The day in which man/woman goes out to his/her own proper work symbolizes turning towards God in investigation and imitation, to knowing and loving God, and, not least, to delighting in such knowledge and love. Man/woman has been made in the image and likeness of God for the sake of this knowledge and love; and by means of this knowledge and love man/woman is made new and formed again to God’s image and likeness: through understanding to the image, through form of life to the likeness.
Yet notice, man/woman made to the image and likeness is made new to the likeness and to the image; in order to be formed again and come to share God’s nature man/woman must first shape his/her life according to Christ’s. Eternal life is knowing the true God; the true way to it is to love with one’s whole heart. Love, then, is the way, the truth and the life; truth is the image, love the likeness; love is the price, truth is the prize, by love we make our journey, in truth, we stand fast.
Isaac of Stella, Sermons on the Christian Year, Volume One, Sermon 16: The First Sermon for Septuagesima, 15, 16 (CF 11, p 134f)