Justin Martyr closes his First Apology by giving one of the earliest surviving descriptions of Christian worship. He explains how the Eucharist is received only by those who believe and have been baptized, how the community gathers on Sunday to read the writings of the apostles and prophets, pray together, and share bread and wine in thanksgiving. He also defends Christians against accusations, arguing that their practices are neither secret crimes nor strange superstitions but the fulfillment of what Christ commanded. Augustine then reflects on his struggle with desire as his friend Alypius begins to wonder about marriage—not out of passion, but curiosity—while Augustine himself remains painfully aware of how deeply he is enslaved to habit and pleasure. Finally, Thomas Aquinas turns to the beginning of human life itself, asking how the  ...