Another Sign That We Are Tolkien Nerds


"Lev!  No being Gollum at the dinner table."

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St. George, Princess Una, and the Dragon: How to Grow Up

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When we first meet St. George of Merry England, he is simply called the Red Cross Knight, because he carries a shield with a red cross on it. The shield has been used by many other knights to win great battles, but he himself has never been tried in battle and does not even know his own name.  The Fairy Queen has sent him to kill a dragon that is ravaging the land of Princess Una, his traveling companion. Una’s face is veiled and she wears a black cloak. She had been on a journey to find a champion. She has been on a long journey and has faced many dangers.  Notice that at the beginning of the adventure, the Red Cross Knight knows neither his name nor where he was born. If the journey is also metaphorical, his will be to discover his identity on the way.  Una, on the other hand, does know who she is. Yet she has to some extent renounced her identity as princess, disguised herself with a cloak and veil, and left the safety of home to find a champion. The king and queen can...
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Follow the Light: Dormition, Church New Year, & the Birth of the Mother of God

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We celebrated the Dormition of the Mother of God in the Orthodox Church on August 15. This means we’re celebrating the death of Mary, the mother of Jesus. But we’re not just a bunch of macabre weirdos! This feast marks the end of the yearly cycle of feasts, since church New Year is September 1st. We begin with the birth of Mary, on September 8th, and end with her death, every year. As Christians, we follow the life of the Mother of God--the first Christian.  Why is it that the death of Mary completes the liturgical year? For an answer, we can turn to the icon. We see Mary in death on the bier, with the disciples gathered around, mourning, singing the funeral hymns, and burning incense. Behind the bier, we see Christ, and he is holding a small, child-sized figure. This is the soul of Mary, which Christ is carrying to heaven.  It’s also the inverse of the typical image of Mary holding baby Jesus. Rather than the human mother holding and protecting the divine-human child, the God...
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Don't ever let anyone tell you a Great Books education is impractical.

Tuesday is Treat Tuesday, and the kids wanted to go to the Halloween Store. Me, quoting Epictetus: When you go to the bath, you want not only to go to the bath but to keep your choices in accord with nature. There will be people who splash, and people who yell. Your robe may be stolen. But you must keep your choices in accord with nature. Me: Children, in the same way, when you go to the Halloween Store, you want not only to go to the store but to keep your choices in accord with nature. It may be very loud, you may want a lot of things, your mom will tell you you can only have one thing. But you must keep your choices in accord with nature. Result? A nice outing to the Halloween Store, where each kid picked out one inexpensive thing and was happy with it. Keep those choices in accord with nature, baby!
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