Leviticus veiled like the Word in flesh
Just as in the last days the Word of God came forth from Mary clothed in flesh — one thing seen, another understood — so when the Word speaks through the prophets or the lawgiver it wears the veil of the letter. Leviticus’s rites and victims are letter like flesh; the spiritual sense is divinity within. Blessed are the eyes that see the Spirit under that veil. Those who cling to bare history are driven to offer calves and lambs; the church answers with Susanna: better to fall into your hands than to sin against the Lord. When one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away; where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Open my eyes, and I will behold wonders from your law.
Latin
Sicut in novissimis diebus Verbum Dei ex Maria carne vestitum processit — aliud quod videbatur, aliud quod intelligebatur — ita cum per prophetas vel legislatorem Verbum profertur, litterae velamine tegitur. Levitici ritus et hostiae littera tamquam caro sunt; spiritalis sensus tamquam divinitas. Beati oculi qui velamine litterae obtectum Spiritum vident. Sequentes solam historiam ad vitulos et agnos offerendos coguntur; ecclesia Susannae vocibus utitur: melius est in manus vestras incidere quam peccare in Domino. Conversis ad Dominum aufertur velamen; ubi Spiritus Domini, ibi libertas. Revela oculos meos, et considerabo mirabilia de lege tua.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia I on Leviticus (Rufinus’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–5.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VI (GCS 29, 1920), Rufinus’s Latin of Homilia I. Barkley FOTC 83 was not used as wording. This page is Homilia I §§1–5 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VI = GCS 29 (1920) (Latin · Homilia I §§1–5)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.