What if the shortcut to your biggest breakthrough isn't hard work? In Canto 9 of Purgatorio, Dante falls asleep on the grass, completely exhausted. Just before dawn, he dreams of a golden eagle snatching him in its talons and rocketing straight into a ring of fire. In classical mythology, flying toward the sun always ends in tragedy, like Icarus, whose wax wings melt causing him to fall to his death. Dante wakes with a sudden jolt, frozen with terror. But he isn't dead: He’s miles higher up Mount Purgatory. Virgil reveals the truth. While Dante slept, Saint Lucia carried him up in her arms. What would have taken hours of grueling, dangerous climbing was accomplished in a flash of divine grace. 📌 In this video, we explore: - Why Dante’s ascent up Mount Purgatory changes everything - The contrast between the Icarus myth and Divine Grace - How Saint Lucia represents spiritual illumination & sudden breakthroughs - Why effort alone won't solve your hardest challenges Happy Fri-Dante! 💬 Question for you: Have you ever experienced a breakthrough that came after you finally gave up trying to force it? Let me know in the comments below!

I’m delighted to have written about Reading The Odyssey for the Fall print edition of @mereorthodoxy — with gratitude to all the editors and staff who work hard on the journal.