Truth is not preserved by sentiment, memory, or motion, but by faithfulness to what does not change. In today’s readings, the Church is warned, exposed, and finally anchored. Ignatius calls believers to guard the reality of Christ’s flesh, suffering, and resurrection against deceptive doctrines that hollow out the gospel. Augustine confesses how disordered love drew him into restless desire, revealing how the soul collapses inward when it seeks permanence in what passes away. Aquinas then lifts our eyes to God Himself, defining eternity not as endless time, but as the perfect and simultaneous fullness of life—unchanging, whole, and possessed all at once. Together, these texts show us that salvation rests not in shifting emotions or appearances, but in the immutable God who entered time for our sake and draws us into His eternal life.

Readings:

Ignatius of Antioch, The Epistle to the Trallians, Chapters 8–13

Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions, Book 3, Chapter 1 (Section 1)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 10, Article 1

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