The Leper And The Mountain

Et descendente eo de monte, sequutae sunt eum turbae multae, et ecce leprosus... Ecce leprosus, quasi jam praeparatus, descendenti illi occurrit. Et forte et ideo descendit, ut leprosum mundaret. Lepra enim est peccatum animarum nostrum. Ideo ergo Dominus de altitudine caeli, quasi de excelso monte, descendit, ut lepram peccatorum nostrorum mundaret. Quare, putas, iste inter caeteros non ascendit in montem, ut audiret sermones divinos? Quia lepra erat gravatus, et peccatorum bajulans pondus, sursum ascendere non valebat. Aut non audisti prophetam dicentem, quomodo leves esse debeant, qui ad ecclesiasticum montem ascendunt? Quis, inquit, ascendet in montem Domini, aut quis stabit in loco sancto ejus? Innocens manibus, et mundo corde... Sic quicumque in malis ambulat, non potest in ecclesiam ascendere, quae mons Domini appellatur, nec audire spiritualem doctrinam. Et si venit, corpore quidem venit, animo autem non ascendit. Qui autem cum puro corde non venit, nihil illi prodest, quia corpore venit. Et si audit spiritualem doctrinam, non intelligit, quia sensus ejus carnalium vitiorum lepra corruptus est. Nemo enim bonarum rerum potest sentire saporem, quamdiu delectatur in malis. Quamdiu enim delectat eum malum, non potest eum delectare bonum. Tunc autem incipit ei placere bonum, cum coeperit ei displicere malum. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XXI Source: Migne PG 56.835c-836a

And coming down from the mountain, a great crowd followed him, and behold a leper... 1 Behold, a leper, as if now prepared to meet Him who was coming down. And perhaps for this He descended, that He might cleanse the leper. The leper is the sin of our souls. Therefore the Lord came down from the height of heaven, as from the high mountain, that He cleanse the leprosy of our souls. But why, you may think, did this fellow not go up the mountain with the rest that he might hear the divine words? Because the leprosy burdened him and he bore the weight of sins, he was not able to ascend on high. Or have you not heard the Prophet saying, that they should be light, who would go up the ecclesiastical mountain? He says: 'Who shall ascend to the mountain of God, or who shall stand in His holy place? He who is innocent of hand and has a pure heart...' 2 So whoever walks in evil, he is not able to go up into the Church, which is named the mountain of the Lord, nor does he hear spiritual teaching. And if he does come, he comes in the body alone, in the soul does not ascend. He who does not come with a pure heart, profits not at all, because in the body he comes. And if he hears spiritual teaching, he does not understand, because his mind is corrupted by the leprosy of his carnal vices. For no one is able to appreciate the fragrance of good things while he has pleasure in evil. While he delights in evil, he is not able to delight in the good. The good begins to please when evil begins to displease. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 21 1 Mt 8.1-2 2 Ps 23.3-4