Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The Nativity Story
John has just blogged about this very undervalued movie, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes as the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Monday, December 11, 2006
Christmas Furlough
This blog is going temporarily offline for Christmas.
O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars together,
proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth!
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in,
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel! (Phillips Brooks 1867, from Luke 2:8–18)
O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars together,
proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth!
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in,
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel! (Phillips Brooks 1867, from Luke 2:8–18)
Friday, December 08, 2006
The Greek Alphabet (10): The Last Three Letters
We have three final letters to learn:
The letter mu is the Greek "m", written μ (capital Μ).
The letter zeta is the Greek "z", written ζ (capital Ζ).
The letter xi is the Greek "x" (as in "fox"), written ξ (capital Ξ).
Using these last three letters we can make the words δοξα ("doxa", meaning "glory", as in our word "doxology") and ζωη ("zoe", another word for "life", as in our word "zoology").
We have not presented the Greek letters in alphabetical order -- see here for the correct order.
Greek uses capital letters for the start of a paragraph, the start of a quote (instead of quotation marks), and for proper names, so we can now recognise names in the New Testament. For example, look at the first 12 verses of Luke 24:
τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέως ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα ἦλθον φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα. εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, εἰσελθοῦσαι δὲ οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ. ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὰ πρόσωπα εἰς τὴν γῆν εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτάς, Τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλὰ ἠγέρθη. μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, λέγων τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὅτι δεῖ παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σταυρωθῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι. καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς λοιποῖς. ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ Ἰωάννα καὶ Μαρία ἡ Ἰακώβου: καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα. καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς. Ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια μόνα: καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.
I hope this little taste of Greek has been enjoyable. Have a Blessed Christmas!
The letter mu is the Greek "m", written μ (capital Μ).
The letter zeta is the Greek "z", written ζ (capital Ζ).
The letter xi is the Greek "x" (as in "fox"), written ξ (capital Ξ).
Using these last three letters we can make the words δοξα ("doxa", meaning "glory", as in our word "doxology") and ζωη ("zoe", another word for "life", as in our word "zoology").
We have not presented the Greek letters in alphabetical order -- see here for the correct order.
Greek uses capital letters for the start of a paragraph, the start of a quote (instead of quotation marks), and for proper names, so we can now recognise names in the New Testament. For example, look at the first 12 verses of Luke 24:
τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέως ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα ἦλθον φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα. εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, εἰσελθοῦσαι δὲ οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ. ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὰ πρόσωπα εἰς τὴν γῆν εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτάς, Τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλὰ ἠγέρθη. μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, λέγων τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὅτι δεῖ παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σταυρωθῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι. καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς λοιποῖς. ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ Ἰωάννα καὶ Μαρία ἡ Ἰακώβου: καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα. καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς. Ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια μόνα: καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.
I hope this little taste of Greek has been enjoyable. Have a Blessed Christmas!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
The Greek Alphabet (9): The Father of Lies
Another two letters for today:
The Greek letter delta is written δ (capital Δ) and pronounced like "d" in English. The shape of the capital letter is why "delta" is also used as a name for triangular shapes.
The Greek letter psi is written ψ (capital Ψ) and pronounced like "ps" in English.
With these letters, we can make the word ψευδος ("pseudos" - meaning "lie"). The prefix ψευδο, meaning "false" is also often used.
The father of lies (John 8:44) is the Devil, διαβολος ("diabolos" - from which we get the English word "diabolical").
The Greek letter delta is written δ (capital Δ) and pronounced like "d" in English. The shape of the capital letter is why "delta" is also used as a name for triangular shapes.
The Greek letter psi is written ψ (capital Ψ) and pronounced like "ps" in English.
With these letters, we can make the word ψευδος ("pseudos" - meaning "lie"). The prefix ψευδο, meaning "false" is also often used.
The father of lies (John 8:44) is the Devil, διαβολος ("diabolos" - from which we get the English word "diabolical").
The Greek Alphabet (8): Writing of Life
Two more letters for today:
Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet (coming after alpha, hence "alphabet"). It is written β (capital Β) and pronounced like "b" in English.
The Greek letter phi is written φ (capital Φ) and pronounced like "f" or "ph" in English.
With these letters, we can make the word βιος ("bios" - one word for "life") and the word γραφη ("graphe" - meaning "writing").
Putting these words together gives the word "biography", which is the writing of someone's life. However, the word γραφη also means Scripture (as in 2 Timothy 3:16), which is writing of a life that's eternal.
Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet (coming after alpha, hence "alphabet"). It is written β (capital Β) and pronounced like "b" in English.
The Greek letter phi is written φ (capital Φ) and pronounced like "f" or "ph" in English.
With these letters, we can make the word βιος ("bios" - one word for "life") and the word γραφη ("graphe" - meaning "writing").
Putting these words together gives the word "biography", which is the writing of someone's life. However, the word γραφη also means Scripture (as in 2 Timothy 3:16), which is writing of a life that's eternal.
Monday, December 04, 2006
The Greek Alphabet (7): In the Beginning
Today we introduce two new letters. The Greek "L" is lambda, written λ (capital Λ), and the Greek "N" is nu, written ν (capital Ν).
With these letters, we can make the word εν, meaning "in". With a longer vowel, we get ην, meaning "was".
We can also make the word λογος (logos) which means "word". In Greek philosophy, the Logos was the "rational principle" responsible for order in the Universe. John's Gospel takes this concept (Εν αρχη ην ‘ο Λογος -- "in beginning was the Word") and identifies this Logos with the Second Person of the Trinity and with Jesus.
I should also point out that (somewhat confusingly) in a double gamma, the first gamma is pronounced as "n" as well. For example, αγγελος is pronounced "angelos" (with the "g" hard) and means "angel" or "messenger".
With these letters, we can make the word εν, meaning "in". With a longer vowel, we get ην, meaning "was".
We can also make the word λογος (logos) which means "word". In Greek philosophy, the Logos was the "rational principle" responsible for order in the Universe. John's Gospel takes this concept (Εν αρχη ην ‘ο Λογος -- "in beginning was the Word") and identifies this Logos with the Second Person of the Trinity and with Jesus.
I should also point out that (somewhat confusingly) in a double gamma, the first gamma is pronounced as "n" as well. For example, αγγελος is pronounced "angelos" (with the "g" hard) and means "angel" or "messenger".
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