Monday, March 31, 2014

Ave Maria and the Faery Tale

ANGELICO, Fra. Annunciation (Cell 3).
1442. Fresco. Convento di San Marco, Florence
As we consider the Annunciation, let us think of it in light of what we are studying in Humanities 8: Faery Stories. The elements of a faery tale require journey, enchantment, encounter, moral judgment, and the happy ending. Angelico Fra depicts for us the first of these two elements in this scene, for the Annunciation to Mary is only the beginning of the story of Christ's birth, of God becoming man, of heaven kissing earth. The rest of story will play out over the next nine months until the fullness of time with Christmas. But even then the story is not over. We find in Scripture that evil Herod is eventually judged and that, in the end, Christ and the Holy Family can return from exile in Egypt to achieve the happy ending of this sub-story. 
The Annunciation, however, should give us pause, however, to consider what is happening in our own day. Allegorically, it seems that Herod has not only sent his soldiers to slay the children once again but also that the holiness of the family is driven into exile by the state's attack on marriage. Let us not overlook these things; let us not forget the fact that our Savior stands in the center of a family, an institution that has long threatened the raging heathen nations. No wonder our churches are week and barren, for we have not the imagination to conceive of "Mother Kirk" because we do not culturally acknowledge conception  as a blessing or motherhood as honorable.   

Agenda for Monday, March 31:
  1. Pray
  2. Latin Proverb: Ecce concipies in utero et paries filium et vocabis nomen eius Iesum. Here it is in English: "Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus." - Lucas. 1:31
  3. Continue reading and studying Midsummer
    1. Read Act I 
    2. Finish Act I Questions .  
  4. Review HW:
    1. Canterbury Tales Memorization. Wednesday (4/2)
    2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz tomorrow (4/1). 
    3. Be perfect.
Agenda for Tuesday, April 1:
  1. Pray
  2. Grammar Notes: Pronoun and Noun Case Bedford 25
    1. Take notes
  3. Continue reading and studying Midsummer
    1. Read Act I and finish your questions.  
  4. Review HW:
    1. Canterbury Tales Memorization. Wednesday (4/2)
    2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz tomorrow (4/1). 
    3. Be perfect.
Agenda for Wednesday, April 2:
  1. Pray
  2. Canterbury Tales Presentations!
  3. Continue reading and studying Midsummer
  4. Review HW:
    1. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Friday (4/4). 
    2. Be perfect.
Agenda for Thursday, April 3:
  1. Pray
  2. Grammar Notes on Bedford 25
  3. Continue reading and studying Midsummer
    1. Take notes on History and Structure of 5-Act Play
    2. Read Act II together
  4. Review HW:
    1. Finish Act II of Midsummer
    2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz tomorrow (4/4). 
    3. Be perfect.
Agenda for Friday, April 4:
  1. Pray
  2. Grammar Quiz: Bedford 25
  3. Continue reading and studying Midsummer:
    1.  Finish Act II reading questions
    2.  Begin reading Act III together.
  4. Review HW:
    1. Finish reading Acts III & IV over the break. 
    2. Finish Act II & III Questions (4/14)
    3. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
    4. Be perfect.
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    Monday, March 24, 2014

    Vocabit nomen eius Emanuel.

    ANGELICO, Fra. Annunciation. 1451-52
    Tempera on wood. Museo di San Marco, Florence.
    Why the Annunciation, you ask? March 25th happens to be the Feast of the Annunciation.What does this mean? Two things: (1) that life begins at conception, and without Mary's "ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum," we'd still be sacrificing inadequate bulls and goats, we'd still be in our sins, we'd still live in darkness, et cetera res; (2) that if we consult the astronomical record--which we can scientifically prove--we find, as Shakespeare says, "the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes." The stars in their arrangements tell a story, and it is the fulfillment of millennia of prophecy. This week is the beginning of that story.

    Agenda for Monday, March 24:

    1. Pray
    2. Latin Proverb: ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Here it is in English: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.." - Matt. 1:38
    3. Read "The Magic Thread"
    4. Reading Journal: Fairy Tales
    5. Lecture on Faery Tales, Part I: The Shape of Faery
      1. Students take notes by answering the following questions:
        1. Explain the narrative structure and character types in faery tales?
        2. What are some of the moral lessons taught through faery tales?
        3. Why is the happy ending so important?
        4. How and why are faery tales more "Christian" than tragedy?
    6. Review HW:
      1. Fairy Tale Quiz (3/28)
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Wednesday (3/26). 
      3. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      4. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Tuesday, March 25:
    1. Pray
    2. Grammar Notes: Pronoun and Noun Case Bedford 24
      1. Take notes
    3. Lecture on Faery Tales, Part II: The Shape of Faery
      1. Elements of Faery: 
        1. Journey
        2. Enchantment
        3. Encounter
        4. Evil Judged (Witch Dies)
        5. Happy Ending
    4. Review HW:
      1. Fairy Tale Quiz (3/28)
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Wednesday (3/26). 
      3. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      4. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Wednesday, March 26:
    1. Pray
    2. Grammar Quiz: Pronoun Case (Bedford 24)
    3. Begin reading and studying A Midsummer Night's Dream
    4. Review HW:
      1. Fairy Tale Quiz (3/28)
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
      3. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      4. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Thursday, March 27:
    1. Pray
    2. Continue reading and studying Midsummer
    3. Review HW:
      1. Fairy Tale Quiz (3/28)
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
      3. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      4. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Friday, March 28:
    1. Pray
    2. Fairy Tales Quiz
    3. Continue reading and studying Midsummer
    4. Review HW:
      1. Finish Act II (4/2)
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
      3. Be perfect.

     




     


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    Monday, March 17, 2014

    St. Patrick and Week 2 of Lent

    As we continue to the second week of Lent, let us consider Jesus last response to Satan. When Satan takes Jesus to a very high mountain and tempts Jesus to worship him, Jesus answers with another appropriate allusion to the Law: "It is written: The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10b). Jesus isn't just drawing from the "Old Testament" at random. He is citing the very words to Israel in the wilderness. But it is not the Law of Exodus but of Deuteronomy, the "Second Law," given to the children of the generation who perished in the desert because of their sins. Jesus rebukes the devil with the words received by a New Israel, as they are about to baptized and conquer the land. 
    And as it regards serving the LORD and worshiping Him only, it is right to think of St. Patrick, at fitting example of one who feared not men but God, whose own worship and obedience transformed not merely the Emerald Isle but perhaps the history of the Western world itself, perhaps even you and me. In spite of the right somber reflection of Lent, it is still right to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick today. Happy St. Patty's Day!       

    Agenda for Monday, March 17:
    1. Pray
    2. Latin Proverb: scriptum est Dominum Deum tuum adorabis et illi soli servies. Here it is in English: "It is written: The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve." - Matt. 4:10b
    3. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales   
      1. Finish reviewing Reading Journal: The Knight's Tale
        1. How doth "The Knight's Tale" mock the classical world of Ancient Greece?
        2. How doth "The Knight's Tale" mock courtly love and romance?
        3. What is the moral of the story? How does this story teach virtue?
    4. Review HW:
      1. Study notes on "The Prologue" and "The Knight's Tale" of Canterbury Tales.  
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Wednesday (3/19). 
      3. Canterbury Tales Exam on Friday (3/21)
      4. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      5. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Tuesday, March 18:
    1. Pray
    2. Grammar Notes: Pronoun and Noun Case 
      1. Take notes
    3. Lecture on Faery Tales, Part I: The Shape of Faery
      1. Students take notes by answering the following questions:
        1. Explain the narrative structure and character types in faery tales?
        2. What are some of the moral lessons taught through faery tales?
        3. Why is the happy ending so important?
        4. How and why are faery tales more "Christian" than tragedy?
      2. Elements of Faery: 
        1. Journey
        2. Enchantment
        3. Encounter
        4. Evil Judged (Witch Dies)
        5. Happy Ending
    4. Review HW:
      1. Study notes on "The Prologue" and "The Knight's Tale" of Canterbury Tales.  
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Wednesday (3/19). 
      3. Canterbury Tales Exam on Friday (3/21)
      4. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2) 
      5. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Wednesday, March 19:
    1. Pray
    2. Grammar Quiz: Pronoun Case 
    3. Watch "Medieval Masterpieces: Chaucer and the Beauty of Books"
    4. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
      1. Review The Knight's Tale together and take notes. 
    5. Review HW:
      1. Study notes on "The Prologue" and "The Knight's Tale" of Canterbury Tales.  
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Wednesday (3/26).
      3. Canterbury Tales Exam on Friday (3/21)
      4. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      5. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Thursday, March 20:
    1. Pray
    2. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
    3. Lecture on Faery Tales, Part I: The Shape of Faery
      1. Students take notes by answering the following questions:
        1. Explain the narrative structure and character types in faery tales?
        2. What are some of the moral lessons taught through faery tales?
        3. Why is the happy ending so important?
        4. How and why are faery tales more "Christian" than tragedy?
      2. Elements of Faery: 
        1. Journey
        2. Enchantment
        3. Encounter
        4. Evil Judged (Witch Dies)
        5. Happy Ending
    4. Review HW:
      1. Study notes on "The Prologue" and "The Knight's Tale" of Canterbury Tales.  
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Wednesday (3/26). 
      3. Canterbury Tales Exam on Friday (3/21)
      4. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      5. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Friday, March 21:
    1. Pray
    2. Canterbury Tales Exam
    3. Review HW:
      1. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz Wednesday (3/26). 
      2. Canterbury Tales Memorization (4/2)
      3. Be perfect.

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    Monday, March 10, 2014

    Et ne nos inducas tentationem.

    Juan De Flandes. The Temptation of Christ.
    1500. Oil on panel. National Gallery of Art, WA.
    "And lead us not into temptation." We pray this almost every day. But what does it mean? Consider the Lenten season we are in. Consider the fact that Christ was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan. The writer of Hebrews explains one of the reasons and benefits for Christ's own temptation: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). In other words, we pray this because man is weak. We pray this because Adam (literally, "man" in Hebrew) has failed. But Christ did not. And so we also call upon Him, the author and finisher of our faith, for help.  

    Agenda for Monday, March 10:
    1. Pray
    2. Latin Proverb: scriptum est non temptabis Dominum Deum tuum. Here it is in English: "It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." - Matt. 4:7
    3. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales   
      1. Reading Check Quiz: The Knight's Tale
        1. What is the "Knight's Tale" about?
        2. Explain the role of "Chance" in this tale?
    4. Review HW:
      1. Finish reading "The Knight's Tale" of Canterbury Tale
      2. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Tuesday, March 11:
    1. Pray
    2. Grammar Notes: Pronoun and Noun Case 
      1. Take notes
    3. Hand back graded essays:
      1. Review and discuss
      2. Revisions due at Friday (3/14)
    4. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales  
    5. Review HW:
      1. Sir Gawain Revisions (3/14)
      2. Read The Knight's Tale of Canterbury Tales
      3. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
      4. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Wednesday, March 12:
    1. Pray
    2. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
      1. Review The Knight's Tale together and take notes. 
    3. Review HW:
      1. Sir Gawain Revisions (3/14)
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
      3. Binder Check (3/14)
      4. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Thursday, March 13:
    1. Pray
    2. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
    3. Reading Journal (3/13): The Knight's Tale
    4. What is the setting of the Knight's story?
    5. What change has Chaucer given to these characters in the Knight's tale?
    6. How doth "The Knight's Tale" mock the classical world of Ancient Greece?
    7. How doth "The Knight's Tale" mock courtly love and romance?
    8. What is the moral of the story? How does this story teach virtue?
    9. Review HW:
      1. Sir Gawain Revisions (3/14)
      2. Binder Check (3/14)
      3. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
      4. Be perfect.
    Agenda for Friday, March 14:
    1. Pray
    2. Binder Check
    3. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
      1.  Finish discussing and taking notes on "The Knight's Tale"
    4. Review HW:
      1. Study notes and reading journal on "The Knight's Tale" 
      2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
      3. Be perfect.
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      Monday, March 3, 2014

      Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent

      REMBRANDT. The Return of the Prodigal Son.
      1669. Oil on canvas. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
      Today is a Ash Wednesday, which marks the day of corporate repentance for sins and the beginning of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer. Typically we would all have a black ash on our foreheads, the outward sign of our inward contrition, as in the ancient times. Consider, for instance, Rembrandt's depiction of the broken and contrite heart of the Prodigal Son, who returned in dust to his father.
      Some of us who might not be familiar with the reasons for Lent, would do well to remember that the Church calendar follows the life of Christ. Christ engaged in the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting, and we see this especially at the start of his ministry. Christ fasted for 40 days in the wilderness and resisted the temptations of the devil. He became for us the true Israel, who did not fail in the wilderness but came "out of Egypt," through baptism at the Jordan, to became the better Moses and the true Joshua who can lead us into the Promise Land of salvation. We fast because Christ himself fasted. Lent lasts for 40 days because Christ was in the wilderness for 40 days. This season of Lent prepares us for the season of Easter, and the 40 days leads to Holy Week where we enter into Christ's Passion. For more on Lent, go here.

      Agenda for Monday, March 3:
      1. Pray
      2. Latin Proverb: scriptum est non in pane solo vivet homo sed in omni verbo quod procedit de ore Dei. Here it is in English: "It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." - Matthew 4:3
      3. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales  
      4. Review HW:
        1. Finish reading the Prologue of Canterbury Tales (3/5)
        2. Be perfect.
      Agenda for Tuesday, March 4:
      1. Pray
      2. Grammar Notes: Pronoun and Noun Case 
        1. Take notes
      3. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales  
      4. Review HW:
        1. Finish reading the Prologue of Canterbury Tales (3/5)
        2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
        3. Be perfect.
      Agenda for Wednesday, March 5:
      1. Pray
      2. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
        1. Review the Pologue together and take notes. 
        2. Reading Journal: the Prologue 
      3. Review HW:
        1. Finish reading the Prologue of Canterbury Tales (3/5)
        2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
        3. Be perfect.
      Agenda for Thursday, March 6:
      1. Pray
      2. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
        1. Reading Journal: the Prologue 
      3. Review HW:
        1. Finish reading the Prologue of Canterbury Tales (3/5)
        2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
        3. Be perfect.
      Agenda for Friday, March 7:
      1. Pray
      2. Continue reading and studying Canterbury Tales
        1. Reading Journal: the Prologue 
      3. Review HW:
        1. Finish reading the Prologue of Canterbury Tales (3/5)
        2. Study Grammar on Cases of Pronouns and Nouns. Quiz next week. 
        3. Be perfect.
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