Non Quaero Quod Capio

It's been a while since I found the time and energy to share some thoughts with you, but vos omnes, o puellae puerique, know that I think about our class every single day...I am so happy that we reached the 1/3 landmark of the book without incident, and, as I said in class, we will be coasting now until we hit the last 3 weeks of the semester (don't ask about it now...let sleeping dogs lie!).

What I have wanted to say for a few days now is that your progress and smooth sailing has put me in a state of grace--- if I can be so presumptuous as to use a Christian term to describe my religious committment to being a good Latin teacher. I have been thinking about the parallels between education and spiritual faith because of a beautiful thing I found accidentally on the web, which I am attaching here. Excerpted from a 18th century book on Christian doctrines, the page reads as follows (skip this part and magnify the picture if you want to read this for yourselves, which you can totally do; I translate it in the comment to this posting).

NON QUAERO QUOD CAPIO

A deo deus, qui ipsa benignitas est, hominem nomini suo devotum amat, ut non solum largiatur ea, quae ille suis cupiit precibus, sed quae longe etiam supra votum et spes omnes fuerant. Hoc quidem symbolum de piscibus alatis indicis, ex aere in rete volantibus-

The simple beauty of this image, enhanced by the music of Latin, reminds me what I already know: that I wish for nothing because between Latin, my students, my family, friends and colleagues, I have everything I ever dreamt of asking for, and more. Whether the source of this contentment is supernatural or not I cannot know, but seeing that trascendental something that exists in educating the self and others is enough. Thank you all for being the best class, keep your questions and comments coming,

EM.