In exegetical contexts Origen sometimes, of course, has occasion to
speak about Mary. Although his exposition is sometimes very wide, it does not
for the most part go more deeply into the biographical relationships but in
general passes quickly over into the symbolic and allegorical. In this connection
Mary is scarcely preferred to other biblical figures. The exposition of the
Song of Solomon is still in no way orientated ‘Mariologically’, nor does the
title ‘bride’ appear as yet for Mary. Similarly Origen is far from thinking of
crediting Mary with personal sinlessness. Joseph and Mary—the sequence is
characteristic—have been obliged in the course of Jesus’ life to go through a
development in their faith and in their understanding of salvation. In this
respect the exposition of Simeon’s prophecy specially characteristic; this
has been repeated times without number—sometimes with qualifications—in the
writings of later Greek fathers and is again echoed in John of Damascus. The ‘sword’
that is to pierce Mary’s soul denotes, according to this, the doubt by which
even she must be overtaken at the sight of the passion. But we cannot assume,
says Origen, that she alone was immune from being ‘offended’ at that time, when
even the apostles and Peter himself were ‘offended’ because of Jesus. If Mary
had then been exempt from all temptation, Christ would not have died for her
sins; for ‘all have sinned’ and need redemption through him. (Hans von Campenhausen,
The Virgin Birth in the Theology of the Ancient Church [trans. Frank
Clarke; Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2011; repr., London: SCM Press, 1954], 60-61)
In a footnote to the above, we have the following of
the Latin of Origen’s Homilies on Luke, 17:
Hom. Luc. XVII (Rauer, p. 106): 'ergo scandalizati sunt universi in tantum, ut
Petrus quoque, apostolorum princepts, tertio denegarit, quid putamus, quod
scandalizatis apostolis mater domini a scandalo fuerit immunis? si scandalum in
domini passione non passa est, non est mortuus Iesus pro peccatis ejus, si
autem omnes peccauerunt et indigent gloria dei, iustifacti gratia eius et
redempti (Rom. 3:23), utique et maria illo tempore scandalizata est' . . .(Ibid.,
61 n. 2)
