Origen · a new plain-English translation from the Greek and Latin
HOMILY III. On what is written: "an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar." Those things which are corporeal and lack sense, so that they might be seen by another, do nothing themselves, but only the eye of another, intent upon them, whether they wish it or not, sees where it has directed its gaze and contemplation. For what can a man or
any other thing, which is surrounded by a dense body, do, while it is present, so as not to be seen? On the contrary, those things which are heavenly and divine, even when they are present, are not seen unless they themselves wish it; and it lies in their own will to be seen or not seen. It was the grace of God that he appeared to Abraham or to the other prophets, not because the eye of the heart alone
was the cause of Abraham's seeing God, but because the grace of God of its own accord offered itself to be seen by the just man. This you should understand not only of God the Father, but also of the Lord the Savior and of the Holy Spirit, and, to come to lesser things, of the Cherubim and Seraphim. For it can happen that even now, while we are speaking, an angel is present with us, and
yet, because we do not deserve it, we are unable to see him. For although the eye, whether of the body or of our soul, may direct itself toward beholding, unless the angel appears of his own accord and offers himself to be seen, the one who desires to see will not see. Therefore, wherever it is written: "he appeared" to him or to her, and as here: "an angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right side of the altar," understand it as I have said. Whether it is God or an angel, to Abraham or to Zechariah, when he does not wish it or does wish it, he will either not be seen or will be seen. And we say this not only of the present, but also of the future, when we shall have departed from the world, since not to all will either God or the angels
appear, so that, namely, the one who has gone out from the body may at once be worthy to see both the angels and the Holy Spirit and the Lord the Savior and God the Father himself; but only he will see who has kept his heart clean and has shown himself such as to be worthy of the sight of God. And although they may be in the same place, both the one who
is clean of heart and the one who is still spattered with some filth, the one place will be able neither to harm nor to help either one, because the one who has a clean heart will see God, while the one who is not such will not see what the other sees. Something of this sort, I think, must be understood also of Christ, when he was seen in the body, in that not everyone who saw him could see him. They saw
indeed only his body, but according to what Christ truly was, they could not see him. The disciples, however, saw him and beheld the greatness of his divinity. For this reason, I think, the Savior also answered Philip, who was pleading and saying: "Show us the Father, and it is enough for us" — "Have I been with you so long, and you have not known me? Philip, he who sees me,
...sees; and < for Pilate, who beheld Jesus, was not gazing upon the Father, nor was Judas the betrayer, because neither Pilate himself nor Judas saw the Christ according to what he was as Christ, nor did the crowd that hemmed him in. Only those saw Jesus whom he judged worthy of his gaze. Let us also strive, then, that even in the present God may appear to us -- for indeed the holy word of the scriptures
has promised: x > that he will be found by those who do not test him, and he appears to those who are not unbelieving in x < -- and in the age to come may he not be hidden from us, but may we see him x >face to face< and have confidence of a good life, and enjoy the sight of almighty God in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit: to whom is
glory and dominion for ages of ages. Amen. x <.