Hermas beholds the tower of God’s Church being built, its stones representing saints, martyrs, and repentant sinners. Augustine reflects on the living soul and the Eucharist, showing how faith matures beyond mere signs into spiritual life. Aquinas asks whether hatred is stronger than love, leading us to see that love endures as the greater power. These readings draw us to the heart of God’s people, where discipline, sacrament, and rightly ordered affections are woven into the very structure of salvation (Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; Romans 12:21).

Readings: The Shepherd of Hermas, Vision 3

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 11, Chapter 21 (Section 29)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1–2, Question 29, Article 3 (Of Hatred — Whether hatred is stronger than love)

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