XXV. De coeleslibus gaudiis saecularium hominum.

XXV. De coeleslibus gaudiis saecularium hominum.

And I saw a great and immense brightness, whose splendor was so great that I could not perceive it directly, nor could I see what was in it, except as if through a mirror; in it, I knew there was every kind of beauty, the fullness of delight, and the sweetest fragrance of various aromas along with many pleasures; in it, I also sensed the souls of certain blessed ones who, while living in this fleeting world, had touched God with their righteous groans and who had worshiped Him with their good works, experiencing in all these things the sweetest joys. From among these, I saw some who were all dressed in the brightest white, as if I were looking through a mirror; some of them had a circle shining like dawn on their heads, with their sandals appearing white above the snow; others, however, wore a circle that seemed to be made of gold on their heads, with their garments shining like emeralds, adorned with many other ornaments, both theirs and those of others, which were hidden from me. For all of these, while they were in their bodies, had renounced the Devil through faith, and because they had the same faith, those worthy of repentance completed it through good works, while these others had received peace in the aforementioned clarity, and they rejoiced in the beauty and delights of that same clarity. But also because those blessed ones, by turning away from sin and by doing good works, had loved the commandments of God, they were clothed in a white garment, which Adam had lost. Some of them, because they had fixed in their minds the salvation of redemption through repentance, which God used to redeem humanity, where they had mourned their sins through repentance, had a circle, like a radiant dawn, shining on their heads; and since they had returned, albeit late, along the right paths, through the way of salvation to life, their sandals appeared white upon the snow. These people, while living secular lives, had shipwrecked themselves in their sins, but before the hour and at the very hour of their passing, they had repented through divine inspiration, and thus they were found in salvation. Others, because they did not abandon God for worldly duties, but voluntarily fulfilled His commandments in their hearts, lived secularly in this world, yet did not forsake God; they wore a crown like one made of gold on their heads, and because they walked diligently in the law of God, their shoes shone like emeralds. However, while they were in their bodies, they did not abandon God, but they faithfully fulfilled the legal precepts, even though they were bound to the world and a secular life. However, the remaining ornaments and meanings of these things were hidden from my sight and understanding.