After Six Days

Μετὰ δὲ ἡμέρας ἓξ, κατὰ τὸν Ματθαῖον καὶ τὸν Μᾶρκον, παραλαμβάνει τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνάγει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ' ἰδίαν. Kαὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ πρὸς τῆς κατὰ ταῦτα φαινομένης ἡμῖν διηγήσεως γεγονέτω πάλαι καὶ ὡς πρὸς τὴν λέξιν. δοκεῖ δέ μοι τοὺς ἀναγομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὄρος καὶ ἀξιουμένους τοῦ κατ' ἰδίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν θεωρῆσαι, μὴ μάτην μεθ' ἓξ ἡμέρας ἀνάγεσθαι τῶν προειρημένων λόγων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις, τελείῳ ἀριθμῷ, ὁ σύμπας γεγένηται κόσμος, τὸ τέλειον τοῦτο δημιούργημα, διὰ τοῦτ' οἶμαι τὸν ὑπερβαίνοντα πάντα τὰ τοῦ κόσμου πράγματα ἐν τῷ ἐσκοπηκέναι, οὐκέτι μὲν τὰ βλεπόμενα, πρόσκαιρα γὰρ ταῦτα, ἤδη δὲ "τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα" καὶ μόνα "τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα" žδιὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὰ αἰώνια, δηλοῦσθαι ἐν τῷ μεθ' ἡμέρας ἓξ παραλαμβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τούσδε τινάς. Eἴ τις οὖν ἡμῶν βούλεται τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παραλαμβάνοντος αὐτὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀναχθῆναι εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὄρος καὶ ἀξιωθῆναι τοῦ κατ' ἰδίαν θεωρῆσαι τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν αὐτοῦ, ὑπεραναβαινέτω τὰς ἓξ ἡμέρας, διὰ τὸ μὴ σκοπεῖν ἔτι "τὰ βλεπόμενα" μηδὲ ἀγαπᾶν ἔτι "τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ", μηδέ τινα κοσμικὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐπιθυμεῖν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐπιθυμία σωμάτων καὶ τοῦ ἐν σώματι πλούτου καὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα δόξης, καὶ ὅσα πέφυκε τὴν ψυχὴν περισπᾶν καὶ περιέλκειν ἀπὸ τῶν κρειττόνων καὶ θειοτέρων καὶ καταβιβάζειν καὶ ἐρείδειν τῇ ἀπάτῃ τοῦ αἰῶνος , τούτου ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ δόξῃ καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἐχθραῖς ἀληθείᾳ ἐπιθυμίαις. ἐπειδὰν γὰρ διέλθῃ τὰς ἓξ, ὡς εἰρήκαμεν, καινὸν σαββατιεῖ σάββατον, εὐφραινόμενος ἐν τῷ ὑψηλῷ ὄρει ἐκ τοῦ βλέπειν μεταμορφωθέντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν αὐτοῦ· διαφόρους γὰρ ἔχει ὁ Λόγος μορφὰς φαίνομνεος ἐκάστῳῳ ὡς συμφέρει τῷ βλέποντι, καὶ μηδενὶ ὑπὲρ ὃ χωρεῖ ὁ βλέπων φανερούμενος. Ὠριγένης, Κατὰ Ματθαιον Ἐξηγητικων, Τομος ΙΒ' Source: Migne PG 13.1065b-1068b

And after six days, according to Matthew and Mark, He takes with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and leads them up a high mountain apart, 'and He was transfigured before them.' 1 And let it also appear to us for the exposition that that these things took place long ago, and according to the account. But it seems to me that those who are led up the high mountain by Jesus and are worthy of beholding His transfiguration apart are not without meaning led up six days after the discourses previously spoken. For since in six days, the perfect number, the whole world was made, the perfect work of art, because of this I think that he who transcends all the things of the world by no longer looking on the things which are seen, for they are temporal, but now the things which not seen, and only the things which are not seen, because they are eternal, is represented in: 'After six days Jesus took up with Him' certain persons. If, then, one of us wishes to be taken with Jesus, and led away by Him to the high mountain, and be judged worthy of beholding His transfiguration apart, let him pass beyond the six days, because he no longer beholds the things which are seen, nor longer loves the world, nor the things in the world, 2 nor desires with any worldly desire, which is the desire of bodies, and of the wealth of the body, and of the glory according to the flesh, and whatever nature distracts and draws away the soul from things which are better and more divine, and brings it down and fixes it to the deceit of this age, in its wealth and glory, and the rest of the desires which are the enemies of truth. For when he has passed through the six days, as we have said, he will observe a new Sabbath, rejoicing on the lofty mountain because he sees Jesus transfigured before him; for the Word has different forms, appearing to each as befits the beholder, being manifested to no one beyond the capacity of his vision. Origen, from the Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Book 12 1 Mt 17.1, Mk 9.2 2 1 Jn 2.15