Author Archives: marklangley

About marklangley

Academic Dean at The Lyceum (a school he founded in 2003, see theLyceum.org) Mark loves sacred music and Gregorian Chant and singing with his lovely wife, Stephanie, and their twelve children.

Resurrexit! Easter Brunch 2021!

Posted on April 4, 2021 by marklangley

My chair (the one that I grew up seeing my wife’s father sitting in at every major celebration!) looks ready to celebrate Easter brunch., even if the table is not. But it knows the virtue of patience and is confident … Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, breakfast, Easter, Feasts, Fine Arts | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Where there is love… Ubi Caritas

Posted on April 1, 2021 by marklangley

Today, Holy Thursday, is the day for singing the ancient chant Ubi Caritas! UBI caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur.Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero. Which I translate … Continue reading →

Posted in Feasts, Sacred Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

All Souls’ Day and Dies Irae: The Four Most Profoundly Influential Notes of Gregorian Chant

Posted on November 1, 2020 by marklangley

I am certainly not the first one to make note of the fact that the Sequence, Dies Irae, for All Souls’ Day appears to have made a profound and far ranging contribution to American Culture. From blockbusters like Star Wars … Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, catholic education, Christendom, Sacred Music, Sacrosanctum Consilium, The Mass, William Byrd | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How Does Anyone Love the Lord God With the Whole Mind?

Posted on October 26, 2020 by marklangley

In this last Sunday’s Gospel we hear, You shall love the Lord, your God,with all your heart,with all your soul,and with all your mind. Now I think most people are familiar with the first two thirds of this injunction- we … Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, Catena Aurea, catholic education, classical education, education, Liberal Arts, liberal education | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Pope Pius XI: Encouragement for Teachers From a Teacher’s Pope

Posted on August 21, 2020 by marklangley

No matter what ails the nation, turmoil in the inner city, conflagrations, and riots, anxiety over the upcoming election, fears rational and irrational, nonetheless, along with the season of fall there arrives the insuppressible feeling of a new academic year! … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquinas, catholic education, education, liberal education | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Civil War Did Not End These Four Kinds of Slavery.

Posted on July 8, 2020 by marklangley

The bad news is that the Civil War did not put an end to slavery. Sure, the Civil War did end the apparent and visible slavery that made legal the ownership of human beings by other human beings, whereby the … Continue reading →

Posted in education, liberal education, slavery, Socrates | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Are You a Slave to Fashion?

Posted on June 16, 2020 by marklangley

I don’t have any strong objection to men dressing according to the fashions of the 12th or 13th century if they happen to live in the 12th or 13th century. I assume the gentleman in the picture thought that he … Continue reading →

Posted in classical education, fashion, liberal education, slavery | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Till We Have Faces

Posted on May 25, 2020 by marklangley

I miss the human face…don’t you? Isn’t it interesting how that is? Did you think you would ever miss the human face? Who would ever have guessed it? What is about the face that is so important? I suppose it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, fashion | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Stop Saying Health is a Common Good!

Posted on May 24, 2020 by marklangley

Has there ever been an epoch in human history in which greater service, more profound obeisance, deeper devotion has been paid to the very end and purpose of all creation- the common good? Or maybe not? Let’s remind ourselves quickly … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Common Good, Herodotus | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Clarence, Get Me Back! I Want to Live Again!

Posted on May 13, 2020 by marklangley

Well, this certainly has been an exciting experiment! But to be perfectly honest, as they say, I have seen enough. Whereas Frank Capra’s George Bailey was granted the experience (thanks to his guardian angel!) of seeing what life would be … Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, Common Good, Fine Arts | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments