BLOGIC: An Introduction
Long ago, when Sean first asked me to write for OurSeton, I sent a few samples to see if they were what he was looking for. One of those was a logic piece with a title that was long and cumbersome and another was a continuation of the theme with a longer and more cumbersome title. Things happened, and I never used either piece. More things happened and I decided to use them. Then other things….you get the idea. The time arrived to use the first, but it needed a new title. I remembered from the very first posting that Mrs. Ferri had used the word elision to teach us where the word blog comes from. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to put into practice this word and came up with the above title. To be sure I was using elision correctly, I looked it up and sadly this title is not an application of the word. Elisions require that at least one letter of a word is left out as in o’er for over. My word, blogic, uses all of the letters of blog and logic. So I guess it is a fusion rather than an elision. Still, it is a great word. I think we should refer to whatever it is I am doing here as Blogic, rather than a blog. Blog seems weighted and slow, as in bogged down. But Blogic, because of the softened “g”, connotes wisdom, truth, reason, apple pie, the American way and all good things.
There are many people who influenced my decisions to and then not to and finally to post a modification of the original piece. In order of appearance in the decision historically: Mrs. O’Herron, President Obama, Sister Rose Marie, St. Alphonsus Liguori, Leo White, Gage Arnold, Mysterious Person, Carter Stevens. I thank all of you. (These people are identified at the end of this posting, except for Mysterious Person who will remain forever a mystery.)
Here is an aside. One thing that has been bothering me a little, is the normal process to get to Blogic. One goes to OurSeton’s home page and then scrolls down to that picture and if really bored reads again that beginning of an introduction about me. The next step is to click on read more. This implies there is more to read about me biographically. Instead, there is the latest posting. Maybe the picture could be changed to one of Aristotle; the biography stuff eliminated. [My sisters Kath and Mrs. Carroll wrote more of a biography – Kath taking my childhood and Mrs. Carroll continuing from where she left off. I have never seen this and it may be lost to humanity.]
Before we get to the original inspired by Mrs. O’Herron, let us consider what Sister Rose Marie told me. She said that in whatever we write, we should follow the advice of St. Alphonsus Liguori: [roughly paraphrased] write only to promote the truth positively without criticism of others, then we shall never fail in charity. I have given this some thought. It seems that often times we come to understand the good by seeing what is bad in the wrong. If this is the purpose of criticism, then it seems to be of value in promoting virtue.
Here is an example. According to the Weekly Standard 11/24/08 there are three countries which have or are considering these: giving rights to nature (Ecuador); declaring constitutionally that some plants have an intrinsic dignity because of their cellular and molecular similarities to humans (Switzerland) [I think this must include the cucumber which I understand has many similarities to us]; devolving humans into a community of equals with chimps and gorillas (Spain). It is probably beneath us to criticize these things, but being aware of them may help us to see what ails our planet that might lead to such ideas. I contend it is lack of knowledge – not knowledge that’s an accumulation of facts and principles, but knowledge as a Gift of the Holy Spirit. The Gift of Knowledge makes us look at creatures from the viewpoint of their relation to their Maker. All is creature except for the Maker. Therefore, knowledge would give us greater appreciation of Blessed Mother, the Angels, the Saints. It would give us a better appreciation of the elderly, the baby in the womb, our neighbors and family, ourselves. It would also help us to keep in perspective the gifts of animal and plant life as we relate all to the Maker. Is it criticism to say that some of mankind has gotten a little out of whack in relating creatures to God? I think I need to read more of what St. Alphonsus said on this.
This is too long now to give the adapted version of the piece Mrs. O’Herron inspired. We will do that another day. Here are the identifications of the inspirers.
Mrs. O’Herron: mother of 8 alumni and a guidance counselor at Seton///// President Obama: US President////Sister Rose Marie: Poor Clare nun and sister of Seton teachers Dick and Bob Pennefather//// St. Alphonsus Liguori: 18th Century saint, founder of the Redemptorists/////Leo White: college classmate turned college professor/////Gage Arnold: Class of ‘09/////Mysterious Person: at one time, perhaps, resided south of the North Pole////Carter Stevens: Class of ’08.
Jezu, ufam Tobie.