The earliest shepherds of the Church boldly proclaimed this mystery of abiding in Christ. Today we will remember the ministries of Irenaeus and Augustine in this foundational aspect of devotion. Irenaeus of Lyon (c.130–202 AD) was a 2nd-century Greek bishop and theologian who taught that through Christ the Incarnate Word humanity is grafted back into the life of God, and the lost communion of Eden is restored in Him. The life our heart desires is only found in a close relationship with Jesus. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD), who had a major influence on the development of western theology, preached that when Christ’s word abides within us, even our desires are purified until our hearts beat in harmony with the will of God. Augustine once wrote, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”