tar. This sight of ourselves and of our exceeding
beauty will kindle in us none other than sentiments of unbounded
gratitude to God, who is the giver of our existence and of all that
we possess. Here again, as well as in the knowledge of God, the human
intellect will rest satisfied; because its thirst for the complete
knowledge of self will be quenched in the Beatific Vision.

Besides seeing ourselves as we are, we shall also see the beautiful
angels, our elder brothers in creation. We shall also see, as they
are, our fellow-men, who are now as much a mystery to us as we are to
ourselves. We shall likewise see all other creatures as they are in
their very essence, and not as they now appear to us. We shall see
all things in the "one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in us all."* Thus shall our souls be filled to
overflowing with all knowledge from its living source, which is God
himself, the eternal Truth.

* Eph. iv. 6.

Before closing this chapter, I must remark, for fear of being
misunderstood, that when we say the blessed will see all things in
God, we do not mean that they will really possess all knowledge. We
are finite beings, and, consequently, essentially unable to possess
any attribute or perfection in an infinite degree. We can no more
possess all knowledge than we can be clothed with all power, all
holiness, all beauty, or any other perfection in an infinite degree.
All these attributes belong to God alone. Even the angels, who are so
superior to us, do not know everything.* When we say, therefore, that
we shall see all things in God, we simply mean that each one's
capacity, great or small, shall be completely filled, and that he
shall desire nothing more. When we fill many vessels with water, the
smallest is as full as the largest. So in heaven. Each one shall know
according to his individual capacity, which the Light of glory will
give him. Each one shall be filled to overflowing, and desire no
more. But more of this when we come to speak of the degrees of glory.

* .... Angeli superiores, inferiores a nescientia purgant. Angeli
autem inferiores vident essentiam divinam: ergo angelus videns
essentiam divinam, potest aliqua nescire. Sed anima non perfectius
videbit Deum quam angelus: ergo animae videntes Deum non oportet quod
omnia videant.... Sic autem ignorantia non est poenalitas, sed
defectus quidam: nec necesse est quod omnis talis defectus per
gloriam auferatur. Sic en