started school, read a new book, have a new office quote

So yesterday I started school, and found out that in my 6:30 pm "Letter to the Romans" class, that we will be learning biblical Greek in order to understand the contextual and cultural references from which Paul is writing. It is fascinating. Here is one small example: Rom. 1:1 "Paul, a slave of Christ...called to be and apostle". This can read to us like a standard greeting. But two significant things are contained in this seemingly simple greeting. The first is this: by calling himself a slave he is claiming both the authority and the protection of his master. Something highly noticable and important to the Romans in the way it is put forth. The second is the use of 'called', in our modern translations we add the words 'to be' so that it is grammatically correct and understandable to us. But, directly translated it is simply 'called apostle' which holds much more significance to Paul. To be 'called' something holds a much more absoluteness than our understanding of this reference today. The Greek- Kaleo- to call- denotes a 100% absoluteness of apostleship. His apostleship is called into being by God like the light from the darkness, in Greek this is known as the 'divine passive' use of the term. In light of this a better translation between the words 'called apostle' would be "by God and am" rather than "to be". It seems a small thing, but it changes the intention, perceptions and significance of the letter, right from the first sentence from mere greeting to something holding great cultural depth.

I'm enjoying learning the Greek alphabet and roots, but its going to be difficult. My professor for this class is a genius, Fr. John Boettcher, a Physicist with a doctorate from the Vatican in Scripture. He will expect greatness of mind at 9pm-mid work week...ugghhhh. But I am excited. I have wanted to take a biblical Greek class for some time. I feel like I missed out somehow by never taking Latin. I know little bits and pieces just from prayers, and songs at church, but the roots of the ancient romance languages have always fascinated me. So, anyway I got my Greek workbook yesterday and have set myself to the talk. Dovle- I am a slave to it!

My first professor, Msgr Turro, is very popular and there are nearly 70 of us in that class. he gave great Intro the New Testament Letters by giving us a characterization and history of St. Paul. I won't get into it, but he had us mesmerized for an hour, and then let us go for the day...so instead of a three hour break, i had a six hour break. Being the first day of classes there was not much to do...so I read in the library.

"The Hunger Games"

My Assistant Susan gave me a book called "The Hunger Games" by Suzzane Collins for Christmas. It was great. An easy read, I finished it in one day, but it was a fun read. Basically it is set in the (how far?) future North America in hat was once the United States. The evil Capital divides the country into 12 districts (they destroyed district 13 completely after a revolt) and force each district to send one male and female 'tribute' to the capital each year to compete in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death. Its by no means a new concept, but its done well and the characters come alive and you love the main character and want her to survive and hate the capital as you are meant to. There is some 'big brother' some 'survivor' some 'Island of Dr. Moreau' and some 'The Lottery'. so yeah, if you have an afternoon, read it up :)


Office quote of the day:

"As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive, we could power a small fan for two days. You tell me what's unethical."

- Dwight Schrute


And now back to work :) man it is snowing something fierce outdoors today. Its New Egland winter wonderland out there folks!

Tuesday, January 13th

A day like any other...except this one is happening right now.

In one hour the 2nd grade will flood into the church to make their First Reconciliation...I don't have time to expound on that the way I would llike, the beauty and innocence of the children, the wealth of grace and mercy int he beauty of the sacrament...it is amazing...and it encourages me greatly.


and now for somethign completely different

Office quote of the day

"Ryan took some of the branch managers and toby into the woods , for a kind of "get to know you" weekend. Michael wasn't invited. Apparently, they already knew everything they needed to know about him."- Pam

I'm running late for the church now so no more procrastinating for me!

A cold and snowy wind...

A cold and snowy wind is blowing all around me...my office windows are rattling...I want to go home but there is no end in sight...and apparantly I'm on the interent procrastinating...

January 8th Office quote:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some bad news. Meredith was hit by a car....It happened this morning in the parking lot. I took her to the hospital. The doctors tried to save her life, they did the best they could...and she is going to be okay."
Michael Scott

My favorite part of that scene is not in the quote though, when Stanley yells at him and says, "What the HELL is wrong with you?!"

I'm having a long day at work today, I have so much paperwork and projects and planning...(Ski trip for this year leaves on Friday the 13th...makes me wary...and I'm already planning the summer retreat and all the fundraising for it because we are so broke...First Reconciliation next week, Confirmation, First COmmunion and Easter Vigil Sacramental prep, confirmation exam review this weekend...ugggghhhhhh)

Motivational speaker this weekend too and we're calling 280 people to remind/beg them to come...YAY...He's flying in during a mjor snow storm adn I have to go get him and host him all weekend...good times...

More meetings tonite...and then working in the parish library, building the dvd/cd shelves from Ikea, labelling and catalouging endless books, dvds, cds, perodicals..etc...

Then going to the gym and passing out...hopefully I'll be able to sleep tonite because I have a migraine so painful that I haven't slept in three days...and I ran out of excedrin today...and its too cold out to go get more...

On an up note I registered for my classes today and I'm so excited!!!!

It's not interesting to anyone but me I'm sure...but, I am taking

"The New Testament Letters" with the amazing Monsignor Turro who just happens to love me and give me As all the time :) :)

&

"St. Paul's Letter to the Romans" with Fr. Boettcher, who I have never had before.
I hope he doesn't dislike women in seminary classes because I have a 4.0 and I don't want to ruin it....hmmmmm

It makes for along Wednesday. The first class is from 10:30-1:25
and the second is from 6:30- 9:15

I'll have plenty of time at the library on campus in between for homework I guess because its too far to come back and go again.

I was going to take another class (Pneumatology/Evangelization)in between those two, but the professor is really difficult and I was afraid of the workload of three classes and working full time, (and I couldn't afford it because the church stopped paying for my school....) so I'm going to take that class in summer session in June and then I just have my thesis and graduation next December!!!! Any thesis ideas?????

y luego que? and then what...


"After that who cares!"- Mary Bailey


I will be a master of theology, that is all I know...oh except that it is completely and utterly unmarketable....YAY!!!

The Office Season 4

Okay, so I got an amazing gift from my brother Chris of the season four dvd set of the Office...and I can't stop watching it, witht he commentaries adn deleted scenes it slike a wonderful little dvd playground...so i thoguth I would share with you the quote of the day from my office calendar....yes...it was a very office Christmas...


"I think it's great that the company is making a commercial. because not very many people have heard of us. I mean, when i tell people that I work for Dunder Mifflin, they think that we sell mufflers, or muffins, or mittens, or...
And frankly, all of those sound better than paper so, I let it slide." - Jim Halpert

that is all- thank you for tuning in.

Hallelujah...couldn't resist :) :)

Santa Claus is Thumbin' to Town....

I love Relient K...

So I posted two of the songs off of their Christmas Album that I am listening to while at work....The happy loud funk beats keep my focused adn working quickly :) :)


I'm an easy sell :)

Our band is working on a cover of the Song "I Celebrate the Day"...hope we get it ready by Christmas Eve :) :)

I Celebrate The Day