Those living in Monasteries today are still praying for us and for the world, just as they have for these many years. Thanks for a great explanation of Canto XXI.
How perfect that, for Catholics, today (March 30) is the feast of St. John Climacus, who received the name Climacus ("ladder") for his work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.
Thank you, Dr. Peters! Once again, you have delivered beautifully insightful wisdom on this Canto XXI. You have helped us see and contemplate to a greater degree. I expect nothing less from an old Torrey professor. Iconography has been pressed on my mind recently. Several books, short stories, and films (not to mention actual ikons) have highlighted the beauty and necessity of Sacred Art, especially liturgical art. Throughout Paradiso, I have been attentive to Beatrice and how she is described and ascribed certain attributes. She certainly seems to be acting as an iconographic figure in this story, and a sacred one at that. Dante is meant to see God through her, and that is the role that Creation also demonstrates as, what one might say, an abstract ikon of God. So, this Canto's theme on contemplation is rightly preceded by another reference to Beatrice's iconographic character. Contemplation of God is golden and full of light. Sight, again, is everything here. Peter almost explicitly speaks on the Beatific Vision. Reminds me of 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 and the transfiguration of those who behold the Glory of God. The contrast with the degenerate monasteries is harsh. A lesson is here; a lesson that images made to contemplate and reflect the One can lose their luster when they turn away. The veil is taken back on, and the light is dimmed as corruption eats away. There is hope. The Ladder remains. Thank you!
Canto 21: Dante and Beatrice have entered the Seventh Sphere of Saturn, father of Jupiter, with neither Dante’s direct nor indirect observation of the transfer. Beatrice’s smile is not readily discernable, since if it were, it would be of such a degree of illumination that still-mortal Dante would be turned to ash. He is also informed that he hears no sound, no hymns of praise, since they, too, are so supreme they would incinerate him! (At times, Dante, pridefully, appears to believe he is a “resident” of Paradise rather than a “pilgrim” passing through it!) Beatrice urges Dante towards contemplation of the divine, a mirrored interaction which ultimately leads to the desired oneness with God. Dante beholds an unending golden ladder upon which illuminated spirits descend and ascend, like birds flying and perching along the way. One of these glowing spirits is that of Peter Damien, a contemplative on earth, who informs Dante of the divine interaction to be sought by those living a life similar to the one he had lived. Dante wonders if his current observation of contemplative spirits is an indication of his predetermined position in Paradise, but he is informed that no being understands Predestination, other than God, himself, the “highest essence.” This knowledge is not held even by the Seraphim closest to God. Mortals, who are like smoke on earth, should avoid asking such unanswerable questions. Although the spirits of the contemplatives do not sing hymns that Dante can hear, they do speak with the voice of thunder.
It is interesting to note why Dante placed Peter Damiano, a reformer, in one of the highest circles of Paradiso as a great predecessor of Francis of Assisi. St. Francis was praying in front of a large Romanesque icon cross in the chapel of San Damiano, just outside Assisi, when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. St. Francis, like St. Dominic, thought it would be better to serve God inside the Catholic church and reform it from within and not leave the church in protest. Our current pope, Pope Francis, took the name of Francis to show that he too, is a like minded reformer as we see now in the current synod. There is a 1200 year thread that connects St. Peter Damiano, St. Francis, St. Dominic, Pope John XXIII, and Pope Francis. Like Dr. Peters so eloquently put it, "God raises up men and women to be like Peter Damiano, that is, to use their voice for good in reforming Christian institutions including the church."
I think it is a bit of a stretch to say that Pope Francis is "a like minded reformer". He has instead sown a lot of confusion and ambiguity in the Church
@@graesert2 Like St. Francis, his namesake Pope Francis is being guided by the Holy Spirit of God. Those who are confused are the cognitively dissonant who are not yet fully awake and who are blinking at the bright light of Divine Providence.
Those living in Monasteries today are still praying for us and for the world, just as they have for these many years. Thanks for a great explanation of Canto XXI.
How perfect that, for Catholics, today (March 30) is the feast of St. John Climacus, who received the name Climacus ("ladder") for his work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.
Thank you, Dr. Peters! Once again, you have delivered beautifully insightful wisdom on this Canto XXI. You have helped us see and contemplate to a greater degree. I expect nothing less from an old Torrey professor.
Iconography has been pressed on my mind recently. Several books, short stories, and films (not to mention actual ikons) have highlighted the beauty and necessity of Sacred Art, especially liturgical art. Throughout Paradiso, I have been attentive to Beatrice and how she is described and ascribed certain attributes. She certainly seems to be acting as an iconographic figure in this story, and a sacred one at that. Dante is meant to see God through her, and that is the role that Creation also demonstrates as, what one might say, an abstract ikon of God.
So, this Canto's theme on contemplation is rightly preceded by another reference to Beatrice's iconographic character. Contemplation of God is golden and full of light. Sight, again, is everything here. Peter almost explicitly speaks on the Beatific Vision. Reminds me of 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 and the transfiguration of those who behold the Glory of God.
The contrast with the degenerate monasteries is harsh. A lesson is here; a lesson that images made to contemplate and reflect the One can lose their luster when they turn away. The veil is taken back on, and the light is dimmed as corruption eats away.
There is hope. The Ladder remains.
Thank you!
Thank you, Dr. Peters! By the way, I loved the triceratops on the bookshelf behind you!
Fountains Abbey - I highly recommend a visit
Very helpful commentary, thank you!
Beautiful, beautiful presentation. I loved it. Thank you Dr. Peters.
Canto 21: Dante and Beatrice have entered the Seventh Sphere of Saturn, father of Jupiter, with neither Dante’s direct nor indirect observation of the transfer. Beatrice’s smile is not readily discernable, since if it were, it would be of such a degree of illumination that still-mortal Dante would be turned to ash. He is also informed that he hears no sound, no hymns of praise, since they, too, are so supreme they would incinerate him! (At times, Dante, pridefully, appears to believe he is a “resident” of Paradise rather than a “pilgrim” passing through it!) Beatrice urges Dante towards contemplation of the divine, a mirrored interaction which ultimately leads to the desired oneness with God. Dante beholds an unending golden ladder upon which illuminated spirits descend and ascend, like birds flying and perching along the way. One of these glowing spirits is that of Peter Damien, a contemplative on earth, who informs Dante of the divine interaction to be sought by those living a life similar to the one he had lived. Dante wonders if his current observation of contemplative spirits is an indication of his predetermined position in Paradise, but he is informed that no being understands Predestination, other than God, himself, the “highest essence.” This knowledge is not held even by the Seraphim closest to God. Mortals, who are like smoke on earth, should avoid asking such unanswerable questions. Although the spirits of the contemplatives do not sing hymns that Dante can hear, they do speak with the voice of thunder.
It is interesting to note why Dante placed Peter Damiano, a reformer, in one of the highest circles of Paradiso as a great predecessor of Francis of Assisi. St. Francis was praying in front of a large Romanesque icon cross in the chapel of San Damiano, just outside Assisi, when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church.
St. Francis, like St. Dominic, thought it would be better to serve God inside the Catholic church and reform it from within and not leave the church in protest. Our current pope, Pope Francis, took the name of Francis to show that he too, is a like minded reformer as we see now in the current synod. There is a 1200 year thread that connects St. Peter Damiano, St. Francis, St. Dominic, Pope John XXIII, and Pope Francis. Like Dr. Peters so eloquently put it, "God raises up men and women to be like Peter Damiano, that is, to use their voice for good in reforming Christian institutions including the church."
I think it is a bit of a stretch to say that Pope Francis is "a like minded reformer". He has instead sown a lot of confusion and ambiguity in the Church
@@graesert2 Like St. Francis, his namesake Pope Francis is being guided by the Holy Spirit of God. Those who are confused are the cognitively dissonant who are not yet fully awake and who are blinking at the bright light of Divine Providence.
Pat, thanks for your helpful summaries. NB: I think you mean 7th sphere, for Saturn.
Yep! It was a typo. Saturn IS the Seventh Sphere, two more to go. (Pleased to see that someone actually reads my summaries! Thanks!)