Removing The Veil

Μετὰ ταῦτα λέγουσιν οὗτοι οἱ ἐξομολογούμενοι τό Ἐκοιμήθημεν ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ ἡμῶν· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο φασι· Καὶ ἐπεκάλυψεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀτιμία ἡμῶν. Περὶ τοῦ καλύμματος πολλάκις ἡμῖν εῖρηται, τοῦ ἐπικειμένου τῷ προσώπῳ τῶν μὴ ἐπιστρεφόντων πρὸς Κύριον. Δι' ὃ κάλυμμα ἐὰν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωῦσης, ὁ ἀμαρτωλὸς οὐ νοεῖ αὐτόν. Κάλυμμα γὰρ εἰς τὴν καρδὶαν αὐτοῦ κεῖται. Δι' ὃ κάλυμμα ἐὰν ἀναγινωσκησαι ἡ Παλαιὰ Διαθήκη, οὐ συνήσει ἀκούων. Δι' ὃ κάλυμμα καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶ κεκαλυμμένον. Ἐλέγομεν τοίνυν περὶ τοῦ καλύμματος, ὅτι ἡ αἰσχύνη ἐστὶ τὸ κάλψμμα. Ὅσον γὰρ ἔχομεν τὰ ἔργα τῆς αἰσχύνης, δῆλον ὅτι ἔχομεν τὸ καλύμμα, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον που ἐν μ' καὶ γ' ψαλμῷ· Καὶ ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου μου ἐκάλυψε με. Παρεθέμην, ὅτι ὁ μὴ ἔχων αἰσχύνης ἔργα, οὐκ ἔχει καλύμμα· ὁποῖος ἧν ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου καταπτρίζόμενα. Παῦλος οὗν ἀνακεκαλυμμένον ἔχει τὸ πρόσωπον· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει αἰσχύνης ἔργα. Ὡς οὖν ἐκει· Ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου μου ἐκάλυψε με, εἴρηται ἐνθάδε· Ἐκάλύψεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀτιμία ἠμῶν. Ὄσον ἀτιμίας ἔργα ἐργαζόμεθα, κάλυμμα ἔχομεν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν κείμενον. Εἰ θέλομεν τὸ καλύμμα τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀτιμίας ἀποθέσθαι, ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς τιμῆς ἔργα καταντήσθωμεν, καὶ νοήσωμεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰρημένον· Ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν υἱον, καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα· νοήσωμεν καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ εἰρημένον· Διὰ τῆς παραθάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζεις. Ὁ δίκαιος ὡς τιμᾷ τὸν πατέρα, τιμᾷ τὸν υἱον. Ἡ ἀτιμία, ὅταν ἀτιμάζω τὸν υἱον, αὐτὴ καθ' ἤν ἁτιμάζω τὸν πατέρα ἐπικάλυμμα γίνεται τοῦ προσώπου μου, καὶ λέγω· Ἐπεκάλυψεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀτιμία. Διὰ τοῦτο νοήσαντες τὸ κάλυμμα, τὸ ἐπικείμενον ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς αἰσχύνης ἔργων, ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς ἀτιμίας πράξεων περιελώμεθα τὸ κάλυμμα. Ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἐστι περιαιρεθῆναι τὸ κάλυμμα, οὐδενὸς ἄλλου ἐστίν. Ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐπέσρεψε πρὸς Κύριον Μωϋσης, περιῃρεῖτο τὸ κάλυμμα. Ὀρᾷς ὡς Μωϋσης ποτε λαμβάνεται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ. Ὅσον οὐκ ἐπέστρεθε πρὸς Κύριον, σύμβολον ὤν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέφοντος πρὸς Κύριον, κάλυμμα εἶχεν ἐπικείμενον αὐτοῦ τῷ προσώπῳ· ὅτε δὲ ἐπέστρεφε πρὸς Κύριον, σύμβολον γενόμενος τῶν ἐπιστρεφόντων πρὸς Κύριον, τότε περιῃρεῖτο τὸ κάλυμμα, καὶ οὐχ οἷον ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ ἐκέλευε. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε ὁ Κύριος πρὸς Μωϋσην· Περίθου τὸ κάλυμμα· ἀλλ' ἰδὼν Μωϋσης, ὅτι οὑ δύναται ὁ λαὸς ἰδεῖν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, τότε ἐπετίθει τὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον· καὶ οὐ περιέμεινε Θεὸν λέγοντα, Περιελοῦ τὸ κάλυμμα, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐπέστεψε πρὸς Κύριον. Ὠριγένης Ἰερεμίας, Ὁμολία Ε´ Source: Migne PG 13.305b-308a

After these things they confess 'We lay down in our shame,' to which is added, 'and disgrace covered us.' 1 We have often been told of the veil which lies over the face of those who do not turn back to the Lord. Because of which veil, if Moses is read, the sinner does not understand him. For the veil has been placed on his heart. And because of the veil, if the Old Testament is read, he hears it and does not understand. And because of the veil the Gospel also is hidden to those who are perishing. 2 We have said that this veil is shame. For while we have shameful works it is obvious that we must have the veil upon us, according to which it is said in the forty third Psalm: 'And the shame of my face covered me.' 3 And let it be added that he who does not have the works of shame does not have the veil, just as Paul said: 'We shall all look on the glory of the Lord with uncovered face.' 4 Thus Paul has an uncovered face, for he does not have the works of shame. As then it says in the forty third Psalm: 'The shame of my face covered me,' so indeed it is said here 'and disgrace covered us.' While we take to shameful deeds we have placed a veil on our hearts. If we wish for this veil made by shame to be withdrawn let us strive to do honourable things, and let us understand the words of our Saviour: 'That all should honour the Son as they honour the Father.' 5 And as the Apostle said: 'By sinning you have dishonoured the God of the Law.' 6 As the righteous man honours the Father, he honours the Son. Disgrace when it dishonours the Son, dishonours the Father, making a covering for the face, and I say, 'Disgrace covered us.' Whence knowing of the veil that shameful deeds impose, let us take off the veil of dishonourable works. It is in our power to remove the veil, it is not in the power of another. 'Moses returned to the Lord, and he removed the veil.' 7 See that Moses put it on when he went to the people. and while they did not return to the Lord, with the veil placed on his face he bore the sign of those who do not return, but when they returned to the Lord, then bearing the type of those who return to the Lord, he took off the veil, which was no commandment of God. For He did not say to Moses, 'Take off the veil' but when Moses saw that the people were unable to look on his glory, he placed the veil on his face, nor did he wait for the Lord to say, 'Remove the veil' when they returned to the Lord. Origen, On Jeremiah, from the Fifth Homily 1 Jerem 3.25 2 2 Cor 4.3 3 Ps 43.16 4 2 Cor 3.18 5 Jn 5.23 6 Rom 2.23 7 Exod 34.34