The Enchiridion 63
63 The Peace of God, Which Reigneth in Heaven, Passeth All Understanding PL 40, 261
This peace, as Scripture saith, “passeth all understanding,” and cannot be known by us until we have come into the full possession of it. For in what sense are heavenly things reconciled, except they be reconciled to us, viz. by coming into harmony with us? For in heaven there is unbroken peace, both between all the intelligent creatures that exist there, and between these and their Creator. And this peace, as is said, passeth all understanding; but this, of course, means our understanding, not that of those who always behold the face of their Father. We now, however great may be our human understanding, know but in part, and see through a glass darkly. But when we shall be equal unto the angels of God then we shall see face to face, as they do; and we shall have as great peace towards them as they have towards us, because we shall love them as much as we are loved by them. And so their peace shall be known to us: for our own peace shall be like to theirs, and as great as theirs, nor shall it then pass our understanding. But the peace of God, the peace which He cherisheth towards us, shall undoubtedly pass not our understanding only, but theirs as well. And this must be so: for every rational creature which is happy derives its happiness from Him; He does not derive His from it. And in this view it is better to interpret “all” in the passage, “The peace of God passeth all understanding,” as admitting of no exception even in favor of the understanding of the holy angels: the only exception that can be made is that of God Himself. For, of course, His peace does not pass His own understanding.
Pax regni coelestis, quomodo praecellit omnem intellectum. -- Pax ista praecellit, sicut scriptum est, omnem intellectum ; neque sciri a nobis, nisi cum ad ea venerimus, potest. Quomodo enim pacificantur coelestia nisi nobis, id est, concordando nobiscum? Nam ibi semper est pax, et inter se universis intellectualibus creaturis, et cum suo Creatore. Quae pax praecellit, ut dictum est, omnem intellectum; sed utique nostrum, non eorum qui semper vident faciem Patris. Nos autem, quantuscumque sit in nobis intellectus humanus, ex parte scimus, et videmus nunc per speculum in aenigmate: cum vero aequales Angelis Dei fuerimus ; tunc quemadmodum et ipsi, videbimus facie ad faciem ; tantamque pacem habebimus erga eos, quantam et ipsi erga nos; quia tantum eos dilecturi sumus, quantum ab eis diligimur. Itaque pax eorum nota nobis erit, quia et nostra talis ac tanta erit, nec praecellet tunc intellectum nostrum: Dei vero pax quae illic est erga eos, et nostrum et illorum intellectum sine dubitatione praecellet. De ipso quippe beata est rationalis creatura, quaecumque beata est, non ipse de illa. Unde secundum hoc melius accipitur quod scriptum est, Pax Dei quae praecellit omnem intellectum: ut in eo quod dixit omnem, nec ipse intellectus sanctorum Angelorum esse possit exceptus; sed Dei solius: neque enim et ipsius intellectum pax ejus excellit.