Matthew And The Paralytic

Dum transiret inde, vidit hominem. Fratres, deterius sedebat in telonio publicanus iste, quam paralyticus, de que ante diximus, jacebat in lecto. Quia ille carnis patiebatur paralysim, iste mentis; in illo fuerat compago turbata membrorum, in isto totus ordo fuerat sensuum dissipatus; ille jacebat captus carne, sedebat corpore et animo iste captivus; ille doloribus succumbebat invitus, iste vitiis voluntarius serviebat; iste sibi innocens avaritiae videbatur in crimine, ille se cognoscebat inter vulnera peccatorem; iste lucrorum cumulabat peccata, ille dolorum gemitibus peccata delebat. Merito igitur paralytico dicitur. Confide, fili, dimittuntur tibi peccata tua, quia compensarat delicta doloribus; publicano autem dicitur: Veni, sequere me. Hoc est, ut sequendo me repares quod consequendo pecuniam perdidisti. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo XXX, De Matthaei Source: Migne PL 52.284c-285a

While going on from there, He saw a man...1 Brothers, this tax collector was sitting at his booth in a worse state than the paralytic about whom we spoke earlier, 2 who was lying in bed. The latter was suffering from paralysis of the flesh, but the former from a paralysis of the mind; in the latter the arrangement of bodily members had been disturbed, in the former the whole order of judgment had been cast down; the latter was laying a captive of the flesh, the former was sitting a captive in body and spirit; the latter had succumbed to his sufferings unwillingly, the former was a willing servant of his vices; the former seemed in his own mind innocent of the crime of avarice, the latter recognized amidst his wounds that he was a sinner; the former was heaping up sins from his profits, while the latter was eliminating them with groans of pain. Rightly, then, is it said to the paralytic: 'Have confidence, son, your sins are forgiven you,' because he had made up for his sins by suffering. However, it is said to the tax collector: 'Come, follow me,' that is, so that by following me you repair what you have ruined by the pursuit of money. Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 30, On Matthew 1 Mt 9.9 2 Mt 9.1-8