Category Archives: Temptation

A Sacrifice Too Far: There is a Sacrifice that Gives Meaning to All Sacrifice

Posted on April 5, 2020 by marklangley

On Palm Sunday the entire Passion of Our Lord is famously read at Mass throughout the world. But today, in the midst of the present crisis it is sure to strike Catholics everywhere with new poignancy – especially when Our … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Good, Council of Trent, Modernists, Temptation, The Mass | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Why I do not want to be the King of Scotland

Posted on February 25, 2020 by marklangley

I’m not so certain that I want to be king of Scotland anymore. After reading The Tragedy of Macbeth with my students, I am having a difficult time shaking off a sense that life is meaningless when worldly ambition is the governing principle. … Continue reading →

Posted in classical education, Literature, Shakespeare, Temptation, truth for its own sake | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sin is first in the will: a brief lesson in morality from Lady Macbeth

Posted on February 20, 2020 by marklangley

Of all the authors we should compel our students to read, surely no one is so foolhardy as to demand a reason for reading Shakespeare. I can forgive the one who asks, Why should students read Aeschylus? Or Why do you force them to … Continue reading →

Posted in aeschylus, Augustine, catholic education, classical education, Literature, Shakespeare, Temptation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Lord’s Prayer: What Does “Lead Us Not Into Temptation” Mean?

Posted on June 6, 2019 by marklangley

Well… I tried explaining this very thing back in 2017 but as a seasoned teacher, I know the importance of repetition. More than most, I know that, “Repetitio est mater memoriae!” Additionally, (and thankfully!) we classical teachers are an extremely patient … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquinas, Augustine, Lord's Prayer, Temptation, The Passion | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

“’Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall.”: Why we are Tempted

Posted on March 11, 2019 by marklangley

Saint Luke begins the story about Our Lord’s temptation in the desert saying, [1] And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the desert, [2] For the space of forty days; and … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquinas, Catena Aurea, Lord's Prayer, Temptation | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments