Chapter VI — On the joy of the ears

That the sense of hearing and the instruments of speech will exist in the kingdom of heaven cannot be doubted: for the bodies of the blessed will be true and living, and perfect in every part — such as all the Apostles, and many disciples besides, and not a few women, manifestly saw the body of Christ to be after the resurrection (Matt. 28; Luke 24; John 20-21); for they both heard Him speaking, and He answered them when they questioned Him (Acts 1; 9; 22; 26); and St. Paul himself also heard Christ speaking to him from heaven, and answered Christ who heard him. That there will also be songs in heaven, and especially of that word Alleluia, is witnessed by Tobit (Tob. 13) and St. John (Rev. 19). From these things it can be understood clearly enough that in that city there will not be wanting very many and most sweet songs, by which God is praised and the ears of the blessed are marvelously delighted. And if all things must be commensurate, there will also be no doubt that those songs must be so much the sweeter and nobler, as the singers themselves are more skilled, and He who is praised more sublime, and the place in which they sing more exalted, and the assembly of hearers more intelligent and more numerous. What then will it be, in that most high peace, and concord of souls, and in that ardor of charity toward the supreme Benefactor? If St. Francis, as St. Bonaventure has left written (Life of St. Francis, ch. 5), at the briefest sound of a cithara played by an Angel was so moved that he thought he had passed into another world; with what delights will our ears be regaled, when thousands of singers and harpers in most harmonious and sweetest voices will praise God together; and other thousands, with like harmony and no less ardor, will repeat the same praises again and again? And perhaps in that city not only the praises of God will be sung, but also the triumphs of the blessed Martyrs, the praises of the Confessors, the glory of the Virgins, and the victories of all the blessed against the Devil will be extolled among the nations: for all these things will redound to the praise and glory of God. Wherefore it is said by Sirach: "He that hath been tried thereby, and is found perfect, shall have everlasting glory; he that could have transgressed, and hath not transgressed, and could do evil, and hath not done it: therefore are his goods established in the Lord, and all the church of the saints shall declare his alms" (Sir. 31). Although this may be understood of the praises of mortal men in the Church that is a pilgrim on earth, yet nothing hinders it from being understood of the immortal citizens and of the Church that triumphs in heaven: for there the blessed shall truly have everlasting glory, and that is truly and properly the Church of the saints. And since the Lord says in the Gospel that the faithful and prudent servants are to be praised by God in the heavenly kingdom with these words — "Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Matt. 25) — what hinders us from supposing that those words of the Lord will be taken up in the song of the whole heavenly court, and repeated again and again most sweetly? Certainly, the Catholic Church did not hesitate to say thus of St. Martin: "Martin, poor and lowly here, enters heaven rich, and is honored with heavenly hymns" (At Lauds). Finally, St. Augustine, at the end of his book on the City of God, affirms this very thing in express words when he says: "There true glory shall be, where no one shall be praised through the error or the flattery of the praiser. True honor, which shall be denied to no worthy man and conferred on no unworthy man; nor shall any unworthy man strive after it, where none is suffered to be but the worthy" (bk. 22, ch. 30). O therefore thrice and four times blessed, who in that place — whence flattery is banished, and where no lie is found — shall hear their own praises sung without danger of pride, yet not without increase of joy!