather where she loves than where she gives life to the body.

For example, there was once a pagan master who was devoted to an art, that of mathematics, to which he had devoted all his powers.

He was sitting by the embers, making calculations and practising this art.