Readings: Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapters 20–24
Augustine, The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 50
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 91, Article 1
Today’s readings take us deep into the clash between truth and illusion. Irenaeus dismantles the Gnostics’ obsession with symbolism and numerology, showing how they twist Scripture into nonsense to support their invented Æons—contrasting their confusion with the saving clarity of Christ’s suffering. Augustine wrestles with the beauty and danger of music in worship, admitting that while sacred song can stir the heart, it can also tempt the soul toward emotion over truth. He finds the balance in humility—rejoicing in God’s mercy while fearing distraction. Aquinas takes us back to the beginning, explaining why man’s body was made from the earth: to reflect both our mortality and our divine purpose. From Irenaeus’s confrontation with heresy, to Augustine’s inner struggle with devotion, to Aquinas’s theological grounding in creation, all three voices remind us that what appears small or lowly—dust, song, sorrow—can be the very thing God uses to display His glory (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 77:10; Matthew 10:42).
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