Today’s readings center on the unity of God and the restoration of the divine image in man. Irenaeus, in Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 12, recounts the apostolic witness after Christ’s resurrection—how Peter, Stephen, Philip, and Paul all proclaimed the same message: that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, the Son of the one Creator God, and the only Savior for both Jews and Gentiles. Irenaeus forcefully rejects any idea of a second god or competing deity, showing how the apostles preached one God and one Christ to all people. Augustine, in Confessions, Book 10.40 (Section 65), reflects on how God alone is the light by which the soul discerns truth. Exploring memory, senses, and inward reflection, he finds that even in the most profound inner searching, rest can only be found in God. Yet fallen habits drag him down—he longs to be free, but still clings to what enslaves. Finally, Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologica, I.93.4, asks whether all people bear God’s image. He affirms that the rational soul, with its capacity to know and love God, is God’s image in every person—sinner or saint. Though grace and glory deepen this image, its foundation is unerasable. A soul may be broken, like a dusty mirror, but it still reflects its Maker. Together, these voices echo the same truth: the God of creation is the God of salvation, and His image in us—however marred—is always calling us home.

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Today’s reading centers on the authority and illumination of God’s truth through apostolic means. In Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapters 4–5, Irenaeus lays out his famous defense of apostolic succession, arguing that the true teaching of the Church is preserved through a public and traceable lineage from the apostles—not secret knowledge or hidden traditions. Augustine, in Confessions, Book 11.2, offers a deeply personal prayer, asking that the secret things of God’s Word be opened to him—not for earthly riches, but through grace in Christ, the Word made flesh. And in Summa Theologica, Part I, Question 94, Article 3, Aquinas explores whether the first man, Adam, knew all things. Thomas concludes that Adam’s knowledge was infused by God for the purpose of ruling over creation, though not infinite or divine in scope. All three readings call us to trust not in private revelation or prideful intellect, but in the revealed wisdom given through Christ and preserved by His Church.

Today’s Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapters 4–5

Augustine, Confessions, Book 11, Section 2

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part I, Question 94, Article 3

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Today’s readings explore how God’s truth is uniquely revealed and reflected in both Scripture and humanity. Irenaeus defends the Church’s four Gospels as divinely appointed, exposing the mystical significance of their number and character, and showing how each Gospel confronts the errors of the early heretics by grounding the faith in the one true God who made all things. Augustine turns inward, exposing the temptations of vain-glory and the subtle ways pride creeps in—even when we think we’re scorning it—reminding us that true humility and healing come only from God’s mercy. Aquinas then addresses the question of whether angels bear God’s image more perfectly than humans, ultimately affirming that while angels may reflect God’s image more immaterially, it is humanity—made of both body and soul—who most truly images God in the unity of intellect, will, and our potential for renewal in Christ (Genesis 1:26–27; Colossians 3:10).

Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 11

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 10, Chapters 38–39

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 93, Article 3

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