The on and twenty chapitre. The trewe exposicion of this Gospel worde: Mary hath chosen the best partye.
The Question of the Best Part
The chapter opens by asking what it means that Mary chose the best, clarifying that 'best' implies a good and a better, yet there are only two lives—active and contemplative—so the best must be a part within them.
What does it mean that "Mary has chosen the best"? Whenever the word "best" is used, it implies two things before it—a "good" and a "better"—so that it can be the best, the third in the series.1 But what are these three good things, of which Mary chose the best? They aren't three lives, because the Church only speaks of two—the active life and the contemplative life. These two lives are represented in this Gospel story by the two sisters, Martha and Mary: Martha for the active, and Mary for the contemplative.2 No one can be saved without one of these two lives, and where there are only two, no one can choose the best.
The Good, the Better, and the Best Within Two Lives
The author explains the three parts of the spiritual life—bodily works of mercy, spiritual meditations, and the secret love in the cloud of unknowing—showing how the first and second end with this life, but the third, Mary's part, is eternal.
Even though there are only two lives, there are three parts within them, each better than the last. These three, each on its own, have already been specially set in their places earlier in this writing. As I mentioned, the first part consists of good and honest bodily works of mercy and of charity; this is the first degree of the active life. The second part of these two lives consists of good spiritual meditations on one's own wretchedness, on the Passion of Christ, and on the joys of heaven. The first part is good, but this part is better, for it is the second degree of the active life and the first of the contemplative life. In this part, the contemplative life and the active life are joined in spiritual kinship and made sisters, following the example of Martha and Mary.✦ This high an active person may come to contemplation, and no higher — unless it is very rarely and by a special grace. This low a contemplative may come toward the active life, and no lower — unless it is very rarely and in great need. The third part of these two lives hangs in this dark cloud of unknowing, with many secret loves directed toward God Himself.3 The first part is good, the second is better, but the third is best of all. This is Mary's best part. And for this reason, it's clear that our Lord did not say, "Mary has chosen the best life"; for there are only two lives, and from only two no one can choose the best. But of these two lives, "Mary has chosen," He said, "the best part, which will never be taken from her." The first part and the second, though both good and holy, still end when this life ends. For in the other life, as I'm saying now, there will be no need to practice the works of mercy, nor to weep for our wretchedness or for the Passion of Christ.4 For then, as I'm saying now, no one will be able to go hungry or thirsty, or die of cold, or be sick, or be homeless, or be in prison, or still need burial—for then no one will be able to die.
An Exhortation to Actives and an Invitation to the Best Part
The author urges those called by grace to choose the third part, which lasts forever, and warns actives to remain in their own parts and not disturb contemplatives who rest in Mary's best part.
As for the third part that Mary chose—let anyone called by grace to choose it do so; or, to put it more accurately, whoever is chosen for it by God, let him gladly lean into it.5 That will never be taken away, for if it begins here, it will last forever. And so let our Lord's voice cry out to these actives, as if He were saying this now to them on our behalf, just as He did then for Mary when He spoke to Martha: "Martha, Martha!" "Actives, actives! Make yourselves as busy as you can in the first part and in the second, now in one, now in the other; and if you truly want to and feel yourselves disposed, then boldly do both. And don't meddle with contemplatives. You don't know what ails them. Let them sit in their rest and in their play, with the third and best part of Mary."6
Read the original Middle English
What meneth this: "Marye hath chosen the best?" Wheresoever the best is set or nemnyd, it asketh bifore it theese two thinges -- a good and a beter, so that it be the best, and the thryd in noumbre. Bot whiche ben thees thre good thinges, of the whiche Marye chees the best? Thre lyves ben they not, for Holi Chirche makith no mynde bot of two -- actyve liif and contemplatyve liif; the whiche two lyves ben prively understonden in the story of this Gospel by thees two sisters, Martha and Marye -- by Martha actyve, by Marye contemplatyve. Withouten one of theese two lyves may no man be saaf; and where no mo ben bot two, may no man chese the best.
Bot thof al ther be bot two lyves, nevertheles yit in theese two lyves ben thre partyes, ichone betir then other. The whiche thre, ichone by hemself, ben specyaly set in theire stedes before in this writyng. For as it is seide before, the first party stondeth in good and onest bodily werkes of mercy and of charité; and this is the first degree of actyve liif, as it is seyde bifore. The secound partye of thees two lyves liggeth in good goostly meditacions of a mans owne wrechidnes, the Passion of Criste, and of the joyes of heven. The first partye is good, and this partye is the betir, for this is the secound degree of actyve liif and the first of contemplatyve liif. In this partye is contemplatyve liif and actyve liif couplid togeders in goostly sibreden and maad sistres, at the ensanple of Martha and Marye. Thus highe may an actyve come to contemplacion, and no higher; bot yif it be ful seeldom and by a specyal grace. Thus lowe may a contemplatiif com towardes actyve liif, and no lower; bot yif it be ful seeldom and in grete nede.
The thrid partye of thees two lyves hangeth in this derk cloude of unknowyng, with many a privé love put to God by Himself. The first partye is good, the secounde is betir, bot the thrid is alther beste. This is the beste partye of Marye. And herfore it is pleinly to wite that oure Lorde seide not: "Marye hath chosen the best liif"; for ther ben no mo lyves bot two, and of two may no man chese the best. Bot of thees two lives "Marye hath chosen," He seyde, "the best partye, the whiche schal never be take from hir." The first partye and the secounde, thof al thei ben bothe good and holy, yit thei eende with this liif. For in the tother liif, as now, schal be no nede to use the werkes of mercy, ne to wepe for oure wrechidnes, ne for the Passion of Criste. For than, as now, schal none mowe hungre ne thirst, ne dighe for colde, ne be seeke, ne housles, ne in prison, ne yit nede beryelles, for than schal none mowe dighe.
Bot the thryd party that Marye chees, chese who bi grace is clepid to chese; or yif I sothlier schal seye, whoso is chosen therto of God, lat him listely lene therto. For that schal never be taken awey; for yif it biginne here, it schal last withouten eende.
And therfore lat the voice of oure Lorde crie on theese actyves, as yif He seide thus now for us unto hem, as He did then for Marye to Martha, "Martha, Martha!" "Actyves, actyves! make yow as besi as ye kan in the first partye and in the secound, now in the tone and now in the tother; and, yif you list right wel and fele yow disposid, in bothe two boldely. And medel yow not of contemplatyves. Ye wote not what hem eyleth. Lat hem sit in here rest and in here pley, with the thrid and the best partye of Marye."
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.10.38-Luke.10.42 — Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Luke.10.39 — She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his word. Luke.10.40 — But Martha was distracted by much service. She came up and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." Luke.10.41 — But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.' Luke.10.42 — Few things are needed, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
Notes
- 1 ↩nemnyd rendered as "named"; also covers "mentioned" / "called".
- 2 ↩prively understonden rendered as "secretly understood": the allegorical/hidden sense of the Gospel story, not a third public category of life.
- 3 ↩Rendered as love directed to God Himself (Himself as object). An alternate reading takes by Himself as agent: love put into the soul by God Himself.
- 4 ↩Taken as a discourse marker ('as I say now'), parallel to s8's 'than, as now.' Not read as claiming there is already no need for these works in the present life.
- 5 ↩The author corrects 'called by grace to choose' with the stronger claim that one is 'chosen for it by God,' shifting the accent from human choosing to divine election.
- 6 ↩ME pley keeps the Cloud's own term for contemplative delight and recreation with God; rendered here as play rather than flattened to mere leisure.
The Cloud of Unknowing companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent