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.

 




 

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.