Hugh Hewitt notices that there is of yet, no patron saint of blogging and suggests St. Augustine as the obvious choice or possibly St. HUGH of Lincoln. While St. Augustine is a good choice, I have another saint in mind. I would nominate a contemporary of his – St. Jerome who was a prodigious letter writer. His temperament was closely suited to many bloggers and he was definitely a pundit who let loose a good rant at times He had to fight his naturally cranky temperament and is now both a saint and a Doctor of the Church. This shows that there is also hope for most of us pundit type bloggers who have been know to show similar traits at times (or everyday).
Being that he was once a hermit this would fit the media perception of bloggers to at T. They already identify us as predominantly pajama-clad white males blogging from a basement; so cave blogging would be an good metaphor for them.
"If you have trouble controlling your temper at times, being patient and staying calm interacting with others, then you are normal. Nearly everyone blows-up now and then. Grace and virtue can harness and tame you to some degree but unless you live in isolation you will most likely loose your cool occasionally. Our habits become ingrained in us. That’s the most important reason why we should cultivate good habits, especially mental habits. Our thinking needs guidance because thoughts beget habits. Jerome can enlighten you. Implore him for assistance.
Perhaps because of his wide exposures to many people and travels, he developed a pugnacious and cantankerous disposition at times. His keen intellect could be contentious when his vision of truth differed from others. Jerome was a passionate lover of biblical, written expression. His ill-nature, that all creatures possess due to original sin, was forever attacking, challenging and defending his pursuit of scriptural expression." [Source]
Besides this Saint is one that many Protestants could also embrace as a patron saint since St.
Jerome said "ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ."
St Jerome, protector of sarcastic bloggers, pray for us!
Update: Professor Bainbridge at Mirror of Justice has his own suggestions.
11 comments
I agree. St. Jerome shows us that can be nasty and saintly at the same time. I like it.
How did we not see this until now? The more I think about it the more it fits. St. Jerome is going in my sidebar …
St. Jerome certainly gets my vote and support. Good thinkin’, Jeff.
i, too, would like to have him nestled in my sidebar. i am all about a good rant, and being cantankerous is a good way to be on occasion. i identify with this all too well.
At first thought I wouldn�t have considered St. Jerome anymore worthy of selection than St. Augustine or St. Isadore (the patron of the internet and computer users). However, after reading the excerpt you posted, I doubt one could find a saint with the appropriate vocation who also has a personal disposition that is in line with that of Catholic bloggers. The exception to that might be Tomas de Torquemada, but I just don�t see that one happening. 😉
My birthday – September 30 – is the feast day of St. Jerome. So, he has my vote.
Don’t forget, Jerome also was friends with a couple of very smart women — Sts. Paula and Eustochium!
I LOVE this! So good!
Housekeeping on a busy day
Some blogs and articles I wanted to direct youse guys to:
Dave Justus has not one but two really good pieces up here about oil shale and here about why we must stay in Iraq. I don’t link to Dave enough – he’s a good guy.
Like Theodore D…
Favorite Posts Countdown IV
The Curt Jester
For “Patron Saint of Bloggers” which illustrates how well humor can illuminate as well as entertain … and which proposes St. Jerome as blogger patron as well as providing prayer card art.
I have to vote for St. Catherine of Sienne. But how could you miss St. Paul?
Comments are closed.