In The Breviloquium, the Seraphic Doctor, Saint Bonaventure treats the subjects of the Trinity, creation, sin, the Incarnation, grace and the Holy Spirit, the sacraments and the last judgment.
As we approach the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) I thought it might be helpful to examine Saint Bonaventure’s teachings on Purgatory. He breaks down the final book of The Breviloquium on the last judgment into seven brief chapters: on the judgment in general; on the pains of purgatory; on the suffrages of the Church; on the consuming fire; on the resurrection of the dead; on the pains of hell, and on the glory of Paradise.
Presuming all goes as planned, we will take a look at one chapter each day through Sunday.
Saint Bonaventure begins by reminding us that “it cannot be doubted that there will be a universal judgment” by which God “shall judge the living and the dead, the good and the wicked, treating each according to his merits.”
At this judgment, says Bonaventure, many books will be opened. The Apostle John sees these books being opened, which Bonaventure says are the consciences of each person (cf. Revelation 20:12). These books will reveal “the merits and demerits of every man both to himself and to all others.” Here we recall the words of Jesus, “For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).
The second book to be opened is the Book of Life (cf. Revelation 20:12). The Seraphic Doctor teaches that the Book of Life is the Divine Word, Jesus Christ, “whom the good alone shall see in His divinity, while both good and wicked shall see Him in His humanity, in which form also He shall pronounce His judgment.” We shall see shortly why the wicked shall not see the divinity of Christ.
We must now consider why the last judgment is necessary and cannot be doubted.
Bonaventure says that because God exists of, by and for Himself, that God governs, creates and perfects all things. Now Bonaventure begins making his connections that I always find so fascinating, and some find mind-numbing. He says: ”He creates in accord with the loftiness of His power, He governs in accord with the rectitude of His truth, and perfects in accord with the plenitude of His truth.”
Sometimes it helps to make a chart:
As we approach the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) I thought it might be helpful to examine Saint Bonaventure’s teachings on Purgatory. He breaks down the final book of The Breviloquium on the last judgment into seven brief chapters: on the judgment in general; on the pains of purgatory; on the suffrages of the Church; on the consuming fire; on the resurrection of the dead; on the pains of hell, and on the glory of Paradise.
Presuming all goes as planned, we will take a look at one chapter each day through Sunday.
Saint Bonaventure begins by reminding us that “it cannot be doubted that there will be a universal judgment” by which God “shall judge the living and the dead, the good and the wicked, treating each according to his merits.”
At this judgment, says Bonaventure, many books will be opened. The Apostle John sees these books being opened, which Bonaventure says are the consciences of each person (cf. Revelation 20:12). These books will reveal “the merits and demerits of every man both to himself and to all others.” Here we recall the words of Jesus, “For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).
The second book to be opened is the Book of Life (cf. Revelation 20:12). The Seraphic Doctor teaches that the Book of Life is the Divine Word, Jesus Christ, “whom the good alone shall see in His divinity, while both good and wicked shall see Him in His humanity, in which form also He shall pronounce His judgment.” We shall see shortly why the wicked shall not see the divinity of Christ.
We must now consider why the last judgment is necessary and cannot be doubted.
Bonaventure says that because God exists of, by and for Himself, that God governs, creates and perfects all things. Now Bonaventure begins making his connections that I always find so fascinating, and some find mind-numbing. He says: ”He creates in accord with the loftiness of His power, He governs in accord with the rectitude of His truth, and perfects in accord with the plenitude of His truth.”
Sometimes it helps to make a chart:
1. creation - power
2. governance - rightness of truth
3. perfecting -
fullness of truth
The loftiness of God’s power requires not only that there be irrational creatures, but also, says Bonaventure, rational creatures that image God and are not simply traces of God. These rational creatures made in the divine image move not simply by instinct but also by free will (cf. Genesis 1:27).
Because human beings are made in the image of God they are “capable of possessing God and hence [are] called to the beatific vision.” The beatific vision is nothing less than the vision of God himself.
We know that rational beings with free will are “capable of ordered or disordered actions in terms of the law of justice.”
Moving next to the rectitude – the rightness - of God’s truth, Bonaventure tells us that the very rightness of truth “imposes upon man a law inviting him to beatitude, instructing him in truth, and obliging him to righteousness; yet in such a way as not to force his will, lest he be deprived of the capacity freely to forsake or to follow justice.”
Each of us is invited to live according to the rightness of truth, to live and act justly. Not only does Christ invite us to live in the truth, he teaches us to do so, and having been taught to live in accordance with the truth we are obliged to do so (cf. John 14:6). Even so, we are not forced to live in the truth; we are free to forsake it or follow it.
God perfects the faithful – those who follow justice – in accord with the plenitude – the fullness – of his truth. This perfection is, ultimately, the beatific vision. However, this vision, says Bonaventure, is only given “to those who have observed the justice imposed by the rectitude of truth, accepted its discipline, and preferred the supreme and everlasting happiness to passing delights.”
How’s that for a tall order? The Doctor further acknowledges that “some act in this manner and others do not, according to their different wills. Consequently, he says,
Because human beings are made in the image of God they are “capable of possessing God and hence [are] called to the beatific vision.” The beatific vision is nothing less than the vision of God himself.
We know that rational beings with free will are “capable of ordered or disordered actions in terms of the law of justice.”
Moving next to the rectitude – the rightness - of God’s truth, Bonaventure tells us that the very rightness of truth “imposes upon man a law inviting him to beatitude, instructing him in truth, and obliging him to righteousness; yet in such a way as not to force his will, lest he be deprived of the capacity freely to forsake or to follow justice.”
Each of us is invited to live according to the rightness of truth, to live and act justly. Not only does Christ invite us to live in the truth, he teaches us to do so, and having been taught to live in accordance with the truth we are obliged to do so (cf. John 14:6). Even so, we are not forced to live in the truth; we are free to forsake it or follow it.
God perfects the faithful – those who follow justice – in accord with the plenitude – the fullness – of his truth. This perfection is, ultimately, the beatific vision. However, this vision, says Bonaventure, is only given “to those who have observed the justice imposed by the rectitude of truth, accepted its discipline, and preferred the supreme and everlasting happiness to passing delights.”
How’s that for a tall order? The Doctor further acknowledges that “some act in this manner and others do not, according to their different wills. Consequently, he says,
Therefore, in order to manifest the loftiness of power, the rectitude of truth, and the plentitude of goodness, there must necessarily follow a universal judgment brining about a just distribution of rewards, an open declaration of merits, and an irrevocable passing of sentences; so that the supreme goodness may appear in the distribution of rewards to the just, the rectitude of the truth, in the open declaration of merits, and the loftiness of might and power in the irrevocable passing of sentences.
Let’s go back to that chart:
1. creation – power – passing of sentences
2. governance - rightness of truth – declaration of merits
3. perfecting - fullness of truth – distribution of rewards
I hope that helps.
“Every son of Adam,” says Bonaventure, “is in the one state or the other [either wickedness or righteousness]: therefore all must be judged by a judgment of retribution, so that the just may be glorified and the sinners punished.” In other words, we’ll get what’s coming to us.
The declaration of merits “requires the showing at one and the same time of what free will was obligated to do [because of the rightness of the truth], and, on the other hand, what it actually did or omitted to do.” Recalling the opening of the books, he says, “That is why the books of consciences must be opened, to reveal that justice by which these are to be either rewarded or reproved.” When the books of the consciences are compared with the Book of Life, “the justice of the divine judgments may be clearly seen.”
There is yet one more point to consider: why will the wicked not see the divinity of Christ? They will not see his divinity because “the supreme Light cannot be seen by all since darkened eyes cannot behold it, for the face to face vision presupposes a God-conformed mind and a joyful heart.”
Yet we also know that for a judgment to be irrevocable, to be final, the judge must be both seen and heard, and that this judge must be beyond appeal, having supreme authority.
In the Incarnation, the Word became flesh; God became man (cf. John 1:14). The Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Christ Jesus, so that Judge may be both seen and heard (cf. Matthew 28:18). All will see him according to his humanity, and his judgments will be irrevocable because he is God. Bonaventure puts it this way:
Therefore it follows necessarily that our Judge, in order to judge with supreme authority, must be God; and, in order to be seen and to convict the sinners while having human form, must be man. And since it is one voice of judgment that shall terrify the guilty and reassure the innocent, it is one form of the Judge that shall gladden the just and fill the sinners with dread.
Isn’t this fascinating? Tomorrow, the pains of Purgatory.
“Every son of Adam,” says Bonaventure, “is in the one state or the other [either wickedness or righteousness]: therefore all must be judged by a judgment of retribution, so that the just may be glorified and the sinners punished.” In other words, we’ll get what’s coming to us.
The declaration of merits “requires the showing at one and the same time of what free will was obligated to do [because of the rightness of the truth], and, on the other hand, what it actually did or omitted to do.” Recalling the opening of the books, he says, “That is why the books of consciences must be opened, to reveal that justice by which these are to be either rewarded or reproved.” When the books of the consciences are compared with the Book of Life, “the justice of the divine judgments may be clearly seen.”
There is yet one more point to consider: why will the wicked not see the divinity of Christ? They will not see his divinity because “the supreme Light cannot be seen by all since darkened eyes cannot behold it, for the face to face vision presupposes a God-conformed mind and a joyful heart.”
Yet we also know that for a judgment to be irrevocable, to be final, the judge must be both seen and heard, and that this judge must be beyond appeal, having supreme authority.
In the Incarnation, the Word became flesh; God became man (cf. John 1:14). The Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Christ Jesus, so that Judge may be both seen and heard (cf. Matthew 28:18). All will see him according to his humanity, and his judgments will be irrevocable because he is God. Bonaventure puts it this way:
Therefore it follows necessarily that our Judge, in order to judge with supreme authority, must be God; and, in order to be seen and to convict the sinners while having human form, must be man. And since it is one voice of judgment that shall terrify the guilty and reassure the innocent, it is one form of the Judge that shall gladden the just and fill the sinners with dread.
Isn’t this fascinating? Tomorrow, the pains of Purgatory.
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