Today we continue our Lenten journey through Dante's Divine Comedy as we approach the Gates of Hell, which bear the famous and harrowing inscription: "THROUGH ME THE WAY TO THE CITY OF WOE, THROUGH ME THE WAY TO EVERLASTING PAIN, THROUGH ME THE WAY AMONG THE LOST . . . ABANDON ALL HOPE, YOU WHO ENTER HERE."
Now, we among the living, along with Dante the pilgrim in the story, need not leave hope at the door. But, we do get a look in the Inferno at the reality of sin and its distorting effects. And in seeing this, we have all the more impetus to change our lives, to allow the transforming mercy of God to permeate our being.
More specifically, in this episode we consider and then pass through the Gates of Hell on our way to an encounter with a group of the damned we might refer to as the "Neutrals."
My companion for this trip is Paul Camacho, who is Associate Director of the Augustinian Institute and Assistant Teaching Professor in the Augustine and Culture Seminar at Villanova University. He also writes a weekly newsletter, "On the Exam," which is well worth the read.
If you have any questions or comments you'd like us to address in a future recording in this series, please send your thoughts along to matt@curiouscatholicpodcast.com
Links:
- The Inferno by Dante, a verse translation by Jean Hollander and Robert Hollander
- The Digital Dante from Columbia University
- Lenten Dante Series, No. 1
- www.paulcamacho.com
- "On the Exam"
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiouscatholicpodcast.substack.com
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