The Office of Readings recently have included the writings of St. Gregory of Nyssa. Today, he writes about our hope of seeing God. I’ve translated the final paragraph below:
“If those who have claimed that the vision of God is beyond our ability to sustain are themselves blessed, and if blessedness comes from seeing God, then certainly purity of heart, through which one is able to see God, is not an impossible virtue.” — St. Gregory of Nyssa (Homily 6; PG 44, 1267)
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Jesus himself told us this, and it is in many ways at the heart of the moral life. It is also at the heart of the spiritual life. It is at the heart of who we are and what we do as Christians. Perhaps we lose sight of the necessity to purify our hearts, of how this really is a prerequisite for ministry. A prerequisite for being Christian.
Our baptism sends us forth to do the work of Jesus. We need to see God, Jesus, in each and every person we meet. God is present.
Then on our last day we have the hope of seeing God face to face, directly and without veil, in complete purity, without stain, wrinkle or any sort of defect.
