The Necessity of Preaching
The Lord follows his preachers. Preaching comes first, and then the Lord comes to the dwelling places of our hearts; words of exhortation precede, and by means of them Truth is received by hearts. This is why Isaiah addresses preachers: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God.
Forty Gospel Homilies
p. 134-5
Gregory the Great, Forty Gospel Homilies. Translated by David Hurst. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Cistercian Publications, 1990