Against The Grain

Wednesday, July 02, 2003

Steven Riddle has written another excellent and thoughtful post on good blogging, with which I readily agree:

It occurs to me that the best blogging, that which I most enjoy reading in the Catholic realm, is not distilled from the news of the day. Nor is comments on that same news. Nor is it in the form of scandals and hijinks and alarums and exuent omnes. No, rather that which I most like to read is the fruit of prayer, meditation, or at least thought about the Greater Things. . . .

One of the things about St. Blog's is that you can find blogs to suit every taste. . . . I have learned a great deal from here, and I am deeply thankful for everyone I meet online. I can discuss books, prayer, and great philosophical problems in a forum that allows me to ask questions without feeling particularly threatened (although I do at times feel woefully inadequate to the task even of asking a question.) God has blessed us with a great good thing in St. Blogs, and we would do well to appreciate the gift for what it is, embrace it and thank Him in His goodness for this mercy.

We live in a 'wired' society, and many of us spend a good portion of our day online. Unfortunately, the internet can often be fairly accurate reflection of the culture that lies beyond our doors: surf the web and one can encounter anything and everything imaginable, much of the content (perhaps most of it) not very pretty or morally redeeming.

But in the midst of the idle chatter, profanity and refuse there are pockets of civilized discourse, fruitful conversations, people with inquisitive minds and good hearts, striving -- as Steven says -- for Greater Things.¹

"St. Blogs Parish", and beyond that, the greater online Catholic community, are indeed those kinds of places, and have been a great blessing.

Thank you.

Among those I find particularly edifying are Gerard Serafin's A Catholic Blog for Lovers, Christus Victor -- and Steven Riddle's Flos Carmeli. But just take a look at my blogroll on the left for a list of those I read on a regular basis.