Vigils Reading

O RADIANT DAWN

By St Irenaeus

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There is one God who, through the Word and Wisdom, made everything

and brought everything into harmony. It is he who is the Creator and who gave

this world over to the human race. Because of his greatness he is unknown to all

the beings whom he has made; for no one, either in ancient times or today, has

looked upon the great eminence in which he dwells. Yet because of his love he is

known at all times, thanks to him through whom he created all things. He is

none other than the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, who in these latter times

became a human being among humans in order to join the end to the beginning

again, humanity to God. That is why the prophets, when they had received the

gift of prophecy, foretold in their preaching that he would come according to the

flesh and that the uniting and communion of God and humanity would be

realized according to the Father’s good pleasure.

From the very beginning the Word proclaimed that God would be seen by

humans, that he would live and talk with them on earth and that he would take

part in the work which he himself had planned. He proclaimed that he would do

this to save his work, and proclaimed that he would let himself be seized by it,

“to save us from the hands of all who hate us”, from all spirit of transgression.

He also proclaimed that he would act in such a way that “we shall serve him

without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life”, so that,

caught up by the Spirit of God, humanity might attain to the glory of the

Father… The prophets, then, foretold that God would be seen among

humankind, according again to what the Lord said: “Blessed are the pure in

heart, for they shall see God”.

It is true that because of his greatness and inexpressible glory, “no one

shall see God and live”, for the Father is unattainable. But because of his love

and goodness towards humanity and of his power to do all things, he goes so far

as to grant to those who love him the privilege of seeing God — just as the

prophets foretold — “for what is impossible with humans is possible with God”.

By their own power humans will never be able to see God; but God, if he

wills it, will be seen by humans, by those whom he intends to see him, when –

and how – he intends it. For God can do all things: seen of old through the

intervention of the Spirit in the manner of the prophets; then seen again

through the mediation of the Son in accordance with the adoption, he will be

seen again in the Kingdom in accordance with the Fatherhood, the Holy

Spirit preparing humanity in advance for the Son of God, the Son leading

them to the Father, and the Father bestowing on them that incorruptibility

and eternal life which comes to everyone from the fact of their seeing God.

Just as those who see the light are themselves in the light and share in its

splendor, so those who see God are in God and share in his splendor.