"'Education is the Science of Relations'; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we train him upon physical exercises, nature lore, handicrafts, science and art, and upon many living books, for we know that our business is not to teach him all about anything, but to help him to make valid as many as may be of––
'Those first-born affinities,
That fit our new existence to existing things.'"

Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education
with a quote from The Prelude by William Wordsworth

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Lenten studies

We started our Lenten season with My Path to Heaven by Geoffry Bliss, S.J. This is a beautiful program that is simple to do, yet full of depth. I am reading it with Ds#1 and Ds#2, though my older is getting much more out of it. The boys "fasted" today by skipping snacks and desserts while I fasted more rigorously. Ds#1 is passing up desserts for the season, Ds#2 is going to pray an additional time during the day, and Ds#3 will give me even more hugs ;-) We received our ashes as a family late this evening.

Lent is a wonderful season for growing our love for Jesus. It's not as busy as Advent, yet culminates in our holiest of days. Fasting, praying, and giving charity as a Church unifies us and supports each individual. These end days of winter are good for meditation, at least here in the NE. The cyclic nature further focuses our family. It's a good time to include praying and meditating about homeschool, too.

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