Hermas sees that in this life, the righteous and the wicked appear alike—withered trees in winter—but in the life to come they will be known by their fruit. The righteous will flourish when the summer of God’s mercy shines forth, while the unrepentant will wither in judgment. Augustine, meditating on the fruits of the earth, sees works of mercy as those fruits which nourish the faithful and refresh God’s servants. And Aquinas teaches that true pleasure arises when love rests in the good it attains—born not from the removal of pain but from the soul’s union with what is fitting and eternal (John 15:11).

Readings:

The Pastor of Hermas, Book Third—Similitudes, 3–4

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 13, Chapter 38 (Section 38)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 32 (The Cause of Pleasure)

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