Why Do We Have to Read This?

Why Do We Have to Read This?

by Susan Orr Traffas

From the October 2024 newsletter of Mary Seat of Wisdom Academy (MSW) in Wichita.

Dear Friends of Mary Seat of Wisdom Academy,

We have been busier than ever at Mary Seat of Wisdom. September was an amazing month filled with grace; so too, October.

We had parent-teacher conferences last week. The halls were filled with parents and family members chatting with each other as they waited to see the faculty. Most of our students are doing quite well—a few need a little nudge, but they are getting it. The wonderful thing about MSW is that we know the students so well that we can intervene quickly and get them back on track. That has been the task this week.  Showing students that they are more gifted than they think is very rewarding.

The other day while going through a difficult text one of our students asked why we read them. She thought we might think she was being disrespectful, but she wanted an answer. Her parents, she said, had not read such books and they were fine. That is very true: parents often want better for their children than they had. My mother never had the chance to go to college; she had a nursing degree from St. Francis Academy. She also carefully guarded our education from kindergarten through high school, supplementing our education on the weekends. Many a Saturday, I spent learning the Baltimore Catechism, and other books not assigned at school. But knowing our faith was not enough: she wanted better for her children than she had and insisted on sending us all to the University of Dallas, where we got a classical education.

Mary Seat of Wisdom Academy never aims to supplant parents, but to complement them. We will read the Bible in class; we will work through Euclid to see that we can truly know things; we will work through difficult texts every day and grow stronger because of it.

The conversation that ensued by the simple question of why are we reading seemingly difficult books was wonderful. The students talked to each other and listened to each other. It was education at its best.

It illustrated a point I often make in talking about the school. Often, we get caught up in present concerns: who will win the election? How can I get that great job? Will the laundry ever be done (no!)? Do I need to get groceries? We can be caught up in the everyday. But we should not forget why we are here. Our books, even when we struggle to read them, offer a vision: a vision of a better life that begins now and will continue after our death. It is not that getting through the mundane chores of our life is unimportant; it is that this time in school, where students have leisure to think through problems without worrying about anything else prepares them remarkably well for adulthood. It is still true that it’s hard to convince them the difficult work they are doing is true leisure, but someday they will know this: maybe while putting a sick child to bed for the third time; maybe while studying at seminary; maybe while preparing for first vows.

One final thought as we are close to election day: Sometimes, judgments are easy; sometimes, not. We might not be able to judge clearly about any given political leader unless we can put him or her into context. Harry S. Truman said that he never met anyone in Washington that he had not already read about in Plutarch Lives. Imagine that. Having read about the noble lives of great men in ancient Greece and Rome, he recognized types of characters. That meant he knew what to expect from his fellow congressmen and how to address their concerns and help them avoid mistakes. As we head to the election, we pray for our country. We hope that we are helping these young men and women to become excellent citizens of this country, while not forgetting our true home.

It is a good thing to be doing this work. We would appreciate your prayers. Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!

In Christ,

Susan Orr Traffas, headmistress