THE UNION OF THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN WITH GOD WILL DIFFER IN THEIR INTENSITY
Theotimus, it is this light of glory that will be the measure to the vision and contemplation of the saints. In proportion as we have more or less holy splendour [light of glory] we shall see more or less clearly, by consequence more or less delightfully, the most holy Divinity. It is considered differently; so it will make us diversely glorious. Certainly in heaven everyone sees the whole divine essence. Yet no one among them, nor all together, can see him completely as he is in himself. No, Theotimus, for God is most uniquely, singularly one, and most simply indivisible. We cannot see him without seeing him as one whole. All the same, he is infinite, unlimited. He is without boundary or measure of any kind in his perfection. So, outside of himself, neither is there nor can there be any one who has a capability to totally comprehend or penetrate the infinity of his goodness. He is infinitely essential and essentially infinite.
The created light of the visible sun is limited and finite. It is seen as a whole by all those who gaze at it. However, it is not seen totally by any one of them, not even by all of them together. It is also almost the same with all our senses. There are many who listen to a piece of fine music. Although all of them hear it, there are some who do not hear it well or not with so much pleasure as others. It depends more or less on the sensitivity of their ears. The Manna (Wis 16:20-21) was tasted by whoever ate it. But differently according to the different appetites of those who partook of it. No one could ever exhaust its taste fully. It had more different flavours than the Israelites had varieties of tasting power. Theotimus, in heaven above we shall see and taste the Divinity. But no one of the saints, nor all of them together, will ever totally see or enjoy it fully. This infinite Divinity will always have infinite perfections. We shall never have sufficiency or capacity to receive them. We will have an unspeakable contentment to know that we have satisfied all the desires of our heart. After he fills us completely to our capacity in our enjoyment of his infinite perfections, there still remains an infinity of perfections to see, possess and enjoy. This Divine Majesty knows and sees. He alone comprehends himself.
The fishes enjoy the incredible vastness of the ocean. Yet no one fish, nor the whole multitude of fishes has seen all the shores of the sea, or wetted their scales in all the waters of the sea. The birds fly at leisure in the vastness of the sky. But never a single bird nor the whole race of birds together could ever beat their wings in all domains of the air nor arrive at its highest region. Ah Theotimus, our spirits, freely and to the full extent of their desires, shall swim in the ocean and soar in the air of Divinity. They shall rejoice eternally to see that this air is so infinite, this ocean is so vast that it cannot be measured by their wings. They enjoy without reservation or any exception whatever this infinite abyss of Divinity. However, they can never equal their enjoyment to this infinity. It remains forever infinitely infinite, beyond their capacity.
On this subject the saints are enraptured with two kinds of admirations. One, the infinite beauty they contemplate. The other, at the abyss of infinity, still to be seen with that same beauty. O God, how marvellous is what they see! O God, how much more wonderful is what they do not see! And yet, Theotimus, that most holy beauty which they see is infinite. So it gives them perfect satisfaction and con- tentment.They satisfy themselves by enjoying it according to the rank they hold in heaven. It is because God’s most loving providence has so decreed.They turn their knowledge of not totally possessing their object and that they cannot totally possess it into the unqualified delight of admiration. Thus they have supreme joy in seeing that the beauty they love is infinite in such a way that it can be known totally only by itself. In it consists the Divinity of infinite beauty or the beauty of this infinite Divinity.
END OF BOOK THREE