Prayer Before Study

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by St. Thomas Aquinas Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding.  Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance.  Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.  Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.  Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this … Continue

Recommended: Life of St. Dominic

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After many years of anticipation, my wife and I are finally free to pursue what we have discerned to be a vocation to the Third Order of St. Dominic and are currently participating as “Inquirers” in 2021.  I first communicated with the Lay Dominicans in western North Carolina in 2008, but their meetings were almost 4 hours away and there was no way to participate at the time.  Thanks be to God, a chapter was organized at the new St. Joseph Seminary in Charlotte, which is only 40 minutes from our home, so we’re able to answer this call at … Continue

Why Pray the Rosary?

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As a convert from Protestantism, I have struggled through the years to understand and appreciate the Rosary.  Nevertheless, I am wise enough to know that any aversion to a devotion recommended by so many saints and wise men is a problem with me, and not the Rosary.   Before I pray the Rosary, I have asked God to help me understand and appreciate it personally, so that my mind can comprehend and my heart embrace it as I should.  In this article, I’d like to share some of the reflections I have had over time.  I hope that this helps others, … Continue

There is Only One Way to Learn the Classical Catholic Curriculum

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It is common today to hear teachers, parents and students talking about “learning styles”.  While there may be truth in this analysis of student learning, it is irrelevant when we consider classical Catholic education.  If mastery of the classical Catholic curriculum is our goal, there is only one way to learn. For more videos, please subscribe to the CLAA YouTube channel.

Advice on Writing

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I’d like to take some time to talk to students about learning how to write. It seems basic, it seems like every school teaches children to write. But the truth is that they don’t. In fact, modern schools fail terribly in teaching writing. And colleges often have to do the work of teaching 1819 20 year old students how to write basic themes and essays. Because in 12 years of schooling, they never learned to do it. A modern schools do not teach writing well, and many homeschool programs commit the same exact mistakes that modern schools do. The number … Continue

What is the Goal of a Classical Liberal Arts Education?

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The goal of education is not to lead students to practice the skills of wise men or successful professionals, but to teach them the objective content of the arts and sciences needed to do so if and when they choose to.  In a classical liberal arts education, we avoid the errors of modern schools and homeschool programs that reach beyond the mission of schools. To get this right, let’s ask some basic questions most never ask. Understanding the Student A student is normally a child, being prepared by adults for his future life.  The child is growing and developing, gaining … Continue

How to Prepare a Homeschool Transcript

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When children teach the end of their homeschool years,  I often get messages from parents asking about transcripts.   I tell them,  “No, I am not the administrator of your homeschool.  You are.”  Other homeschool publishers like to pretend that they are the school administrators,  and they need to provide the transcripts,  but they do this for money– and it’s not good for your children. In this article I will explain how to prepare a homeschool transcript. Give Your Child the Best Education Possible As a home school parent you have the right to give your children an education that serves … Continue

The Family Home

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“Who is not struck with beholding your lively faith; your piety full of sweetness and modesty; your generous hospitality; the holiness which reigns within your families; the serenity and innocence of your conversation?” St. Clement, Pope and Martyr, First Epistle to the Corinthians. “All the institutions and ordinances which God has created in civil society or bestowed upon his Church, have for their main purpose to secure the existence, the honor, and the happiness of every home in the community, from that of the sovereign or supreme magistrate to that of the most obscure individual who labors to rear a … Continue

Homeschool Accreditation is NOT Necessary

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During enrollment season, we get calls and messages from parents asking about homeschool accreditation.  The answer is very simple–NO–for two very simple reasons: What is Accreditation? “Accreditation” is something modern schools use to persuade parents that their program is trustworthy when there’s nothing better for them to trust in.  Modern Catholic homeschool programs, for example, can’t appeal to Catholic history because they’re not teaching what the saints studied.  They have to offer parents the same thing the local public school has to offer:  secular accreditation.  Accreditation is not something parents must seek to teach their own children.  Doing so makes … Continue

Accepting Our Lot in Life

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In the book of Psalms, David speaks of contenment with one’s lot in life: The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is goodly to me.  (Psalm 16:6) In modern society, there is often a strong separation between our spiritual lives and our practical lives in the world.  Sure, we may go to Mass, say our prayers, and so on, but when it’s time to deal with “real life” issues–education, college, career, business, and so on, there seems to be little relation between what goes on in our “spiritual life” and what goes on everywhere else.  … Continue