According to this life, it is said to Moses: No man has seen the face of God and lived. For one must not live in this life in order to see that face. One must die to the world to live with God forever. Then we will not sin, not only in deeds, but not even in desires, when we see that face, which conquers all desires. For it is so sweet, my brothers, so beautiful, that once seen nothing else can delight. There will be insatiable satisfaction, no disgust; we will always be hungry, always satisfied. Hear these two statements from Scripture: Those who drink me, says Wisdom, will still be thirsty; and those who eat me will still be hungry. But lest you think there will be lack and hunger there, hear the Lord: Whoever drinks of this water will never thirst forever. But you say: When will it be? Whenever it will be, yet wait for the Lord, endure the Lord, act manfully, and let your heart be strengthened. Do so many things remain as have already been completed? Consider from Adam to the present day, how many ages have passed, and behold, they are now gone. Few days remain, so to speak; for it must be said that what remains is in comparison to the ages that have passed. Let us exhort one another, and let him who comes to us exhort us, who ran the course and said: Follow me. Who ascended first into heaven, so that the head from on high might help the other members laboring on earth; who said from heaven: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Therefore, let no one despair; what has been promised will be given to us in the end; there that justice will be fulfilled.
Our day, Christ. With all desire must stretch towards heaven.
You have also heard the Gospel concord with these words. The will of the Father, he says, is that all which he has given me may not perish, but may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day. Himself on the first day, us on the last day. The first day is to the head of the Church. For our Lord Christ is our day, he does not set. The last day will be the end of the age. Do not say: When will this be? It will be far for the human race, close for each human; because the last day is the day of each one's death. And indeed when you depart from here, you will be received according to your merits, and you will rise to receive what you have done. Then God will crown, not so much your merits, as his gifts. Whatever he has given you, if you have kept it, he will recognize. Therefore now, brothers, let our desire be only towards heaven; let it be only towards eternal life. Let no one please himself, as if he has lived justly here, and compare himself to those who live badly, according to the Pharisee who justified himself, who had not heard the Apostle: Not that I have already received, or am already made perfect. Therefore he had not yet received what he desired. He had received the pledge, thus he said: Who has given us the pledge of the Spirit. Of what matter the pledge was, to what he longed to come; a certain participation, but it is distant. Now we participate in one way, then we will participate in another way. Now through faith, through hope, in the same Spirit; then, however, it will be vision, it will be the reality; yet the same Spirit, the same God, the same fullness. He who calls to the absent, will make manifest to those who are present; who calls the pilgrims, will nourish and feed in their homeland.
Our way, Christ.
Christ has become the way for us, and do we despair of reaching it? This way cannot be ended, cannot be cut off, cannot be corrupted, neither by rain, nor floods, nor beset by robbers. Walk securely in Christ, walk; do not stumble, do not fall, do not look back, do not remain on the way, do not stray from the way. Only guard against all these things, and you have arrived. When you have arrived, then glory in this; do not glory in yourself. For he who praises himself does not praise God, but turns away from God; as one who wants to withdraw from the fire, the fire remains hot, but he grows cold; as one who wants to withdraw from the light, if he withdraws, the light remains shining in itself, but he is darkened. Let us not withdraw from the warmth of the Spirit, from the light of truth. We have heard the voice now, but then we will see face to face. Let no one please himself, let no one insult another. Let us all desire to progress in such a way that we neither envy those who make progress, nor insult those who fail; and with joy it will be fulfilled in us what is promised in the Gospel: And I will raise them up on the last day.