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Porphyry’s Comparisons of the Five Predicables

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Porphyry’s Introduction offers a careful explanation of how the five predicables—Genus, Difference, Species, Property, and Accident—relate to one another. These comparisons help us understand how each term functions in logic, and how they are similar or different when used to describe the natures of things. Genus and Difference Both genus and difference can be said of species and of individuals. They are not destroyed when their subjects cease to exist, because they describe general natures that remain in thought. Yet, genus and difference are not equal. A genus is said of more things than a difference, for it is broader. … Continue

TRV-371 Lesson 01 – Porphyry, Chapter 1

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Prelection Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. This lecture is intended for students enrolled in the Academy’s Classical Reasoning I course. If you’re not enrolled and would like to join us for self-paced studies, visit classicalliberalarts.com. My name is William Michael. I’m the academy headmaster, and I’ll be leading this study of Chapter One of Porphyry’s Introduction. Porphyry was a Greek philosopher who lived from 234 to 305 AD. He wrote this work, the Introduction, as a commentary on Aristotle’s Categories—really a preparation for the study of Aristotle’s Categories. He wrote this around 268–270 AD. The Introduction is called … Continue

Seeing God in the Small Coincidences

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A Meditation on Divine Providence for Catholic Mothers The Wonder of God’s Hidden Patterns Sometimes, God speaks softly — not in thunder or visions, but in the quiet rhythm of daily life. Perhaps you have noticed it too: a string of small coincidences that make you pause and wonder if Heaven is near. When one of my children moved away, someone signed up for our program in that very same town. It happened again and again — a book request, a request for more information, a new student plan — in Colorado Springs, in Wilmington, in Alabama, even in the … Continue

When the Children Fight All Day: Finding Peace in the Midst of Noise

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Introduction: The Noise That Tries a Mother’s Heart Some days, the house seems filled with constant quarrels. Voices rise, the kids pick on each other relentlessly, and your patience stretches thin. You tell them to stop — but they don’t. You try to reason — but to no avail. You want peace, yet all you feel is exhaustion. I’ve known days like this. On such days, I keep my rosary in my pocket and put on sacred music, hoping the melody will do what my words cannot — soothe restless hearts. I reach for my prayer book and whisper the … Continue

Loving the Wayward Adult Child: Truth, Justice, and a Mother’s Heart

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When a son or daughter reaches adulthood, a mother’s role changes, but her love does not. The heart that once stayed up through sleepless nights now keeps vigil through prayer. What once required guidance through childhood now calls for wisdom in respecting freedom. Many Catholic parents face this trial: their child is grown, making choices that wound both faith and family. This season demands courage — not the courage of control, but of trust. How can a mother speak truth without alienating her child? How can she show mercy without enabling sin? The Church, in her wisdom, offers light for … Continue

Was Abraham the Father of Mathematics?

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In Jewish and Christian literature and art, we find the patriarch Abraham described as the father of the mathematical sciences.  If we read the Old Testament, we never find Abraham explicitly descrived as a mathematician or scientist. In the Bible, Abraham is honored as a man who lived by faith—a patriarch called by God to leave his homeland and trust in God’s promises. There appears to be no mention of experience with any of the mathematical arts. So, where did this tradition interpretation of Abraham the mathematician come from? The inspiration for that later interpretation is found in Genesis 15:5, where … Continue

A Normal School Day in Our Home

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Recently, a mother asked me what a “normal school day” looks like in our home. The truth is, no two days are exactly alike—but after many years of homeschooling, we’ve found a rhythm that works well for this season of life. We are down to our youngest four children studying with me at home, ages 16, 15, 13, and 10, and that makes a big difference. They are much more independent than they were when I had several little ones at home. What I’d like to share is not a rigid schedule, but a simple framework—a pattern that other mothers … Continue

Keeping a Clean Home, One Day at a Time

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Principles for Order and Peace in the Catholic Home “God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”— 1 Corinthians 14:33 The Desire for Order Every Catholic mother knows the longing for a peaceful home. We want our homes to be places of warmth, beauty, and rest—a refuge for our families and a place where God is honored. Yet the daily work of keeping such a home can feel endless. The laundry never ends. Dishes multiply. Little hands scatter toys faster than we can gather them. In these moments, it’s easy to lose heart and to confuse order with … Continue