Stones And Understanding

Quaedam autem ceciderunt super petrosam... Petra autem in se duas habet proprietates naturae, fortitudinis et duritiae. Ideo homines aut propter constantiam fidei petra dicuntur, aut propter duritiam cordis. Ideo propheta dicit: Et auferam ab illis cor lapideum. Quid ergo terra? Intellectus carnalis, et non rationabilis super animam duram et fidelem. Nam intellectum bonum multi habent secundum naturam, animam autem fidelem non multi; quia intellectus hominis est ex Deo, anima autem fidelis ex voluntate. Sunt ergo homines, quibus si loquutus fueris de gloria sanctorum, et de beatitudine gloriae rengi caelestis, statim gaudent, et audientes delectantur, quoniam sapientes secundum naturam etiam facile suscipiunt verbum; sed ne credas gaudio eorum: carnaliter enim gaudent, et carnaliter delectantur. Sciunt enim naturaliter, quia bonum est regnum, vel lumen. Ideo cum audierint lumen sanctorum, quasi de lumine gaudent. Sciunt etiam naturaliter, quia bonum est regnum caeleste, quasi de audito regno laetantur: et non ideo credunt, quia sic est quomodo laetantur, anima autem eorum non credit. Sed dicis, Quomodo gaudere poterant, nisi crederent? Hoc ipso enim quod gaudent, credunt; ideo credunt. Non est ita: omnis enim, qui credit, verum est, quod gaudet; non tamen omnis, qui gaudet, credit. Nam quod gaudet in nobis, sensus et rationabilis: quod autem credit, spiritus animae, qui non in gaudio, sed in sollicitudine et compunctione cordis cognoscitur. Quoniam non omnis, qui gaudet, et credit, tuo te docebo exemplo. Ecce cum tibi exposuero de gloria sanctorum, de jucunditate paradisi, gaudes et exsultas, si tamen non habes etiam carnalem intellectum jam captum et induratum in malis, et quasi terra secus viam. Sed si dixero tibi: Vide qualis est jucunditas sanctorum: ergo vende omnia tua quae habes, et da pauperibus, et haec omnia possidebus, ecce, non facis, sed tristis recedis, sicut adolescens ille a Christo: non ergo credidisti firmiter de quibus gaudebas. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XV Source:  Migne PG 56.793

Some fell on rocky ground... 1 A stone in itself has two properties of its nature, durability and hardness. Thus men are called stones either because of the constancy of their faith, or on account of their hardness of heart. Thus the Prophet says: 'I shall take from them their heart of stone.' 2 What, then, is the earth? The carnal understanding, and it is not rational over the soul which is strong and faithful. For many have a good understanding according to nature, but not many have a faithful soul, because the understanding of a man is from God, and the faithful soul is from choice. So there are men who when they are told of the glory of the saints and the blessings of the glory of the heavenly kingdom, instantly rejoice, and hearing they delight, because being wise according to their nature they easily grasp the word; but trust not in their joy, for they rejoice carnally, and carnal is their joy. For they know by nature, that the kingdom is good, or light. Therefore when they hear about the light of the saints, they rejoice concerning the light. For they know naturally that the heavenly kingdom is good, since they rejoice in the hearing of it, and thus they do not believe, because such is the manner in which they rejoice that their souls do not believe. But you may say: 'How can they rejoice unless they believe? That in which they rejoice, they believe, and thus they do believe.' It is not so; for everyone who believes is true, for which reason he rejoices, not everyone however who rejoices believes. For what rejoices in us is the understanding and reason, that which believes is the spirit of the soul, which is not known in joy  but in concern and compunction of heart. I shall give an example that not everyone who rejoices believes. Behold, when I reveal to you the glory of the saints and the bliss of paradise, you rejoice and exult; if however you have a carnal understanding, already you are taken and hardened by evils, as the earth beside the way. For if I say to you: 'See the nature of the bliss of the holy, and so go sell all you have and give it to the poor that you may possess all these things,' and behold, you do not do it, but you withdraw sorrowfully, like that young man from Christ. 3 Therefore you do not have a firm faith in that in which you rejoice. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from The Fifteenth Homily 1 Mt 13.5 2 Ezek 36.26 3 Mt 19. 16-22