Today’s thread weaves one question through three voices: What does it mean to grow into true freedom—whether a church rooted in apostolic truth (Irenaeus), a soul chasing the vanishing “now” (Augustine), or a humanity once poised to learn without toil (Aquinas)?  Irenaeus calls us to discern spirits, refuse counterfeit gods, and treasure the love that steadies martyrs; Augustine microscopes the razor‑thin present until our illusion of “long time” dissolves; Aquinas imagines Eden’s children learning effortlessly, reminding us that even perfect potential awaits patient development.  Together they challenge us to weigh every doctrine, number our fleeting moments, and trust that sanctified growth—slow or swift—still belongs to the one Creator who came humble on a colt and will return in purging fire (Zechariah 9:9; Psalm 50:3; Romans 12:17‑21).

Readings: Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 33

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 11, Chapter 15 (Section 20)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 101, Article 1

Explore the Project:

Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com

Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton

Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com

Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

#Irenaeus #Confessions #SummaTheologica #Patristics #SpiritualGrowth

Today’s readings invite us to consider how God’s justice operates across time, nature, and salvation. Irenaeus defends God’s command to the Israelites to take from the Egyptians—not as theft, but as just compensation for generations of slavery, and as a symbol of how believers now repurpose worldly goods for divine ends. Augustine, meanwhile, wrestles with the elusive nature of time itself. What we call "long" or "short" only makes sense in the present moment, which vanishes even as we try to grasp it. Finally, Aquinas shows us that if humanity had never fallen, every child would have been born both righteous and confirmed in grace—growing up with a will naturally inclined to good, free from the struggle we now face within. Together, the Fathers draw us into a deeper awareness of how God shapes our world, our history, and our very selves.

Readings for July 24

• Irenaeus – Against Heresies 4.30–32
• Augustine – Confessions Book 11, Chapter 15 (Sections 18–19)
• Thomas Aquinas – Summa Theologica I, Q100, Articles 1–2

Explore the Project:

Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com

Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton

Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com

Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org

Today’s readings walk us through the unity of God’s justice and mercy, the mystery of time, and the nature of growth even in paradise. Irenaeus warns us not to separate the God of the Old and New Testaments: the same God who judged David and Solomon is the one who offers forgiveness in Christ—and calls us to holiness. Augustine draws us into wonder at the nature of time itself, reminding us that God created even time and lives in a timeless “today.” And Aquinas teaches that in Eden, children would not have been born fully strong—not out of defect, but because growth is part of divine design. Together, these Fathers show us a world charged with meaning: where time, mercy, and maturity all point us back to God.

Today’s Readings: Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapters 27–29 Augustine, The Confessions, Book 11, Chapter 13 Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I.99.1

Explore the Project:

Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com

Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton

Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com

Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org