Canto
XXIII
In
the Starry Sphere, Dante (the character) is overwhelmed with Beatrice’s
beauty. As she stares at the heavens, he
compares her to a mother bird awaiting the sun to rise. Suddenly she directs Dante to the sky for him
to see Christ passing in a triumph. He
notices that Beatrice’s face is aflame from the brightness that is blazing that
is Christ. The brightness is so intense
that Dante cannot endure it. Beatrice
explains that this light is that which redeemed mankind. She then instructs him to open his eyes, and
now not only can he see, but he can withstand to see her smile. Dante is so overcome that he cannot find the
words to represent the immensity of it all.
Beatrice then points to Virgin Mary, also in the sky, described as a
rose, and around her the apostles that are described as lilies. Again, Dante has to close his eyes from the
intensity. When he opens he sees a star
circling around the head of the Blessed Mother, making it appear that a crown
was about her head. The light is the angel
Gabriel, and he and all the other lights sing in homage to her. Mary and the triumph march higher, rising up
beyond Dante’s sight into the next sphere, the Primum Mobile, the final
sphere. As Mary disappears, the lights
that were the apostles sing Regina Celi
in praise. Dante too offers praise to
Christ and Mary. St. Peter, then, comes
before him.
Canto
XXIV
Still
at the Starry Sphere, Beatrice addresses the spinning lights that are the
apostles. These lights dance about full
of joy. One light circles Beatrice three
times, and Dante is again lost for words to describe it. The light addresses Beatrice since it is her
love that has drawn him close. She asks
him, who though unnamed we know is St. Peter, to test Dante on his faith. So just as a college student standing before
professors, Dante must undergo an oral examination for him to pass
through. The first question that St.
Peter asks Dante is, what is faith?
Dante responds that it is the substance of things hoped for. Second question: from where did you get your
faith? Answer: the Holy Spirit provided
it from reading the Old and New Testaments.
Third question: why do you believe what they say? Answer: Because of the miracles that
substantiate the claims. Fourth
question: what makes you believe in those miracles? Answer; because the world turned to Christ in
subsequent generations. Fifth question:
what exactly is it you have faith in?
Answer: The creed, I believe in one God who moves the universe through
His love, who through His prophets revealed, who through His incarnation
redeemed and further revealed the Trinity within His single Essence. St. Peter satisfied blesses Dante, circling
him three times.
Canto
XXV
Dante
(the author) opens with contemplation that one day this poem may allow him back
to the city of his birth where he will receive the laurel crown. Still in Starry Sphere, another light
approaches them. Beatrice identifies him
as St. James as St. Peter greets the new light warmly. Beatrice, as she did previously with St.
Peter, asks St. James to test Dante, this time on the virtue of hope. St. James then asks Dante, what is hope, how
does it grow in your mind, and from where did it come from? Before Dante can answer, it is Beatrice that
testifies for him, that she knows of no other person with greater hope than
Dante. Dante then answers that hope is
the expectation of heavenly glory and that it comes from heavenly grace. In approval, St. James flashes brightly
several times like lightning. He then
asks, what promises does hope hold for you?
Dante replies that his hope is in the promise of the resurrection and of
the glorified body that is to come. Upon
that a hymn of hope is heard from above and an even brighter light moves toward
the group. Beatrice explains that this
is St. John. The brightness of St. John
completely overwhelms Dante’s eyes, and he goes momentarily blind. He had tried to see if St. John was before
him bodily as a legend had suggested, but St. John’s first words were of
chastisement. Only Christ and His
Blessed Mother have their bodies in heaven.
Dante, troubled, looks back for Beatrice, but he still cannot see.
Canto
XXVI
Still
in the Starry Sphere and still unable to see, Dante hears the voice of St.
John, who now takes his turn to interrogate him, his exam on the virtue of
love. His first question, what is the
goal of your soul? Dante answers that
the goal of his soul is to satisfy itself in the love that comes from God. Second question, what made your soul reach
for that goal? Dante replies,
philosophic reasoning that love moves all and from the prophets in the Old and
New Testaments. Third question, what is
it exactly that moves you to love? Dante
answers that there is a divine imprint on the soul which moves us to love and
that all beauty gifted from above elicits that love to come out. He adds that the creation, the Redemption,
and the hope of future glory arouses that love.
Upon his final words, he hears all souls including Beatrice chanting
“Holy, holy, holy.” Through Beatrice he
is now able to see again, and see sharper and further than he ever did
before. He now sees a fourth light
shining in their company and Beatrice explains that this is Adam, the first human
being, Dante overcome with emotion finally implores Adam to speak to him, and
that Adam knows the questions he wishes to ask.
Four questions are in Dante’s mind, how long has passed since Adam was
in Eden, how long has he been there now, what caused God’s anger to expel him,
and what language did he speak then?
Adam answers that God exiled him for trespassing a boundary, that he
lived on earth 950 years, that there was another 4302 years before he was
returned to heaven, and the language that he spoke has long been extinct. Nothing of human construction lasts forever.
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