John Ruysbroeck (circa 1293 – 1381) was a Flemish mystic. From the age of eleven he lived with his uncle and was a student at the school in St. Gudule’s Cathedral in Brussels. He later served as a parish priest there from 1318 to 1343, before retiring to the hermitage of Groenendaal, in the Sonian Forest. There his reputation for wisdom and holiness attracted so many disciples that it became necessary to organize a formal community. Although Ruysbroeck’s many writings were originally written in Middle Dutch, their popularity soon led to translations into Latin and Middle High German. His masterpiece is considered to be The Spiritual Espousals, written around 1340.
Quotes by John Ruysbroeck…
He who ascends to this height has all things under his feet.
Then flows into us knowledge — an inner revelation which preserves our spirit open, and, lifting us above all images and all disturbance, brings us to an inward silence. Here the divine inspiration is a secret whispering in the inner ear.