A Divine Lent #30: Time is precious to us in this realm


A daily reflection during Lent on Dante's The Divine Comedy.

Canto 24 in Purgatory continues with the emphasis on time exhibited in the previous canto.  Dante begins by justifying his conversation with Forese.

Talking did not slow down our walk, nor did
walking our talk: conversing, on we sped
like ships enjoying favorable winds.

After his many stops and starts, it seems Dante is proving to the reader than he can walk and talk at the same time.  His investment of time with Forese, his departed colleague, is not hampering his real goal of ascending.  Dante is honoring Forese with the extended conversation.  Canto 24 is one of the few cantos in which Virgil is silent.  Dante has moved his focus from his guide to his friend.  There is even a reluctance to end the scene and a wish for a second meeting.

...Forese let the holy flock
rush by him while he still kept step with me
as he inquired, "When shall we meet again?"

"How long my life will last I do not know,"
I said, "but even if I come back soon,
my heart already will have reached the shore...

In the end, Forese calls the time to a close rather than Dante.  Both have broader tasks at hand.

Now I must leave you.  I have lost much time,
walking along with you at your own pace,
and time is precious to us in this realm.

Forese is the one who has sacrificed his progress in lieu of the encounter.  He has slowed his purgation to spend time with Dante.   When they began their conversation in Canto 23, the shades were stationary.  Dante was the one that stopped at the request of Forese.  There is a symmetrical mutuality in their relationship where both contribute, both sacrifice.

The exchanges with Forese have Dante deep in thought.  The travelers again become lost in time when the angel awakens them.

Then, walking freely on the open way,
each of us silent, deeply lost in thought,
...
when, suddenly, a voice called out: "You there,
you three alone, what occupies your mind?"
...
"...If you
are looking for the way to climb, turn here:
here is the path for those who search for peace."

"You three alone".  Yes they were three individuals separate from the other souls, but even as a small group they were each alone in their thoughts to the point of almost missing their turn.  Mutually supportive relationships are good; reflection is good; but both must also be mindful of the broader purpose of moving close to God.

May we be mindful this Lent of positive ways to invest in relationships while also serving God, to walk and talk at the same time, for "time is precious to us in this realm."

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