Annotation CLXIII

”This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” — Luke 23:43

Whether the saints yet enjoy the divine glory.

Theophylact, in the explanation of this sentence, seems to hand down that the souls of the saints, before the day of judgment, do not enjoy the divine glory — [saying] in these words: “The saints, although they do not yet enjoy the perfect goods, yet already dwell in bright and fragrant places, and beautiful tabernacles — even if they do not yet attain the distribution of the royal goods; so also the thief was in paradise, even though he has not yet received [it] perfectly, lest he be made perfect without us. And this I think the truest of all — not to say that the graces of the saints, in the daily workings of miracles, are deservedly called ‘Paradise’; and [that] all the saints, as many as have been made partakers of spiritual gifts, and have the pledge of the Spirit, are in Paradise — even if they are not yet perfect, and have received the kingdom, as Paul says in the epistle to the Hebrews — even if they have not yet received the promises. For by saying ‘promise,’ he meant the entire felicity.” Alphonsus de Castro, in book 3 Against Heresies, reckons this passage among those which agree with the errors of the Greeks and Armenians. Read Annotation 345 of this book. Euthymius, in the commentaries, at the exposition of the present passage, follows this same opinion of Theophylact — expressed also in clearer words; you have it below, Annotation 345, where the sayings of Theophylact too are annotated.