Dividing The Waters

'Et fecit Deus firmamentum, et divisit inter medium aquae quae est super firmamentum, et inter medium aquae quae est subter firmamentum. Et vocavit Deus firmamentum coelam. Et vidit Deus quia bonum est, et factum est vespere, et factum est mane, dies secundus.' Studeat ergo unusquisque nostrum divisor aquae effici ejus quae est supra et quae est subtus: quo scilicet spiritalis aquae intellectum et participium capiens ejus quae est supra firmamentum, flumina de ventre suo educat aquae vivae salientis in vitam aeternam, segragatus sub dubio et separatus ab ea aqua quae subtus est, id est, aqua abyssi, in qua tenebrae esse dicuntur, in qua princeps hujus mundi, et adversarius draco, et angeli ejus habitant, sicut superius indicatum est. Illius ergo aquae supernae participio, quae supra coelos esse dicitur, unusquisque fidelium coelestis efficitur, id est, cum sensum suum habet in arduis et excelsis, nihil de terra, sed totum de coelestibus cogitans, quae sursum sunt quaerens, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei Patris. Tunc enim et ipse ea laude dignus habebitur a Deo, quae hic scribitur cum dicitur: 'Et vidit Deus quia bonum est.' Origenes, Homilia I In Genesim, Interprete Rufino Aquileiense Source: Migne PG 12.147-148

'And God made the firmament, and divided the water which is under the firmament from the water which is above the firmament. And God called the firmament heaven. And God saw that it was good; and there was evening and there was morning, the second day.' 1 Let each one of us, therefore, strive to be a divider of that water which is above and that which is below, by which, of course, attaining understanding and participation in that spiritual water above the firmament, one may draw from oneself rivers of living water springing up into eternal life, separated, without doubt, and removed from that water which is below, that is, the water of the abyss in which darkness is said to be, in which is the prince of this world, and the enemy dragon and his angels dwell there, as was indicated above. Therefore, by participation in the supernal water which is said to be above the heavens, each one of the faithful becomes heavenly, that is, when he turns to high and exalted things, thinking nothing about the earth but wholly about the heavens, seeking the things which are above, where Christ is at the right hand of the Father. For then he will be considered worthy of that praise from God which is written here when it says: 'And God saw that it was good.' Origen, from the First Homily on Genesis, Translated by Rufinus of Aquileia. 1 Gen 1.7-8