We come now to the appearance of the one for whom Dante has yearned and the one, as we shall see, from whom Dante the Pilgrim has strayed: Beatrice. All of the Commedia has been building to this point. It is here that we lose Virgil. It is here that we find her. And yet, she is far more than just a past flame or person of lustful adoration by the immature Dante. I shall walk with you through some of the highlights of this Canto. We are on the cusp of entering Paradise, and yet, Dante the Pilgrim has much to uncover and discover and discard before that can take place. I must admit I feel overwhelmed in trying to share all that is here, while still bringing in some of my own studies in Boethius and Augustine, both of whom also influenced Dante the Poet. Regardless, let us dive into some of the insights and revelations of Canto 30. 

PRELUDE
Verses 1 to 21 give us the joyous preparation for the appearance of Beatrice. One of the figures in the parade of the history of the church sings out from the Song of Songs “Come, Bride of Lebanon!” and everyone echoes that call. It is done three times, followed by a chorus of Hallelujahs. 

19 All were chanting: 'Benedictus qui venis' and,
Tutti dicean: "Benedictus qui venis!"

20 tossing flowers up into the air and all around them,
e fior gittando e di sopra e dintorno,

21 'Manibus, oh, date lilïa plenis!'
"Manibus, oh, date lilïa plenis!"

We have here preparation with scripture, psalter and sung prayers of the church. There is a sense of energetic joy and excitement that includes such a fury of the tossing of flowers up into the air that it becomes a “cloud of blossoms” from which Beatrice will appear. Surely your commentary will tell you that verse 21 is from the Aeneid, meaning “Give lilies with full hands” and it occurs at a funeral. And yet, here, we have a little “OH” tucked in the middle of the phrase that gives it an emotional twist. The lilies here can be applied to the Bride of Lebanon who will be the “Lily of the Valley,” so there is anticipation and celebration in its meaning. While we will soon find that this may be the very time when Virgil leaves the scene, unbeknownst to Dante the Pilgrim, and so the quote from Virgil’s Aeneid featuring the loss of a loved one is completely fitting as well. That one verse, that one little “OH” carries a world of anticipation and grief and hope!

THE APPEARANCE AND DISAPPEARANCE
Please note some remarkable examples of Dante’s symmetry in the Commedia: in the same canto that Beatrice appears, Virgil disappears. We are in Purgatorio 30, but then in Paradiso 30, Beatrice disappears. She will have been in the Commedia for 33 cantos. Comes a time to move from one mentor to the next. Do not weep over the last one, but rejoice in the next. We also have a variety of emotions in this canto: singing, praising, full-on weeping at the loss of Virgil, full-on disapproval by Beatrice with subsequent scorn and lecture. In fact, we have here in Purgatorio 30, more terms used for tears and weeping than any other canto in the Commedia. Indeed, there is even a shift in the gender of his mentors and guides. He turns toward Virgil as “a child running to his mamma” only to find empty air, while Beatrice appears out of empty air with a masculine “Blessed is HE who comes” in vs. 19. This is the quote from the Gospel of Mark for Christ. Virgil disappears as the loving maternal presence and Beatrice flashes onto the scene as the Christ figure Himself. 

And not only that, Beatrice continues this strong, male presence, telling Dante the Pilgrim not to weep… YET. And definitely not to weep for the loss of his ‘mamma’ Virgil. There is still a battle to be won and work to be done!

55 'Dante, because Virgil has departed,
"Dante, perché Virgilio se ne vada,

56 do not weep, do not weep yet--
non pianger anco, non piangere ancora;

57 there is another sword to make you weep.'
ché pianger ti conven per altra spada."

58 Just like an admiral who moves from stern to prow
Quasi ammiraglio che in poppa e in prora

59 to see the men that serve the other ships
viene a veder la gente che ministra

60 and urge them on to better work,
per li altri legni, e a ben far l'incora;

Beatrice speaks his name for the one and only time in the entire Commedia, “Dante… do not weep...” YET. We are now moving out of the Rational faith and guidance of Virgil to the realm of Repentant faith and surrender of Beatrice, through whom Christ guides Dante the Pilgrim. She uses his name but once, but that shocks him enough that the tears stop, even though his cheeks remain moist from them. 

THE LESSON LEARNED
As with the Confessions of Augustine and the Consolation by Boethius, reflection and meditation upon one’s past life can reveal deep and profound truths. Beatrice helps him discover these truths, and what must be purged. Dante the Pilgrim discovers now that his heart has, in fact, been packed with ice and snow all around. Beatrice’s fierce gaze and stern countenance upsets not only Dante, but the angels as well. 

94 but, when their lovely harmonies revealed
ma poi che 'ntesi ne le dolci tempre

95 their sympathy for me, more than if they'd said:
lor compartire a me, par che se detto

96 'Lady, why do you torment him so?'
avesser: "Donna, perché sì lo stempre?"

97 the ice that had confined my heart
lo gel che m'era intorno al cor ristretto,

98 was turned to breath and water and in anguish
spirito e acqua fessi, e con angoscia

99 flowed from my breast through eyes and mouth.
de la bocca e de li occhi uscì del petto.

There will be no progress or healing, there will be little revelation in Paradise until Dante the Pilgrim surrenders completely, repents fully, and is remade, is born again. In a recent Bible study I attended, I was reminded of a Jewish rabbi, (was it Hillel?) who was approached by a student who asked the question; “Rabbi, why does the Torah tell us that the Almighty, Blessed be He, places His Word upon people’s hearts and not within them?” The rabbi responded “The Word of God can only be placed upon the heart. It is when the heart breaks that the holy words fall inside and we discover God’s truth.” Dante is now having his heart broken so that the truth can enter in. We read of his failings, his forgetfulness and his wandering in this incredible canto. He must be broken before he can be made anew.

142 'Broken would be the high decree of God
Alto fato di Dio sarebbe rotto,

143 should Lethe be crossed and its sustenance
se Letè si passasse e tal vivanda

144 be tasted without payment of some fee:
fosse gustata sanza alcuno scotto

145 his penitence that shows itself in tears.'
di pentimento che lagrime spanda."

Dante the Pilgrim is learning that his secular good that was embraced in Virgil’s writings and guidance must all now bring him to the place where everything is surrendered to the eternal good. He begins to see now, that God’s hand has been in all that brought him here, and he, Dante the Pilgrim, but fully release all his desires and pride, he must take full part in this purgation. We will see in the rest of the Purgatorio where that will lead him and how that will create the New Man in him. This is the deep logic of true faith.

Unforeseen Influence
The conversation between the poets continues and will continue in the remaining Cantos. Some commentators have spilled much ink on the importance of poetry and philosophy that is shared in these conversations. We will surely get to that at some point. One of the central themes I wish to lift up here, however, is the issue of unexpected influence and unknown guidance / mentoring. Virgil and Dante the Pilgrim learn that Statius was, in fact, profoundly influenced by Virgil. First and foremost, of course, was impetus to become a poet himself, set by the power and beauty of the Aeneid of Virgil. 

64 And the other answered him: 'It was you who first
Ed elli a lui: "Tu prima m'invïasti
 
65 set me toward Parnassus to drink in its grottoes,
verso Parnaso a ber ne le sue grotte,
 

This is a classical reference which states that it was Virgil’s Aeneid that led him to drink of the water of inspiration given by the muses on Mt. Parnassus to classical poets. This is to be expected and was, in fact, assumed in Dante’s time that Virgil and Statius were the two great classical poets of Rome. 

And yet, we never know the extent to which our actions and statements affect and influence others who are watching, who are listening, who are the recipients of our love or anger or dismissive rejection. Statius tells them that, in fact, Virgil was also a spiritual guide, saving him in two different ways.  The first was slipped in on us in lines 37-39. 

37 'And had I not reformed my inclination
E se non fosse ch'io drizzai mia cura,
 
38 when I came to understand the lines in which,
quand'io intesi là dove tu chiame,
 
39 as if enraged at human nature, you cried out:
crucciato quasi a l'umana natura:
 
40 '"To what end, O cursèd hunger for gold,
'Per che non reggi tu, o sacra fame
 
41 do you not govern the appetite of mortals?"
de l'oro, l'appetito de' mortali?',
 
42 I would know the rolling weights and dismal jousts.
voltando sentirei le giostre grame.

​If Statius had not read in one of Virgil’s other works of poetry concerning the governance of the appetites, he might have ended up in Hell, not in Limbo with the other classical poets, but Hell. That may cause some to wonder. It should. In Dante the Poet’s creation, Statius was also saved by Virgil in helping him to take seriously the Christians of his day, the promise of Jesus and the consequences of Christian martyrdom brought on by Domitian’s persecution. This is seen initially in the lovely metaphor found in lines 67-69.

66 and you who first lit my way toward God.
e prima appresso Dio m'alluminasti.

67 'You were as one who goes by night, carrying
Facesti come quei che va di notte,
 
68 the light behind him--it is no help to him,
che porta il lume dietro e sé non giova,
 
69 but instructs all those who follow--
ma dopo sé fa le persone dotte,

We find the gift of Virgil’s Aeneid as well as the limitations of Virgil as guide. Dante surely acknowledges that he, like Statius, was guided by the light of Virgil’s creativity and power. And yet, the light guides those who come after him while he walks in the dark toward Limbo. Dante the Pilgrim will need a new guide soon and Statius is the precursor of the one to come: Beatrice.

No Secular vs. Sacred
Dante the Poet continues to surprise and shock modern sensibilities by refusing to condemn along doctrinal party lines.  In essence, Dante the Poet creates a scenario where the text of secular poetry is the lure and link into sacred life and reality. There is a true sense that wherever there is beauty, integrity and truth then God is to be found within that context, regardless of the origins of the text or the age in which it has been written. Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas and others embraced this approach to the classical poetry and philosophy of former ages. Hence the appreciation of both Plato and Aristotle by Christian Fathers and Mothers. Some of the secular and classical scholars attempt to state that Dante was not really a Christian at all due to his usage of classical themes, mythology and Aristotelian philosophy. Dante, however, will not be classified in such a simplistic manner. His embrace of the mystery of God’s love and acceptance is expansive and surprising. 
   Dante the Poet is in good company here, and has learned his lesson well. Augustine of Hippo in Book II recognizes this in the title of Chp. 18: “No Help Is To Be Despised Even Though It Come From A Profane Source.” In the chapter he states specifically “we ought not to refuse to learn letters because they say that Mercury discovered them; nor because they have dedicated temples to Justice and Virtue, and prefer to worship in the form of stones things that ought to have their place in the heart, ought we on that account to forsake justice and virtue. Nay, but let every good and true Christian understand that wherever truth may be found, it belongs to his Master…” Thomas Aquinas embraced this, bringing the truths and insights of Aristotle into his work. It has been said that all truth is God’s truth, but that embrace presupposes, of course, the presupposition that there is a loving God who creates and cares about our finding and embracing truth. 
    John Calvin recognized this and in Book II of his Institutes he speaks of accepting the gift of the sciences even though the insights may come from pagan and secular writers. “Whenever we come upon these matters in secular writers, let that admirable light of truth shining in them teach us that the mind of man, though fallen and perverted from its wholeness, is nevertheless clothed and ornamented with God’s excellent gifts. If we regard the Spirit of God as the sole fountain of truth, we shall neither reject the truth itself, nor despise it wherever it shall appear, unless we wish to dishonor the Spirit of God.” In our own time, C. S. Lewis and his beautiful “Till We Have Faces” and the Four Quartets of T. S. Eliot embrace the powerful presence of God’s truth in the greatest of the classical worldview and mythology. So too for Dante.