The Continence of Christ and Continence of Pagans

Continence of Scipio. Nicolas-Guy Brenet.
Oil on canvas. 1788.

One week from now week from now it will be Lent. Just as the preparatory season of Advent precedes the celebration of Christmas, so the preparatory season of Lent precedes the celebration of Easter. In light of this, we should take this weeks prior to Lent seriously, as a time to take inventory of our souls. What are the physical things we will abstain from? How shall we practice continence? What spiritual disciplines shall we focus on?
Today, consider the Continence of Scipio in contrast to the continence of Christ. Scipio refused the spoils of war and Christ refused spoils of the devil. But the tone is most likely different. Scipio's continence was probably out of contempt (resentiment?) for the Carthaginian women taken in last battle of the second Punic War. But Christ does not condemn matter. Christ's continence seems more out of love for bread that he does not accept the devil's. Christ's continence is not for its own sake but is full of worship for God the Father.

Agenda for Monday, February 24:

1. Pray
2. Finish reading the Omnibus intro to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
3. Reading Journal: Gawain & Manliness
1. What is manliness according to the Scripture? 
2. How does the Gawain poet define manliness? 
3. Compare and contrast manliness in Macbeth and Sir Gawain. 
4. Compare and contrast the story structure in in Macbeth and Sir Gawain. 
4. Review HW:
1. Study for Sir Gawain Exam Wednesday! (2/26)
2. Study Grammar Notes on Pronoun Reference. Quiz tomorrow!
3. Gawain Poetry Projects! (Due 2/27)
4. Be perfect.

Agenda for Tuesday, February 25:

1. Pray
2. Latin Proverb: Sed vinum novum in utres novos mittendum est et utraque conservantur. Et nemo bibens vetus statim vult novum dicit enim vetus melius est. Lucas V:xxxviii
1. "But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. And no man drinking old, hath presently a mind to new: for he saith, The old is better." - Luke 5:38
3. Grammar Quiz: Pronoun Reference 23-4
1. Collect, grade and discuss
4. Study for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Exam
5. Review HW:
1. Study for Sir Gawain Exam Wednesday! (2/26)
2. Study Grammar Notes on Pronoun Reference. Quiz tomorrow!
3. Gawain Poetry Projects! (Due 2/27)
4. Be perfect.

Agenda for Wednesday, February 26:

1. Pray
2. Study for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Exam
3. Review HW:
1. Study for Sir Gawain Exam Wednesday! (2/26)
2. Study Grammar Notes on Pronoun Reference. Quiz tomorrow!
3. Gawain Poetry Projects! (Due 2/27)
4. Be perfect.

Agenda for Thursday, February 27:

1. Pray
2. Present Gawain Poetry Projects 
3. Grammar Notes on Bedford 24. 
4. Review HW:
1. Be perfect.

Agenda for Friday, February 28:

1. Pray
2. Begin Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regnum Britaniae 
3. Review HW:
1. Be perfect.

Week The Feast of Saint Valentine

Bassano, Jacopo. St Valentine Baptizing St Lucilla.
1575. Oil on canvas. Museo Civico, Bassano del Grappa

Happy St. Valentine's Day! Here Bassano shows the influence and beneficent effect of that mysterious figure, Valentinus. He takes his name from the Latin adjective valens, meaning "strong, effective, or influential." Although there is little known about the man, we honor his martyrdom: "The feast of St. Valentine was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who included Valentine among those "...whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God." One story, that he married Christians during a time of Roman persecution, influenced the holiday, which flourished in the days of Chaucer, during the chivalric days of the courtly love of the Middle Ages. 

Agenda for Monday, February 10:

1. Pray
2. Latin for the Week: Si vis amari ama.
1. "If you want to be loved, love." - Seneca the Elder."
3. Work on Revisions and Oral Presentations of Macbeth Essays
4. Read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
5. Review HW:
1. Read Sir Gawain Stanzas 22-79. Quiz tomorrow! (2/11)
2. Macbeth Presentations (2/14)
3. Study Grammar Notes on Pronoun Reference. Quiz next Tuesday!
4. Be perfect.

Agenda for Tuesday, February 11:

1. Pray
2. Grammar Quiz: Pronoun Reference 23-1
3. Reading Check Quiz: Stanzas 22-79, Sir Gawain
4. Collect, grade and discuss
5. Read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:
6. Review HW:
1. Read Sir Gawain Stanzas 80-the end. Quiz next week.  
2. Macbeth Presentations (2/14)
3. Study Grammar Notes. Quiz next week!
4. Be perfect.

Agenda for Wednesday, February 12:

1. Pray
2. Go to Shakespeare Tavern for Much Ado About Nothing!
3. Review HW:
1. Read Sir Gawain Stanzas 80-the end. Quiz next week.
2. Macbeth Presentations (2/14)
3. Study Grammar Notes on Pronoun Reference. Quiz next Tuesday!
4. Be perfect.

Agenda for Thursday, February 13:

1. Pray
2. Read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
3. Work on Macbeth Presentations
4. Review HW:
1. Read Sir Gawain Stanzas 80-the end. Quiz next week.
2. Macbeth Presentations (2/14)
3. Study Grammar Notes on Pronoun Reference. Quiz next Tuesday!
4. Be perfect.

Agenda for Friday, February 14:

1. Pray
2. Macbeth Presentations
3. Read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
4. Review HW:
1. Finish Sir Gawain. Quiz Tuesday! (2/18)
2. Study Grammar Notes on Pronoun Reference. Quiz next Tuesday!
3. Be perfect.