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Friday
We’re slowly digesting Paradiso whilst opening the first page of Purgatory again. The first time we read Paradiso a few years ago it felt exhausting with the lack of concreteness, but in the last few months that has changed. In part because one can read the third book also as a collection or library of essays, with references to the theology and an introductory course to the Medieval Theology and the Mystics of the 11 and 12 hundreds.
At the same time, it feels good to have more firm ground under our feet again, at the shores of the Island of Mount Purgatory. The opening is filled with beauty, nature, new optimism, and refreshing poetry of the skies and horizons. This reading might become very slow, with only small meditations on some days. But it feels great to “be” somewhere in the Comedy again, after finishing the last canto just a few days ago!
Finishing the Paradiso
..and it left a feeling of only wanting more..
Canto XXXIII
Reading the last canto in Paradiso for the 4th time, it felt bigger than ever. The last Canto of the whole Comedy is likely the biggest masterpiece and genius of them all. But it takes years and years to get there.
Every time something new stands out.. this time it was the power of Mary’s fixed gaze on St. Bernard during the prayer, and then her turning her eyes, up to the Eternal Light.
Posted in Misc
Tagged breath-taking, comedy, dante, ending, masterpiece, paradiso, pilgrim
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The Angels
We’ve just published a new podcast episode about the Creation of the Angels here: https://dantescomedy.com/podcast, and reposted the Empyrean post here: https://dantescomedy.com/before-the-empyrean-the-10th-heaven
Enjoy! 😊
Ending at the Deep of Philosophy and Theology
One more thought on the Paradiso – in some ways sphere 9 and 10 are repeating the overall idea of Dante of how both philosophy and theology are paths to deep truths, but theology embeds it all.
Sphere 9 is in many ways as deep as you can go with Aristotle, with the First Mover and the origin of Motion, which starts existence itself.
Sphere 10 goes to the bottom of Theology, and ends on the last page with the mystery of the connection and relationship between the Human and the Divine, as a glowing mystery in the deep of our souls.
So the Paradiso ends with a double layer of the highest endeavors of grasping and contemplating Life and Existence – with Aristotle, and then with the Biblical Stories.