Satan does not see God; Angels: Day 117

Examining the book of  Job, St. Gregory the Great encounters a puzzle  very near the beginning. How  could Satan come before the Lord when only the pure in heart shall see God? The answer, he says, is that God saw Satan, but Satan did not really see God.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them” ( Job 1:6).

When it says that Satan came before the presence of God, that raises an im- portant question for us. It is written, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). But Satan can never be pure in heart. How could he have presented himself to see the Lord?

But we should notice that it says he came before the Lord, but not that he saw the Lord. He came to be seen, not to see. He was in the Lord’s sight, but the Lord was not in his sight. In the same way a blind man standing in the sun really is bathed in the rays of light, but he himself does not see the light that brightens him at all.

This is how Satan appeared in the Lord’s sight among the angels. The power of God penetrates everything with a look. God saw the impure spirit, but the spirit did not see him. Even the things that run away from God’s face cannot be hidden. All things are bare in the view of the Most High. Thus Satan, who was absent, came to the Lord, who was present. –St. Gregory the Great,  Moralia in Job, 2.4-5

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

When I come before the Lord, will I be blind like Satan, or will I see what the pure in heart will see?

CLOSING PRAYER

Count me worthy, loving Lord, to call on you with a contrite spirit, with a pure heart, and with sanctified lips, so that I may see you with the pure spirits of Heaven and all the saints.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remember to subscribe to my feed so you will not miss a day! This recurring feature at The Catholic Blogger is possible through the cooperation of author Mike Aquilina and publisher Saint Benedict Press. To get your own copy of this book, click below.