Fire & Ice & Evil

For Lent, I am reading Professor Esolen's translation of Dante's Purgatory. But I was reminded of the Inferno this morning, surprisingly, by two sections from today's Lenten Triodion readings. I was not reminded of the Inferno by this: "The fire shall not be quenched, so it is written, and the worm shall not die"; but by this: "In fervent faith let us ... flee from the icy cold of sin" and "Fleeing from the icy cold of self-indulgence, let us warm ourselves with the light abstinence and the Holy Spirit." The bottom of the Inferno, of course, is frozen, sort of an absolute zero for incarnate fallen men. The use of icy-cold for self-indulgent sin (and sin in general) makes sense, for it has turned away from the life and grace (or "energies") of God. Even today, when someone is vicious and mean, we say he is cold-hearted, and of hard-hearted action, "That was cold!"

Also, there is this to bear in mind each day from the readings today: "The evil one secretly lies in wait for me each day, seeking to catch me and devour me. Deliver me, O Savior, from his malice, as Thou has saved Jonah from the whale." So, I prefer ending the Lord's Prayer each day with the phrase translated, "But deliver us from the evil one."

Comments

[Steve]

"For Lent, I am reading Professor Esolen's translation of Dante's Purgatory."

Is this meant to be penitential? ;-)