The Ancient Witnesses

Chapter 7: The Last Times • 259

“So, justice is possible in the city of man?” asked Cesar. “I believe that virtue—virtuously living—is possible.” “What is virtuous living?” asked Cesar. “It is to enjoy such peace as we may have,” explained Augustine, “and to find good even in the things we suffer.” “Then, are we not called to work for justice here?” asked Cesar. “In this world,” Augustine concluded, “not even the saints can escape the lies and temptations of demons. Yet, by God’s grace, the anxiety we suffer sparks in us a fervent desire for that peace that passes all understanding—that ultimate bliss, in which the spirit is healed by wisdom and the body is renewed by resurrection. Here in this world we are called blessed if we have peace—even a little peace—but that’s meager compared with the final bliss.”