Where does it all come from ?

I love the way that things fall into unexpected patterns. Last night, I read a thought of S. Francis de Sales, who, of course, was largely responsible for the spiritual development of S. Jane-Frances de Chantal, whose Feast we kept two days ago, which read :

How often does it happen that we say good things because some good soul gets us the grace to do so ? We are like organs, where he who gives the wind really does the whole work and gets no praise for it.

My first, thought, of course, was that the organ reference fitted in very well with the Messiaen post which I had just written for this morning : but then I thought that it was also very appropriate to Catholic blogging in general.

Most of us – myself, certainly – do little, and originate less; but rather, we accept the thoughts and circumstances which God puts before us, and try and interpret them in accordance with the teaching of Holy Mother Church for our own benefit and – we hope and pray – that of our readers.

Olivier Messiaen would, I think, have been the first to agree that the provision of wind for the organ was fundamental; and that without that ‘inspiration’ the organist could create no sounds, which were only, ultimately, commentary.

Similarly, for bloggers, I think that the original creation obviously comes from God; and the Holy Ghost ‘inspires’ us in our postings. I am quite certain that any merit in this blog, for instance, comes from the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, as a result of the prayerful support of those who read it and of the Holy Saints : and not from any virtue of mine. So I ask you, as I ask the Saints, to keep me in your prayers, that through Our Lord’s gift of grace I may continue to do some little thing for God, and for his Church, despite my own countless failings.