Prima quae prius. In Latin, 'first things first'. To begin with, this image of two boxers is captivating is it not? You can imagine the scene; yells, cheers, screams for your fighter to win and the group hum of activity surrounding your head, what a thrill! Ultimately, what makes this worth it for the spectator and the fighters is that there is a struggle, that there is a battle to win. We Christians know there is a battle in this life now more than ever and we must be ready. Just like these men trained for a long match, we too are in it for life. Tragically and comically though we are fighting and training all at the same time every day, at least it sure feels that way to me!
Chesterton Academy students fight joyfully with books
So what the heck does this have to do with books? Well, strong solid books are simply strong solid ideas put down. The reason they are put down is twofold; one being that it is a great way to share beautiful and timely ideas and secondly it can't really be manipulated or destroyed. (Oh yeah, what if we just burned all the books we hate, then what?)
If you mean it, you write it down. It means you had the courage to get in the ring and publish your ideas. The world of book publishing will sift you out and if a nugget survives the tumble and jostle of the critic and the storms, well, you live on via the book because of the ideas. At Chesterton Academy of Saint John Paul II Classical School we are proud to do battle with great ideas because they are great. We offer that richness to our students because it is wholesome, organic and good for you! And unlike some nutritious food, always delicious.
Chesterton Academy students don't suffer fools
Do you want your child to be manipulated by the latest trend or whim? Do you want your child to not know how to logically think and know the Truth of things? Do you want your child to be shallow and anxious because they cannot spend any length of time reading and discussing important book and ideas with their peers? Check this data out: “In 1980, 60 percent of 12th graders said they read a book, newspaper or magazine every day that wasn’t assigned for school. By 2016, only 16 percent did – a huge drop, even though the book, newspaper or magazine could be one read on a digital device”.
Hey, who's worried though? With the deeply alluring and addictive nature of smartphones and social media, we really have to safeguard the mental space needed for the deep and contemplative thinking that is best for them. That is why at Chesterton Academy, we have a rigorous curriculum without the need for much technology. (Ok, take a deep breath, wait till the room stops spinning and please continue to read). I love technology for the many things it can do, such as sending you this blog, please share! However, it was not around for the vast existence of human history and we have come up with some pretty solid work so far don't you think? At Chesterton Academy of Saint John Paul II, students will read Aristotle and Plato and see how they informed Aquinas and they will also read Cervantes and Shakespeare and then into Dickens and Dostoevsky. and this is just some of the authors in philosophy, literature and theology!
Chesterton Academy students are happy
We live in a Twitter and Facebook flamethrower society that is trying to manipulate and grab our attention so that we can become their consumer plaything. Why do we let them manipulate and control us? Because we are weak and fascinated with the temporal. We are gluttons for the immediate and the right now. In part because we read less books, discuss great ideas less, debate and reason less and don't seek to be virtuous. Just to remain relevant enough to be noticed and "liked" on social media. This will not be the case at Chesterton Academy. We put first things first, not second rate garbage. As C.S. Lewis said: Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first & we lose both first and second things. We are preparing joyful, well-rounded and clear thinking individuals to boldly proclaim the Goodness of God and the Truth He wants us to seek. Like the fighter in the ring, or arena, we welcome the challenge because we are honest about the struggles of life, but we also know we have won and therefore live a purposeful life of faith, hope and love.
***Please join us Thursday, December 3rd at 6:00 Pm for an amazing virtual event with Commander Amy Hunt, Vice President of Formation for the Chesterton Schools Network. The link to join will be posted on the SJPII Facebook site and on the SJPII homepage on Wednesday December 2nd.
AMDG,
Patrick McKeown