The tower is still being built—so do not delay. Hermas presses the urgency of obedience, repentance, and active mercy. The Shepherd has been entrusted with the ministry of repentance, and those who keep his commandments will live. But purity matters. Good works matter. Rescuing those crushed by hardship matters. The building will not wait forever. Augustine then reflects on his gradual separation from the Manichæans. Faustus impressed him with modesty, yet ignorance exposed the system’s weakness. Eloquence cannot rescue false cosmology, and humility, even in error, is more beautiful than pretended knowledge. Finally, Aquinas asks whether “person” may truly be said of God. His answer protects both divine transcendence and divine perfection: we affirm the word, but strip away creaturely limitation. Across these readings, the message is steady—repent quickly, test teaching carefully, and speak about God precisely. The tower rises. Truth matters. Obedience is life.

Readings:

Hermas — The Pastor, Book 3, Similitude 10 (Chapters 1–4)

Augustine of Hippo — The Confessions, Book 5, Chapter 7 (Section 12)

Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 29, Article 3

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