A Blog Post Slipped under the Door

I like to imagine that, were he living in our age, St. Francis de Sales would be a blogger.  After reading the following on Catholic Online, I suspect my idea may not be all that far-fetched.... 

"Francis' unusual patience kept him working.  No one would listen to him, no one would even open their door.  So Francis found a way to get under the door.  He wrote out his sermons, copied them by hand, and slipped them under the doors.  This is the first record we have of religious tracts being used to communicate with people." 

With this in mind, I would like to invite everyone here on yet another field trip.   Catholic Spirituality Blogs Network has twenty blog posts in the running for the first-ever Frankie Award, which will be awarded in honor of - guess who......!

Yes!  St. Francis de Sales.

I have a post among the nominees, that being "Go Through the Motions," from my other blog The Breadbox Letters.  We can click here to go visit the various posts, allow God to touch our hearts through them, and vote for one if we wish to do so.

It is primarily because of his tracts, copied tirelessly by hand and slipped under doors, that Francis de Sales has been named patron of Catholic journalists.  I cannot imagine a more appropriate saint for bloggers.

May he pray for all who slip faithful, God-honoring, blog posts through today's cyber-doors.

Idiolects and Visitations

We are still three weeks away from the Feast of the Visitation (one of my favorites on the Church calendar), but having found a copy of my favorite painting of the scene, I cannot wait to share it.  This artwork is by Carl Bloch, and as far as I can tell it's in US public domain. 

The scene of the Visitation is enormously special to me.  As a "cloistered heart" and as an individual Catholic, I find this mystery layered with meaning.  Two women who have been Visited by the Spirit of God (one in a totally unique way, of course) visit one another to share the awe of their Visitations.  In days just ahead, I will begin to look into more "layers" of what this means to me.

In the meantime, I am personally delighted to announce a new way in which we can share how God has been Visiting each one of us.

Today is the "official" launching of a new blog featuring a network of bloggers... ones who write almost exclusively on growing in holiness and love of God.  Catholic Spirituality Blogs Network   has been described by its administrator, Connie Rossini, as "a community of Catholic bloggers who have come together to promote growth in Christ."

Today Connie wrote the following on the new blog:  "Everyone has an idiolect--a collection of personal speech habits that is different from anyone else's. Have you ever thought about your spiritual idiolect? Since your soul is unique, you have a personal way of speaking to God that no one else completely shares.

"God has a specific plan for your spiritual life. He will always lead you in accordance with the teachings of the Church.... " (click here to read the rest).

Intriguing, isn't it?   These words have made me reflect upon my own "spiritual idiolect," which I will be looking into here in days just ahead.

The Visitation is a mystery I ponder and try to "live" almost every day of my life.  As such, it is definitely part of my own "spiritual idiolect."  And so, realizing I am not worthy to utter the very words, I say:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit exalts in God my Savior.  God Who is mighty has done great things for me.  Holy is His Name."  (Luke 1:46-49)

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