Blessed are the Pure of Heart

The Purgatorio - Canto XXVII

"Blessed souls, you may not pass this point
until your soul is purified by the flames.
Enter the fire
and listen for the song on the other side."

"and Virgil said to me: 'O my dear son
there may be torment here,
but there is no death.'"

In Canto XXVII, Dante must take his last step of purification
through the flames. Dante, fearful of the fire hesitates.
Virgil, ever faithful to Dantes well being, reassures the pilgrim
that no harm will come to him...

"O my dear son, there may be pain here, but there is no death." (Musa trans.)

This passage is most inspiring to me. It represents a moment of fear and unknowing,
where we must proceed on faith alone. The power of such a moment
is one that may be difficult to describe to one who has never crossed through a threshold,
knowing he must endure pain, knowing that he must face the unknown, but guided only
by his faith in a higher source.
This message is ever relevant...to every age...to everyone.

I have introduced a new medium, pencil, in this drawing
as this is a transitional piece from departing Purgatory and leading to the divine realm of Paradise.