Tertullian defends marriage against Marcion’s attack on the goodness of creation, arguing that chastity only has meaning when marriage itself is honored as a good gift of God. Augustine then defines the happy life not as the pursuit of earthly pleasures, but as rejoicing in God himself, insisting that every human longing for happiness ultimately points toward the Creator. Finally, Aquinas examines truth and justice in public judgment, teaching that neither the accused nor witnesses may lie even to avoid suffering, because justice collapses when truth becomes negotiable. Together, these readings confront the goodness of creation, the true source of happiness, and the moral necessity of truthfulness before God and neighbor.

Today’s Readings:

Tertullian — Against Marcion Book 1, Chapter 29

Augustine —  ...