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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Blogging Rules

In "A Holy Rule for Internet Communicators," Father Mark Carr reiterates what the USCCB has said about blogging.  IOW, play nice.

Father Carr thinks like a Dominican.  He uses his blog to preach.  More specifically, Father Carr thinks like a Lay Dominican Blogger -- like me!  He not only sees, but recommends that the laity use blogging to preach the gospel.  I call it my cyber-ministry.


But I'm not tooting my own horn.  I can't.  I must not!!  I have always kept in mind that everything I do must be for God.  I have to stay humble or I'm lost.  Father  clearly admonishes:
However, blogging and other forms of media on the internet have a severe spiritual danger to them as well. When one is commenting from his own perspective on everything in light of Catholic values, one can easily become self-focused and develop a higher opinion of him or herself. This is a danger in any form of social ministry.
Interesting, Father continues  by recommending a way of life for bloggers.  This Rule is to focus the blogger on God, not herself,  by following the Rule of Canção Nova [Cahn-Soum Noe-vah] (New Song).
More interesting, is the fact that I follow the Rule of the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic.  The two rules are comparable.  We are called to bring the divine message of salvation to all.  How we do that depends on one's state in life.  My vocation is bringing the Word to the world, especially in dark places.  (That's not you.  Dark places don't have the net.)  
But I do hope that I speak to you.  I hope.  I pray.  And I try to be humble about it.  I make too many mistakes to take pride in what I do.  Besides, my "cloistered brothers" keep me in my place.  Some people give me flak for associating with them.  But their humility humbles me.  They keep me grounded.

2 comments:

Fr. Robert J. Carr said...

Hi Faith, greatly appreciate your linking me and the comments. Even more so because your link let me to your excellent blog. Coincidentally, I used to do prison ministry at Norfolk.

BTW I also have a new blog just for priests which like you is on blogger http://thesacramentallife.blogspot.com

Also Fr. Mark Carr is another priest, I am Fr. Robert Carr.

Thanks again for linking me and say hello if you are in my area of Massachusetts here in Somerville.

Faith said...

As I was saying, "I make too many mistakes to be prideful." Thanks for correcting me, Father Robert Carr. I don't think I'll get you two Father Carrs mixed up, again.

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