Through the Church Fathers: May 18

Today’s readings confront the tension between divine transcendence and divine nearness. Justin Martyr insists that it is always the Word—the pre-existent Christ—who appeared to the patriarchs, not the invisible Father who remains unapproachable. He defends the distinction between the unbegotten God and the one begotten before all creation, who is both God and the Angel of the Lord (Genesis 19:24; Psalm 110:1). Augustine, opening Book 10, begins his soul’s inward pilgrimage by acknowledging that true joy comes from God alone, who both knows us fully and beckons us into confession—not merely by words, but by the groaning of the soul (Psalm 32:1; Romans 8:26). In the Summa, Aquinas considers why God created the lights on the fourth day rather than earlier, teaching that God structured the cosmos to show that light—and all order—flows from Him directly, not from the sun or stars. These three readings draw our attention upward and inward, toward the mystery of a God who reveals Himself while remaining infinitely beyond us.Explore the Project:Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.comPatreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpattonCredo Courses – https://www.credocourses.comCredo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org