Exile, longing, and courage come together in today’s readings. Athanasius recounts the imperial letters that finally summoned him home after persecution and exile, followed by Julius of Rome’s joyful announcement to the church at Alexandria that their bishop was returning vindicated by the judgment of the council. Augustine then prays for time, purity, and humility as he turns to the hidden depths of Scripture, asking God to keep him from being deceived in the text or deceiving others through it. Aquinas closes the reading by defining fortitude as the virtue that keeps a person faithful to reason and the good even under fear, suffering, and the threat of death. Together, these readings show that truth must be endured, Scripture must be approached with reverence, and courage is not the absence of fear but steadfastness in the face of it.

 ...