The Shadow Of Death

Quoniam autem ignorantia Dei umbra est mortis, testatur propheta dicens: Et declinasti semitas nostras a via tua, et cooperuit nos umbra mortis. Sine dubio enim operiet eum ignorantia Dei, cujus vita de via Dei fuerit declinata. Regio autem mortis mundus est iste. Sicut enim illa terra vivorum est, de qua dicitur: Credo videre bona Domini in terra viventium: sic terra haec regio mortis est. Propterea ad plenum Deo placere non possumus, degentes in ea, quia ipsi etsi vivi sumus propter opera viva et fidem Christi, teman quia in mundo vivimus, cui diabolus principatur, coinquinati sumus. Ideo et Paulus: Quis liberabit de corpore mortis hujus. Corpus enim hoc, corpus est mortis, quia non vitalibus, sed mortiferis voluptatibus est subjectum. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia VI Source: Migne PG 56.672

That the ignorance of God is the shadow of death, the prophet bears witness, saying, 'And you lower our paths from your way, and the shadow of death covers us.' 1 Without doubt the ignorance of God shall cover him whose life shall have declined from the way of God. And the realm of death is this world. For as there is a land of the living, concerning which it is said, 'I believe I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, 2 so this earth is the realm of death. Whence we are not able to please God fully while we dwell in it, because even if we live according to the works of life and the faith of Christ, yet because we live in the world, of which the devil is the prince, we are defiled. Therefore even Paul says: 'Who will free me from this body of death.' 3 For this body is the body of death, because it is not subject to life giving but death bringing pleasures. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 6 1 Ps 43.19-20 2 Ps 26.13 3 Rom 7.24