God speaks clearly, the soul resists deeply, and sorrow presses us toward what we truly love. Today’s reading from moves from divine clarity to human conflict to inner formation. Theophilus lays out the law of God in its fullness—one God, one standard, calling for righteousness, mercy, and repentance, showing that truth is not hidden but revealed plainly (Deuteronomy 6:4). Augustine then exposes the real problem: not ignorance, but division—the soul is not split into two natures, but weakened by sin, warring within itself as it both wills and refuses the good (Romans 7:17). Aquinas then explains what that conflict produces: sorrow is not meaningless—it constricts, humbles, teaches, and redirects the soul, depending on how it is ordered (2 Corinthians 7:10). Together, these readings leave no room for excuse: God has spoken, the problem is within,  ...