An Aid To Memory

I have been so engrossed in preparing for the GRE, that the vocabulary words have been swirling in my head. In a fit of randomness, I thought I would share my 10 favorite GRE words, with definitions and sentences:

10. Gratuitous - unwarranted; The GRE contained gratuitous common language.
9. Grandiloquent - using big words; Using the word grandiloquent is itself grandiloquent.
8. Capricious - unpredictable; I am sick of her capricious attendance at work.
7. Verisimilitudinous- likelihood, probable; His getting shot with arrows in the play was verisimilitudinous; I really believed he was St. Sebastian.
6. Countenance- to approve; He refused to countenance such behavior by withholding his usual response of "sure, dog?".
5. Malingerer- one who fakes illness to avoid work; Nothing is worse than an assiduous malingerer; someone who works hard to avoid work.
4. Brook- to tolerate or endure; He could brook no more time with his girlfriend Brooke.
3. Inveterate- deep-rooted, habitual; Studying for the GRE was becoming such an inveterate task, the strain caused him to start smoking.
2. Lugubrious- mournful; She was in a lugubrious state after her high-speed Internet connection was down for yet another hour.
1. Protean- versatile; Even though he was a protean Philatelist, having the ability to classify stamps of every era and country, he couldn’t even pump his own gas.

Okay, this is kind of dorky, but studying for the GRE for hours a day will do that to you.

Advent has finally arrived! The season of expectant waiting before Christmas has always been one of my favorite seasons of the Church Year. I wish everyone a Blessed Advent, and may the season be a period of reflection and Christian simplicity over and against the pre-Christmas secular madness. We have some Advent information, prayers, and canticles up, as well as information on using your Advent wreath. Jonathan has a collection of Advent-related posts in the blog world. Shameless plugs finished!

I am gearing up to take the GRE, learning new words and trying to recall old math formulas. I am taking it on Wednesday, December 1st. I am not too worried about the test, mainly because if I do horribly, I can just take it again and apply to grad schools later. I am content with my future plans (or so I tell myself). I have been studying a lot, eating more fish and swallowing fish oil supplements (a recent study connected fish oil with better concentration), taking some expired Ginkgo I have been meaning to use up, and making sure my diet has plenty of the B vitamins and B vitamin-like factors (e.g. Choline and Inositol). I have also been exercising regularly as always. All of this is designed to keep my mind relatively sharp for test day. Oh yeah…I have been praying a Novena for it too.

Finally, I am waiting expectantly for my girlfriend Maria’s visit, looking forward to that day with more excitement as her arrival looms.

To all of my readers, especially my American ones that celebrate the holiday, Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. My family always goes down to my grandma’s for Thanksgiving dinner, after we have picked up my great aunt from her residence, now unfortunately a nursing home. On the way over we always stop for some Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino, which helps warm us up on the crisp late-November afternoon. The heaping portions of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry dessert, and (of course) pumpkin pie always leave me well-sated. It is also a time for the family to get together and to reflect on all the blessings we have, which for me seem to have increased geometrically this year, with my becoming Catholic and meeting Maria. This year I have added what is I hope to become a new tradition. I began Thanksgiving Day with Mass (the Eucharist, "Thanksgiving"). I think it is a fitting way to begin the Thanksgiving holiday.

Image from: http://www.dolfzine.com/page387.htm

I remember when I was an Episcopal Seminarian (for one quarter), I was assigned to a parish that prided itself on being progressive and "cutting edge." It was with great lassitude that I drove downtown 3 times a week to the near empty cathedral-sized church. One Sunday while planning worship, we discussed Christ the King Sunday. One of the members of the parish council made an offhand comment about redefining Christ the King Sunday. I thought he was joking, and I made a joke that instead of Christ the King Sunday, why not have "Christ our democratically elected leader" Sunday instead? Needless to say, nobody else was laughing. I went into the priest’s office where he explained to me why we needed to divest our worship of any "king" language. He showed me an article explaining why modern men and women (mostly the academic activist variety) feel oppressed by kingly language, and why we must be sensitive and stop using such language. I had already disabused myself of the notion that I would be an Episcopal priest, so I took it with a grain of salt knowing I would be out of that parish in a few weeks. This polite altercation (there is no other kind among Episcopalians) led my brother to write this article.

I should have explained to this priest the way in which Christ is actually king. I should have told him that the Church sees Christ as humble king, and his role as Lord is one bestowed on him on account of his great humility. In other words, Christ is king because he is servant to all. A crucifix is actually a fitting symbol of Christ’s perfect and humble kingship. Of course it is likely he already knows what the Church teaches, and really doesn’t care. Needless to say, Christ is King, and in a jaded, capricious, and troubled world, this is great comfort. I for one gladly submit to Christ as King, and like all those who submit to him, have found his kingdom peaceful and completely full of grace, without any hint of oppression. Happy Christ the King feast!

It seems like a lof of people besides me are focused on graduate school. My girlfriend Maria recently blogged on the topic of grad school. She does a great job of exploring the choices facing women in Academia today. While I know I have some girlfriend bias operating when I link over to her posts, her post is definitely worth a read. She and I have had a lot of discussions on this topic, and we both agree that keeping a healthy balance between family and school is crucial, and if either is to take precedence… it’s family. However, there is certainly no need to only have one or the other; both can work. I want to blog on this whole topic at some point, but it will have to wait.

Jonathan is blogging about grad school too. He raises many of the same questions I have about the details of getting a PhD in theology, although after a few emails today, his (and my) situation seems more promising. I live in the same house with him, so I get inside info. Browse his blog if you can help him with details.

And my friend Anastasia, from In Saecula Saeculorum, is always blogging about her PhD program, and her struggles to start and complete her dissertation.

I just put up a Greek and Latin Resources page, mainly so I can have the resources handy, but also for others searching for this type of information. I too am looking into graduate school for next year, and ask your prayers while I do this. This blog will probably have updates on occasion as time permits.

Note: the photo is an early image of the University of Nebraska, and is from:
http://www.kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/graphics/lancaster-g4.html

George Bush has been re-elected as president of the United States. I am not elated, that is for sure. The lesser of two evils has won. This is some comfort, but not much. However, it seems possible now with Bush as president, and a larger Republican majority in the Senate, that Roe v. Wade may actually be overturned, and abortion regulations perhaps again will be placed into the hands of the states.

However, let’s pray that George Bush makes wiser decisions this term about war, economic matters, alternative fuels, healthcare, and prescription drugs. I would also like to see Bush seek to better relations with Muslims, since his actions have fueled such anger among them, much of it legitimate. No matter what happens, we must continue to pray for our leaders.

As a side note, initiatives banning gay “marriage” have passed overwhelmingly in 11 states. The wide margin of support shows that the American public is uncomfortable with activist judges changing the definition of marriage. While Americans are more accepting of gay unions, the people have spoken quite clearly about so-called gay “marriage.”

Today is All Souls’ Day in the Church calendar, and Election Day for the United States.

All Souls’ Day is when the Church remembers and prays for all of the faithful departed, that is those who have died in Christ’s love, but who are not quite ready for reality of heaven and must be purified. This state of purification is called Purgatory. On All Souls’ Day we offer up prayers and Masses on behalf of our departed brothers, sisters, friends, and relatives. Not only do we believe that those in the state of purification benefit from our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, but we also benefit from the process. Remembering and praying for our departed loved ones always brings me a sense of peace and calm, and gives me a time to remember them in the midst of a busy day.

The election is today too. My girlfriend Maria has posted some Election Prayers that I think are excellent. Check them out, and if you live in the US, get out and vote!