Gregory the Great, on Isa 11:7

“The calf and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”

“Hence there too it is added: "And a little child shall lead them." Who is this little child except he of whom it is written: "A child is born to us, a son is given to us"? He leads those dwelling together, because lest our hearts cling to earthly things, he daily inflames them through inward desire. And this very leading of his is to kindle us unceasingly to love of him, lest when we love one another we remain in mind in this exile, lest the rest of this life so please us that it leads to forgetfulness of our homeland, lest the mind delighted by prosperity grow sluggish.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.

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