Dear friends in Christ,
In the coming week we will have another class on Ecclesiastes — picking up at 8:2 and going into the beautiful chapter 9. In the City of God (XX.3), Augustine writes: “In fact, Solomon [whom he takes to be the author of Ecclesiastes] gives over the entire book of Ecclesiastes to suggesting, with such fullness as he judged adequate, the emptiness of this life, with the ultimate objective, to be sure, of making us yearn for another kind of life which is no unsubstantial shadow under the sun but substantial reality under the sun’s Creator.”
The class is scheduled to meet twice, so if you can’t make the one, perhaps you can make the other:
Sunday, 10am, 5th floor
Thursday (December 18), 12:40pm, 2nd floor
Each class lasts about 40 minutes.
The study of Ecclesiastes will continue through Sunday, January 4, but on Sundays only: this week will be the final Thursday repeat class. (Something else is happening on Thursday, December 25 . . . )
As I’ve previously announced, we have many good classes coming in 2015: the rector’s Christian doctrine class on Tuesday evenings (begins January 13); a discussion of Christopher Beha’s What Happened to Sophie Wilder on Monday, January 26, at 6:15pm; and on three Wednesdays in Lent, Professor Jeremy Waldon on human dignity.
On Monday, December 15, I will lead the final Dante seminar in Andrew Hall at 6:15pm This will be a bit of a celebration of our six-month series of discussions on the Divine Comedy, and also a celebration of the pilgrim reaching the end of his journey in Paradise. Anyone is welcome to the seminar who has read Paradiso cantos 18-33. The seminar lasts for 90 minutes.
A new announcement: On Sunday, January 11, at 10am, a class on T. S. Eliot’s “Ariel” poems–poems that he wrote/sent at Christmastime, with the most famous being “The Journey of the Magi.” Our parishioner Dr. Robert Duvall will be leading this class.
Finally, if I may, a personal note: Wednesday, December 17, will be the 2nd anniversary of the death of my wife, Susan. I will be saying the 8 a.m. mass that morning in our chantry chapel; whether or not you can be present, it would be lovely if you could remember her in prayer that day.
Blessings to each of you as we come towards the end of the season of waiting,
Father Austin
