On Loving God XI: 31
On Loving God XI: 31 ceive them, there is no doubt that they have not altogether turned from themselves, for it is clear they still cling to some thing of their own to which their desires return though ever so slightly. Consequently, until death is swallowed up in vic tory279 and eternal light invades from all sides the limits of night and takes possession to the extent that heavenly glory shines in their bodies, souls cannot set themselves aside and pass into God. They are still attached to their bodies, if not by life and feeling, certainly by a natural affection, so that they do not wish nor are they able to realize their consumma tion without them. This rapture of the soul which is its most perfect and highest state, cannot, therefore, take place before the resurrection of the bodies, lest the spirit, if it could reach perfection without the body, would no longer desire to be united to the flesh. For indeed, the body is not deposed or re sumed without profit for the soul. To be brief. "The death of his saints is precious in the sight of the Lord."280 If death is pre cious, what must life be, especially that life? Do not be sur prised if the glorified body seems to give the spirit something, for it was a real help when man was sick and mortal. How true that text is which says that all things turn to the good of those who love God.281 The sick, dead and resurrected body is a help to the soul who loves God; the first for the fruits of penance,282 the second for repose, and the third for consummation. Truly the soul does not want to be perfected, without that from whose good services it feels it has benefited by in every way.
3 1 . The flesh is clearly a good and faithful partner for a good spirit, it helps if it is burdened; it relieves if it does not help; it surely benefits and is by no means a burden. The first state is that of fruitful labor; the second is restful but by no means tiresome; the third is above all glorious. Listen to the bride groom in the Canticle inviting us to this triple progress: "Eat, friends, and drink; be inebriated, dearest ones."283 He calls to 279. 1 Cor 15:54.
280. Ps 115:15.
281. Rom 8:28.
282. Mt 3:8.
283. Song 5: 1. Cf. Gra 9; OB 3:17 2;CF 19;Div 41:12, 87:4; OB 6-l:253,331;CF 46.
On Loving God XI: 32 those working in the body to eat; he invites those who have set aside their bodies to drink; and he impels those who have resumed their bodies to inebriate themselves, calling them his dearest ones, as if they were filled with charity. There is a dif ference between those who are simply called friends, who sigh under the weight of the flesh,284 who are held to be dear for their charity, and those who are free from the bonds of the flesh, who are all the more dear because they are more ready and free to love. More than the other two, these last ones are called dearest and are so.285 Receiving a second garment, they are in their resumed and glorified bodies. They are that much more freely and willingly borne toward God's love because nothing at all remains to solicit them or hold them back. This neither of the first two states can claim because, in the first state the body is endured with distress, in the second state it is hoped for as for something missing.
32. In the first state, therefore, the faithful soul eats its bread, but, alas, in the sweat of its brow.286 While in the flesh it moves by faith287 which necessarily acts through charity,288 for if it does not act, it dies.289 Moreover, according to our
Savior, this work is food: "My food is to do the will of my Father."290 Afterwards, having cast off its flesh, the soul no longer feeds on the bread of sorrow,291 but, having eaten, it is allowed to drink more deeply of the wine of love, not pure wine, for it is written of the bride in the Song of Songs: "I drank my wine mixed with milk."292 The soul mixes the divine love with the tenderness of that natural affection by which it desires to have its body back, a glorified body. The soul, there fore, glows already with the warmth of charity's wine, but not to the stage of intoxication, for the milk moderates its strength. Intoxication disturbs the mind and makes it wholly forgetful of itself, but the soul which still thinks of the re surrection of its own body has not forgotten itself completely.
For the rest, after finding the only thing needed, what is there 284. 2 Cor 5:4.
289. Jas 2:20.
285. 1 Jn 3:1.
286. Gen 3:19.
287. 2 Cor 5:7.
288. Gal 5:6.
290. Jn 4:34.
291. Ps 126:2.
292. Song 5: 1.
On Loving God XI: 33 to prevent the soul from taking leave of itself and passing into God entirely, ceasing all the more to be like itself as it becomes more and more like God? Then only, the soul is allowed to drink wisdom's pure wine, of which it is said: "How good is my cup, it inebriates me!"293 Why wonder if the soul is ine briated by the riches of the Lord's dwelling,294 when free from worldly cares it can drink pure, fresh wine with Christ in his
Father's house?295
33. Wisdom presides over this triple banquet,296 composed of charity which feeds those who labor, gives drink to those who are resting, and inebriates those who reign. As at an earthly banquet, edibles are served before liquid refreshments. Nature has set this order which Wisdom also observes. First, indeed, up to our death, while we are in mortal flesh we eat the work of our hands,297 laboriously masticating what is to be swal lowed. In the spiritual life after death, we drink with ease whatever is offered. Once our bodies come back to life we shall be filled with everlasting life, abounding in a wonderful fullness. This is what is meant by the Bridegroom in the Can ticle saying: "Eat, my friends, and drink; dearest ones, be inebriated."298 Eat before death, drink after death, be ine briated after the resurrection. It is right to call them dearest who are drunk with love; they are rightly inebriated who deserve to be admitted to the nuptials of the Lamb,299 eating and drinking at his table in his kingdom300 when he takes his
Church to him in her glory without a blemish, wrinkle, or any defect of the sort.301 By all means he will then intoxicate his dearest ones with the torrent of his delight,302 for in the Bride groom and bride's most passionate yet most chaste embrace, the force of the river's current gives joy to the city of God.303
I think this is nothing other than the Son of God who in pas sing waits on us as he in a way promised: "The just are feasting and rejoicing in the sight of God, delighting 'in their
293. Ps 22:5.
294. Ps 35:9.
299. Rev 19:9.
300. Lk 22:30.
295. Mt 26:29; Mk 14:25.
296. Prov 9: Iff.
297. Ps 127:2.
301. Eph 5:27.
302. Ps 35:9.
303. Ps 45:5.
304. Lk 12:37.
298. Song 5: 1.