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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Theophylact of Ohrid
The angel announces that John will be "great," but "before the Lord," for many are called great before men but are not such before God, for example hypocrites. But John is great in soul, just as everyone who is scandalized is small in soul. For no one who is great is scandalized, but rather the small and fainthearted, as the Lord also says: "whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble" (Mt. 18:6). …
Cyprian
And now by certain of us the baptism of heretics is asserted to occupy the (like) ground, and, as if by a certain dislike of re-baptizing, it is counted unlawful to baptize after God's enemies. And this, although we find that they were baptized whom John had baptized: John, esteemed the greatest among the prophets; John, filled with divine grace even in his mother's womb; who was sustained with the spirit and power of Elias; who was not an adversary of the Lord, but His precursor and announcer; who not only foretold our Lord in …
Irenaeus
And then, speaking of John, he thus says: "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." For whom, then, did he prepare the people, and in the sight of what Lord was he made great? …
Western Saints
Ambrose of Milan
Here, not the size of the body, but the greatness of the soul is declared. The magnitude of the soul is in the presence of the Lord, the magnitude of virtue: there is also the smallness of the soul, and the youthfulness of virtue. Therefore, John will be great not in the virtue of the body, but in the greatness of the soul. …
Bede
For he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. It is a great virtue before the Lord to scorn earthly delights entirely while preaching heavenly joys in the desert. But also this stands out greatly before the Lord, even though it seems to be despised by men, that he, of whom no one among those born of women is greater, was beheaded by the whim of a wanton girl. …
Bonaventure
For he shall be great before the Lord. Above, the angelic announcement was described with respect to the attendant circumstances on its own part; here it is described with respect to the circumstances on the part of what is promised. For the son to be born is commended in three respects, namely in life, grace and doctrine. And the first regards action, the second regards affection, the third regards intellect. …
Translation