Passover veiled and church observances
Divine examples teach the same. Moses knew Christ must be sacrificed as true Passover, yet ordered a bodily sheep; he understood the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, yet commanded flour’s unleavened loaves. So the holy of holies is handed on veiled in common speech. Shoulders signify works. Church observances are alike — deeds required of all, whose reason few yet know. We carry them veiled until, made worthy, we contemplate with unveiled face.
Latin
Exempla divina informant: Moyses verum pascha Christum immolandum sciebat, ovem tamen corporalem mandavit; azymos sinceritatis intellexit, farinae azymos praecepit. Ita sancta sanctorum verbis communibus velata traduntur. Humeri operum indicium sunt. Ecclesiasticae observationes similiter — quae omnibus agenda, quorum ratio paucis innotescit. Portamus velata donec digni revelata facie contemplemur.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia V on Numbers (Rufinus’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–3.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII (GCS 30, 1921), Rufinus’s Latin of Homilia V. Scheck FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Homilia V §§1–3 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII = GCS 30 (1921) (Latin · Homilia V §§1–3)
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.