Seeking The Face

Deprecatus sum faciem tuam in toto corde meo: misere mei secundum eloquium tuum. Duplici modo haec facies Domini probatur intelligi. Christum quem credebat esse venturum indubitata cogitatione desiderans, incarnationem ipsius quaerebat aspicere, quae mundo salutaris poterat apparere, sicut et in alio psalmo dictum est: Deus virtutum, converte nos, et ostende faciem tuam, et salvi erimus. In toto corde, sine ulla haesitatione, ut non tanquam de futuro suspensus, sed velut praesentem videretur rogare certissimus. Postulat etiam misericordiam adventus ejus debere compleri, qui per prophetas innumera noscitur annuntiatione promissus. Sive magis deprecari videtur, ut in futura illius resurrectione ejus facim possit inspicere, sicut legitur, Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt. Et Apostolus: Videmus nunc per speculum in aenigmate; tunc autem facie ad faciem. Sed quia peccatorem se noverat, sibi postulat debere misereri; quatenus per gratiam liberatus, videat quod suis non poterat meritis intueri. Secundum eloquium tuum, illud scilicet quo Deitatis suae promittit sanctis beatem nimis et incomparabilem per omnia visionem. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus CXVIII Source: Migne PG 70.855a-c

I entreated your face with all my heart, have mercy on me, according to your word. 1 This face of the Lord should be understood in two ways. Desiring Christ whom with undoubting mind he believed would come, he sought to look on His incarnation, which was to appear as the salvation of the world. As it is said in another Psalm: 'O God of power, convert us and show your face and we shall be saved.' 2 'With all my heart,' without hesitation, so that he was not uncertain of the future, but showed complete certainty in asking for the presence. And he asks for mercy for the fulfillment His advent, which is known to have been promised in innumerable declarations through the Prophets. Or rather it may seem he entreats that he be able to look on His face at the future resurrection, as it it is written: 'Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.' 3 And the Apostle says: 'We see now through a mirror in mystery, but then face to face.' 4 But because he knew he was a sinner, he asks that there be mercy, so that as much as grace has delivered, so he may see what he cannot gaze upon by his own merits. 'According to your word', that is, that by which He promises to His saints the most blessed and wholly incomparable vision of His own Divinity. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, Psalm 118 1 Ps 118.58 2 Ps 79.8 3 Mt 5.8 4 1 Cor 13.12