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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Cyril of Alexandria
But our Lord was hastening the kindling of the fire, and hence it follows, And what will I, save that it be kindled? (nisi ut accendatur) For already some of the Jews believed, of whom the first were the holy Apostles, but the fire once lighted in Judaea was about to take possession of the whole world, yet not till after the dispensation of His Passion had been accomplished. Hence it follows, But I have a baptism to be baptized with. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
He calls His death "baptism." Since this fire was to be kindled in no other way than after His death, for from there the preaching and zeal grew, He adds a word about death, calling it a baptism. Strongly desiring it, He says: "how I am distressed," that is, how much I care and "am distressed until it is accomplished!" For I thirst for death for the salvation of all. …
Cyprian
On which place some, as if by human reasoning they were able to make void the truth of the Gospel declaration, object to us the case of catechumens; asking if any one of these, before he is baptized in the Church, should be apprehended and slain on confession of the name, whether he would lose the hope of salvation and the reward of confession, because he had not previously been born again of water? …
Western Saints
Bede
And how am I distressed until it is accomplished? Some manuscripts have, And how am I anguished. Thus, the Lord's dignity is so great that he testifies that the zeal for infusing devotion in us, for completing perfection in us, and for ripening the passion's zeal for us is within himself; for he, who had nothing in himself to cause suffering, yet was distressed or constrained by our afflictions, and at the time of passion displayed sorrow, which he had assumed not from fear of his own death, but from the delay of our redemption. …
Bonaventure
Secondly, as to the perfection of the remedy of the passion it is added: But I have a baptism to be baptized with. Note that the passion of Christ is called a baptism, because in his blood they are purified as in the bath of baptism: Revelation 7: "These are they who have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb"; whence Hebrews 9: "If the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on the defiled sanctifies for the cleansing of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of …
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