Wise Guys
In the opening quatrains of this Canto, Dante the Poet shows how Dante the Pilgrim is obedient to his guide and mentor. In fact, Dante the Poet, like Shakespeare after him, creates a word in the Italian vernacular: pedagogo.

1    As oxen go beneath their yoke
    Di pari, come buoi che vanno a giogo,    
                              
2    that overladen soul and I went side by side
    m'andava io con quell' anima carca,    
                              
3    as long as my dear escort granted.
    fin che 'l sofferse il dolce pedagogo.    

The term comes originally from the Greek in Galatians 3:23-24, where Paul refers to the Law as formerly being a guide or tutor. It has come to us in English as a teacher or guide of boys, originally. However, in this Canto it is obviously being used as a wise spiritual mentor that urges Dante the Pilgrim further on his journey toward repentance, redemption and wholeness. Dante the Pilgrim admits that he felt the need to “remain bowed down and shrunken” [v.9], he followed the advice in complete obedience: “I set out, following gladly…” [v. 10].

A ‘pedagogo’ or wise guide is needed to progress in spiritual formation and wholeness. We often do not know what is best for ourselves, and are attracted at times to the very things that will hinder or destroy wholeness and redemption. The spiritual writer Tanquerey puts it like this: “Progress in holiness is a long and painful ascent over a steep path bordered by precipices. To venture thereon without an experienced guide is highly imprudent.” This is not only true for mountain climbing (whether that mountain be the Seven Story Mountain of Purgatory or a ‘fourteener’ in Colorado) but it is also true in our own spiritual journey. 

The difficulty, of course, is that we can’t see ourselves very clearly and often the way to go in our journey toward wholeness is twisted and uncertain. We cannot be wise guides for ourselves. Frances de Sales writes: “We are unable to gaze eye to eye upon ourselves, we cannot be impartial judges in our own case, by reason of a certain complacency, so veiled, so unsuspected that the keenest insight alone can discover its existence; those who suffer from it are not aware of it unless someone points it out to them.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux puts it bluntly: “whoever constitutes himself his own guide, becomes the disciple of a fool.” 

We’ve looked at this earlier and will most certainly visit it again, but it remains a needed and necessary lesson. Dante the Poet’s usage of ‘pedagogo’  and Dante the Pilgrim’s open admission that his guide knows best is Good News, if hard news, for 21st century Americans. We continue to resist obedience and guidance from outside authorities in the area of spiritual growth. And of course, the choice of guide, in whom one is going to follow obediently, is crucial. I remember my father telling us with a wry smile of crossing La Veta Pass at night in a blinding snowstorm. It was so fierce that he could barely see the road. He saw some tire tracks that were clearly marked out and decided to follow them, which he did, faithfully. And he ended up following them right off the road into the ditch; both cars side by side in the snowstorm. We must choose our guides wisely.

Other Thoughts
This is the third Canto on the sin of Pride which requires the virtue of Humility in order for the first ‘P’ to be erased from the forehead of Dante the Pilgrim. In Canto X we were given three examples of Humility: 
1-The Annunciation and Mary’s humble submission; 
2-King David humbling himself by dancing with joy as the Ark of the Covenant is returned;
3-The Emperor Trajan stopping his entire army to assure justice is done for a poor widow.
Three and only three examples are given for Humility. However, to show the consequences of the sin of Pride, we are given three times that many when they are carved into the walkway on the far side of this level. Is this, I wonder, a not so subtle recognition that true humility is far more rare in real life than all the examples of overweening Pride? Is this a recognition that often the villains and the sinners are more interesting than those who never go astray? [For instance, the examples of Arachne's pride resulting her turning into a spider, and Judith administering the stroke of punishment to Holofernes for his pride... See images below...] To these questions, I'd say: YUP.

Finally, I find it fascinating that Dante the Pilgrim has progressed past this level unknowingly, having satisfied the demands for humility to such an extent that he is even unaware that the first ‘P’ has been removed from his forehead. Hence the admission that great achievements can be done without the necessary crowing that usually follows any kind of accomplishment. Dante the Poet describes his discovery of his spiritual growth in a lovely, understated way: by seeing the change in Virgil’s face as he looks upon the change in Dante the Pilgrim. 

127    Then I did as those who go along,
    Allor fec' io come color che vanno    
                            
128    with something on their head, unknown to them,
    con cosa in capo non da lor saputa,    
                            
129    except the acts of others make them wonder,
    se non che ' cenni altrui sospecciar fanno;    
                            
130    so that they reach up with their hand for answers.
    per che la mano ad accertar s'aiuta,    
                            
131    Touching and searching they accomplish
    e cerca e truova e quello officio adempie    
                            
132    the task that sight cannot achieve,
    che non si può fornir per la veduta;    
                            
133    and, spreading the fingers of my right hand,
    e con le dita de la destra scempie    
                            
134    I found that, of the seven letters he of the keys
    trovai pur sei le lettere che 'ncise    
                            
135    had traced upon my forehead, only six remained.
    quel da le chiavi a me sovra le tempie:    
                             
136    Observing this, my leader smiled.
    a che guardando, il mio duca sorrise.    

Look what you’ve done, Dante the Pilgrim, AND YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT!

Paternoster
Dante gives a lovely example of using the “Our Father” as a paradigm for prayer and meditation. While some commentaries speak of him ‘rewriting’ the prayer, all Dante the Poet is really doing is the common practice of unpacking each section of the Paternoster and using those reflections to delve more deeply into one’s own spiritual reality. Here is a brief excursus on a few phrases of what he does:
1    'Our Father, who are in Heaven,
    "O Padre nostro, che ne' cieli stai,    
                            
2    circumscribed only by the greater love
    non circunscritto, ma per più amore    
                            
3    you have for your first works on high,
    ch'ai primi effetti di là sù tu hai,    
                            
We are reminded in vv. 1-3 that humanity is not the sole object of God’s attention and love. That, of course, would lead to Pride! God loves all of creation, including the very first works on high as well as these broken, fallible creatures of clay that we are. 

4    'praised be your name and power
    laudato sia 'l tuo nome e 'l tuo valore    
                            
5    by every creature, as is fitting
    da ogne creatura, com' è degno    

6    to render thanks for your sweet breath.
    di render grazie al tuo dolce vapore.    

Every creature in all of reality should realize that one’s very breath of life is a gift from God. There is no entitlement and we should not feel special simply because we have breath. However, nor should we feel abused and unfairly treated when that “sweet breath” is taken away. All is gift, says Dante the Poet, and all should result in our praising God, regardless of our reality.

7    'May the peace of your kingdom come to us,
    Vegna ver' noi la pace del tuo regno,    
                            
8    for we cannot attain it of ourselves
    ché noi ad essa non potem da noi,    
                            
9    if it come not, for all our striving.
    s'ella non vien, con tutto nostro ingegno.    

For instance, the gift of the Kingdom Peace cannot be attained by us, no matter how hard we try to find and acquire it. Fasting and prayer and almsgiving will not result in peace, “for we cannot attain it of ourselves… for all our striving.” It is only given by the Holy Spirit as gift; pure, underserving gift. 

I encourage you to not rush through this portion of the Canto. Take time with each section. Use it as a personal devotion, as a means of emptying oneself of the assumed entitlement and then realize how frail and fragile we truly are without God’s Gifts.  Note how the angels surrender their wills of their own accord and how we should be like them when it comes to “Thy will be done…” and not ours. (Truth to tell, we all of us want OUR WILLS to be done, all the time….) 

Notice also how we are pulled out of our own self-absorption in order to pray for others, rather than just for ourselves. Purgatorio is a place where the Cloud of Witnesses is a lived reality, and we are there not JUST to cleanse ourselves, but to be bound to one another in the shared air of repentance and love.

22    'This last petition, our dear Lord, is made
    Quest' ultima preghiera, segnor caro,    
                            
23    now not for ourselves--for us there is no need--
    già non si fa per noi, ché non bisogna,
                            
24    but for the ones whom we have left behind.'
    ma per color che dietro a noi restaro."

Pride Redux
As we noted, Canto 11 continues the conversation concerning Pride as the first of the seven sins etched on Dante the Pilgrim’s forehead. There are, in fact, three canti that unpack Pride. This is a sin close to Dante the Poet’s heart, for he mentions several times how this will be brought home to him. Indeed, here and in Canto 12 we find Dante the Pilgrim almost emulating the suffering pilgrims, bowing down and taking their stance. This is not only to be better able to hear them, but there is a clear parallelism going on and Dante the Poet knows he is far too proud far too often. It is, perhaps, for good reason, but there will always be another who comes along and takes away one’s place in the public’s interest. In today’s parlance, Dante admits that there will indeed soon be others who will be ‘trending’ in the public’s imagination, pushing him to the back of the line or off the stage completely. Within the Medieval cultural imagination, this reality was represented as Fortuna: Lady Fortune. She ran the wheel of fortune [no it’s not a TV game show] which will lift you up at one moment, then dump you in the mud at the next moment: no one is exempt.

​There are three examples of this prideful leap-frogging shown to us in this canto. While all three revolve around Pride, they are broken down into 1)Pride in Family, 2)Pride in Art, 3)Pride in Power with corresponding examples in each. Omberto shows how Pride can be a family trait which will ultimately destroy every family member. Oderessi is a living example of the fragility of fame in one’s art, which can be overshadowed by the next fad or advance in technique. This is again, as shown in Fortuna’s Wheel, only to be expected: pride in one’s art is short-lived and needless if it is only based on one’s own ego-needs. It must be done to give glory to God, not to bring glory to one’s own house or oneself. 

Wait and See
Dante the Pilgrim is reminded that he too will be taught a lesson about Pride of one’s own work and how that cannot save oneself. This lesson will not be taught by Virgil, nor by those with whom he speaks in Purgatory, but, rather, by his own townsmen. They will send him into exile and Dante the Pilgrim [as well, of course, as Dante the Poet] will be forced to humbly rely on God and others for one’s day-to-day reality. 
[Hollander translation:]
139    'I say no more, and know my speech obscure.
    Più non dirò, e scuro so che parlo;    

140    It won't be long before they act, your townsmen,
    ma poco tempo andrà, che ' tuoi vicini    
                             
141    in such a way that you'll know how to gloss it.
    faranno sì che tu potrai chiosarlo.    

142    It was that deed which brought him past those confines.'
    Quest' opera li tolse quei confini."    


[Ciardi translation:]
139    'I say no more, and though you may feel
    Più non dirò, e scuro so che parlo;    

140    I speak in riddles, it will not be long
    ma poco tempo andrà, che ' tuoi vicini    
                             
141    before your neighbors’ actions will reveal
    faranno sì che tu potrai chiosarlo.    

142    all you need know to fathom what I say.
    Quest' opera li tolse quei confini."    

The next Canto concludes this lesson on Pride, something which Dante the Poet shows is desperately needed by Dante the Pilgrim; it is his [and our] besetting sin.