The Shepherd of Hermas paints a vivid picture of grace at work through repentance. Under the shade of the great willow, the faithful each receive a branch—some green and fruitful, some cracked, some nearly dead. When the branches are replanted and watered, many come back to life, showing that God’s mercy restores even the withered soul. Augustine then turns from creation’s beauty to its Maker, insisting that God’s “seeing” is not bound by time—He speaks and beholds eternally. Against those who imagine rival creators, Augustine proclaims one Lord whose work is wholly good. Aquinas closes the day with a meditation on delight: pleasure born of truth perfects reason, but pleasure born of the flesh blinds it. To delight rightly is to think rightly, for joy, when pure, becomes the mind’s own light.

Readings:

The Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 8, Chapters 1–5

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 13, Chapters 29–30

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 35, Article 6

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