Perfect Love After the Resurrection

WHAT may we then believe of souls already freed from the burden of the flesh? I believe them to be altogether immersed in the fathomless depths of eternal light, and of a luminous eternity. But if, as we may not deny, they still desire and hope to rejoin the bodies they formerly inhabited, it is clear that they are not altogether changed, but that still their bodies claim some part in them, although it may be very small. And, until death be wholly swallowed up in victory, until the glory of eternity shall have pervaded every corner of the domain of night, and the clarity of celestial light shine even in our bodies, until then our souls can never cast themselves into God, and wholly give themselves to Him. Until then the chains of the body still impede them, be it only by a natural affection which they have neither the will nor the power to forsake ; and, till the restitution of our bodies, our souls can never be swallowed up in God, which is their absolute perfection. If the union with Him could be consummated by the soul alone, she would no more desire the body ; but when the soul leaves the body, it is gain, and greater gain when it rejoins it. Finally, “ precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” If death can be so praised, how shall it be with life ? that life ! The soul may well think to obtain increase of glory from its body, because, though infirm and mortal, it has contributed greatly to its merits. To “ them that love God all things work together unto good ; “ and the soul which loves God profits by its poor, weak body, whether living, dead, or risen — living, by bringing forth with her fruits of penance ; dead, by resting from its labour ; risen, the two together attain the consummation of all joy. It is clear then that without the body the soul is not perfected ; as in every state it is essential to her good.

The body then is for the soul a faithful com panion ; if it be a burden, it is also a help ; when it ceases to aid, it also ceases to hinder ; when again it helps, it is no more a burden. The first state is laborious, but profitable ; the second inactive, but in no sense tedious ; and the third is glorious. Hear how the Bridegroom in the Canticles invites the soul to these three conditions : “ Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.” The souls whom He invites to eat are those still toiling in their bodies ; those that are at rest in death, He presses to drink ; those who are once more clothed upon to be inebriated ; and, calling these His dearly beloved, He implies that they are filled with charity : for to the first He saith only “friends ;” for they who still toil under the weight of the body are dear to Him according to the love they bear. Those who are delivered from the burden of the flesh are dearer yet, because of the freedom and fulness their love has acquired. But, compared with all these, most dearly beloved are they who, clothed again in the robe of the glorious body, are transported with the love of God in joyful liberty from everything which might draw them down or hinder their upward flight. Not till thus perfected are they so delivered, for in the first case the body wearies the spirit and keeps it back ; in the second, the body is an object of hope and of personal desire, which has in it the taint of self. The faithful soul begins by eating bread, but, alas, “in the sweat of her face;” for so long as she is in the body she does but walk by faith, which should work by love, for faith without works is dead. Now these are the works which are her bread, according to the word of the Lord : “ My bread is to do the will of my Father.'' When she has put off the body of death she ceases to eat E the bread of sorrow, and, as at the close of a meal, she drinks long draughts of the wine of love ; but this wine is not yet unmixed, for, as saith the Bridegroom in the Canticles, “ I have drunk my wine with my milk,” for with the wine of God's love the soul mixes milk ; namely the desire of re-union with her body which she loves with the softness of natural affection. Already she feels the strength of the divine love which she drinks, but it does not yet transport her ; the mingling of milk still tempers it. Inebriation troubles the spirit so that it forgets itself; but that is not the state of the soul still yearning for its body, which is yet to rise. She does not wholly lose the sense of self. But when she has regained this only thing that lacks, what hinders that she should altogether cast herself into God, losing even her own likeness, in being made like unto Him? No obstacle remaining, she can lift to her lips the cup of wisdom of which it is written : “ My chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it ; “ and who can wonder that she is transported with the abundance that fills the house of God ; free from all care, she drinks, in the Kingdom of the Father, long, tranquil draughts of the wine of the Son, pure and new.

It is wisdom that gives this threefold banquet, where all the food is charity. She gives bread to those who have still to labour, wine for those to drink who already enjoy rest ; and inebriates those who are gone into the kingdom of heaven. When her guests have eaten, she serves to them wine. So long as we toil in this life, bearing on us a mortal body, we must eat of the bread our labour has found us, we must eat laboriously and swallow it ; but, scarce have we breathed our last sigh, when we begin to drink in our spiritual life, receiv ing the cup, and drinking in happy restfulness. When all is accomplished, and the body is risen to life and restored to the soul, they drink to inebria tion of the chalice that never fails. This is the meaning of those words : “ Eat, O my friends, and drink ; and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.” In this life, eat ; after death you shall drink ; in the king dom of the resurrection you shall be inebriated ; you whom I well may call my dearly beloved. Are they not truly so who are admitted to the marriage feast of the Lamb, who sit at His table, eating and drink ing in His kingdom, when “ He presents to Him self a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing”? It is then He will inebriate His dearly beloved, pouring out to them a “ torrent of delights ;” for when the Bridegroom shall clasp the Bride in His loving and chaste embrace, a torrent of delight shall rejoice the City of God, which I hold to mean no other than the Son of God, who, “passing, will minister unto them that sit at meat.” So He hath promised that the just may feast, and rejoice before God, and be delighted with gladness. From thence comes satiety which is never satisfied ; ardour which is insatiable, yet most calm and peaceful ; the eternal and incom parable desire to possess, which arises from no want ; that inebriation without excess, which comes from the enjoyment, not of wine, but of God and His Truth. The soul hath reached for ever the fourth degree of love, when she loves only God, and loves Him supremely ; when she loves for no gain, for Himself alone ; so that He is her reward, the eternal recompense of those who love Him, and shall love Him for ever.

FRAGMENTS FROM A