Frankness, loyalty, candor and the bridge between the person’s first and final innocence

If a man was able during his whole life to grow not only in experience but also in penetration of spirit, common sense and wisdom, in old age his mind acquires a splendor and nobility that shines through in his face and will be the true beauty of his last years.

‘His physical appearance may convey the impression of approaching death, but his soul shines with glimmers of immortality.’ [1]

Fifty and sixty year olds might think:

“ ‘How beautiful youth is! I miss my innocence. That candor of soul, that freshness! I do not want to die without having recovered the qualities of my childhood so that, when I present myself before Our Lady I can say:

“ ‘My Mother, my whole life is in your hands. I lost nothing of what you gave me. You made me fructify all that you gave me. But there were some things given to me in my early times that I never had again and need to recover.’” [2]

‘When someone attains the first dawn of reason, God manifests to him in some way how He wants to be seen, known and adored.’[3] It is quite probable that, when the person is about to die, God will again manifest himself to him in that primeval way in which the person is more attracted by God Our Lord.

So a kind of voltaic arch is established between the moment the person was born and the one in which he breathes his last.  And that special image of God again presents itself to the person, inviting him to Heaven.

Throughout life there are moments which recall the first image and prepare for the last image. Thus prepared, the person, having profited from the first image of innocence and upon receiving the last image, can say: “O my God, I adore Thee, and adore Thee this way.”

Then God receives this soul and takes it to Heaven, because it is similar to the image He had given it with the primeval innocence.

‘Life is a river that does not empty into a vacuum but into a sea compatible with the person and similar to him. It began with a metaphysical dawn and ends in a metaphysical sun.’ [4]

(Written by Plinio Correa de Oliveira)

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[1] Catolicismo, nº 12, December de 1951.

[2] 2-2-1972.

[3] 5-16-1976.

[4] 12-19-1979.