Reading Scripture in Latin

When I was a teenager, someone I knew committed suicide, and like many people naturally do when that happens, I started asking questions about eternity.  

None of the adults in my life would give me straight answers, or maybe they could not give me answers, because they didn't have answers. 

At that point, I grew frustrated and I went looking for answers myself. 

From going to Sunday school and VBS randomly, I had learned that the Bible was the book of answers for that sort of thing. 

So I started reading the only Bible we had in my house- the KJV.  

It was like reading another language, because the English in the KJV was so much more complicated than what I was reading in school text books at the time. 

But I persevered by the grace of God. 

Really, there is no other explanation than the grace of God. 

I grew better at reading and understanding the Scriptures and from then on, I was able to start reading more and more difficult English literature including Shakespeare.

Eventually, I grew to love literature and Scripture (and the God of Scripture, too). 

I studied English literature and the Bible in college.  

Having homeschooled my daughters, I have now done several years of Latin grammar and translation, too. 

I am still very slow. 

But I am finally capable enough to slowly, slowly interpret difficult Latin sentences. 

I have been tutoring students in the upper Challenge levels and we do translating together. 

Last year, we translated Cicero and Caesar in Challenge 3. 

Note: Most of my Challenge students are much better at translating than I am, but I do my best. 

That's the wonder of homeschooling. 

We can lead our kids to somewhere that far exceeds where we are ourselves. 

This year, right now, my class is translating passage from the Vulgate in Challenge 4. 

So to improve in reading Latin, I have decided to start again reading the Bible in Latin all the time now.

It is like it was for me back when I was a teenager.  

Only, instead of reading the King's English, now I am reading Jerome's Vulgate. 

I do all my devotional readings in Latin. 

It is slow for now. 

But that slowness allows me to think deeper about what the Words are saying. 

And my familiarity with Scripture helps with translations immensely.  

Perhaps it will proceed for me like it did before. 

That's the plan and the hope- that I'll force myself to get better and better at reading, only it will be in Latin this time, and who knows? 

I may be able to read other Latin texts with more and more ease in time.