We've made it to the heights of the Empyrean—Heaven—with Dante and Beatrice. Surprisingly, we are met at this late stage by yet another guide, Bernard of Clairvaux.
With Bernard we will praise the Blessed Mother, all the while preparing ourselves for the vision of God enjoyed by the blessed in Paradise.
This vision—all too much for human language and craft to communicate—is masterfully envisioned by Dante the poet. We see Heaven as an unfolded rose bloom. The Trinity is glimpsed in its Triune Glory. The image of the human person is centered, incarnationally, at the heart of the mystery that is God.
At last our journey that began in the dark wood comes to its culmination, where our sight will lose its power, but we will otherwise turn "with the Love that moves the sun and all the other stars."
My companion is Paul Camacho, Associate Director of the Augustinian Institute and Assistant Teaching Professor of Philosophy in the Humanities Department at Villanova University. He also writes a weekly newsletter, "Will This Be On the Exam?" which is well worth the read.
Join us for this last installment of our nine part series on Dante's Divine Comedy. Links to the previous eight episodes can be found below.
Links:
- The Paradiso by Dante, a verse translation by Jean Hollander and Robert Hollander
- The Digital Dante from Columbia University
- Dante Series, No. 1
- Dante Series, No. 2
- Dante Series, No. 3
- Dante Series, No. 4
- Dante Series, No. 5
- Dante Series, No. 6
- Dante Series, No. 7
- Dante Series, No. 8
- www.paulcamacho.com
- "Will This Be On the Exam?"
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