For Augustine, the only good that can provide genuine and lasting happiness is the loving contemplation of God and the imaging of God.10 Augustine asks his readers: “Which do you want, to love temporal things and to pass away with time or not to love the world and live forever with God?”11 He frequently observes that Jesus’ exhortation “You shall love the Lord your God” functions not only as a command but also as a reminder that only through loving God can we attain the goal of happiness.12
