Glenn Reynolds notes that some bloggers are re-running what they feel are their “best” blogposts for 2009.
Half the time, I can’t even remember what I’ve written. I’m always amused when my Li’l Bro Thom reminds me of a line I’ve written, or someone emails that a particular post really “worked,” for them, and I go back and re-read it and think, “hey, that’s not bad; forgot I wrote it.” Generally, the stuff I think is really good gets little attention and the stuff I think of as “nothingburgers” are the ones people respond to, so what do I know?
There are some in my family life who will tell you that I have too successfully courted detachment, even in my work.
Anyhow, for the most part I thought my writing was only so-so through most of ‘09, and I really don’t know what posts might be my “best” of that year. I think some of the Advent posts were pretty good – this one for some reason brought a lot of positive email, and this one taught me a lot about myself. I think Thom liked this one.
Perhaps this post about receiving Communion brought the most passionate emails.
Funny how I’m not thinking of the political posts at all, except maybe this one.
Really, I don’t know. The best blog posts are the ones that write themselves and bring an email in the middle of the night from someone who says it spoke to them. The Holy Spirit gets all the credit, anyway. It blows my mind that He will use anything, even a silly blog, in ways we can’t imagine.
UPDATE: A reader says she likes this post the best. I’d forgotten about it. Detachment, again!
January 2nd, 2010 | 9:10 am | #1
Guess I’d vote for the post about receiving Communion in communion with the Catholic Church that you ran last August. I return to your blog because I like the thoughtfulness and lack of pretense with which you try to present Church teaching.
Re-reading the August Communion thread, I can see that, as convert-commentor Ms Thomas pointed out, most of the Catholic commentors were not trying to articulate their own take on receiving Communion but the Church’s (2000 yr old) teaching on that topic. Prostestant commentors, almost by definition, are used to defining Jesus-Truly-Present-in-the-Eucharist by their own take on “taking” communion.
At any rate, the initial post and the ensuing comments were, in general, helpful…except for the name-calling, which is another issue!
January 2nd, 2010 | 9:33 am | #2
Hello,
I am an RCIA Catholic, I will receive communion this coming Easter. The “It is Consummated” post is the best of 2009 (possibly best blog post ever) because it put into words this amazing faith transformation I am experiencing, as well as flinging open the door to the wondrous beauty of God and his Church. I cannot express to you how much this post and a couple of others have meant to me. You are unwittingly a big part of this journey I am on, Thank You – Ben
January 2nd, 2010 | 11:41 am | #3
I agree on the political post you chose. Actually, I voted at the time… “This is the most beautiful piece of writing at the nexus of faith and politics I’ve ever read. God bless you Elizabeth.”
Our priest has trained us, when asked, “how are you?” to respond – BLESSED! People all over town – cashiers, clerks, bartenders, postal workers and others know us as parishioners of Holy Apostles by this response. You, dear Anchoress, are gifted and blessed and a blessing among us. I, among many others, are glad you exist.
Happy New Year!
January 2nd, 2010 | 1:08 pm | #4
Your re-post of Burnin’ Down the House, from Oct. ‘08, is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read.
There are too many to pick one ‘best’
January 2nd, 2010 | 3:38 pm | #5
Muslim nutter tries to kill Danish cartoonist
I’ll give you that Islam leads the pack when it comes to viciousness, but I am not a friend to any religion, not the Catholic Church or any of them. As much as I am not as forceful as him, I admire the likes of Richard Dawkins & appreciate him striking home as I generally am too flabby to do.
But you get criticism like this of profiling (by an ex-jihadist who realised it was all a load of cobblers). I always thought that the jihadists would get hold of white people, & women, who weren’t openly Muslim & were under no one’s suspicion, could get through any screening. A lot of them are actually very clever, but have been mentally warped by religion.
I have been reading things like “Does God Hate Women?”- it will get you proper worked up about the ills of the world. You wonder how best to counter them. Because obviously the price for getting it wrong is huge. I suppose people become apolitical because they are afraid of worsening all our problems by backing the wrong policy.
January 2nd, 2010 | 4:43 pm | #6
I just finished reading the blogpost about the non-Catholic receiving Holy Communion. Your response is truly superb, truly inspired! Holy Communion is one of the main things about being Catholic that keeps me Catholic. I’m going to meditate on what you wrote.
Happy New Year!
P.S. I like your religious/spiritual posts best.
January 2nd, 2010 | 7:12 pm | #7
Ms. A,
Having only just read your thoughts to BH from last summer, I can only say how beautiful, powerful and humbling I thought they were, and that I so wish I had read them sooner. For the past 10 months I have tussled with similar questions. Your thoughts will definitely help me to sort things out a little better. Thank you for your inspired words.
January 2nd, 2010 | 9:46 pm | #8
Anchoress,
I don’t know that I’ve shared this with you privately and I’m sure I’ve not shared it with your readers so her goes.
Since that Communion post back in August, Mrs. BH and I have faithfully attended Mass weekly and have, out of respect for Catholic teaching and Catholics who take that teaching seriously (many don’t as you yourself have told me), have not again taken Communion.
Though I, as a cradle but lapsed Catholic, miss the Eucharist very much… and though my wife, as a faithful Christian, misses it as well, we’ve decided to repect and obey Catholic teaching. We’ve also engaged the local RCIA director who will be contacting us in the next few days as to what our next steps might be to join the Church fully.
You Anchoress have been instrumental, along with a number of others, in piquing my interest in returning to my Catholic roots and for that I thank you.
My hope is that Mrs. BH will, via the RCIA, get her many questions answered and that God will lead her to where I believe I’m being led.
With your prayers and your reader’s prayers, I believe it’ll be done.
So thanks to you… and to your prayerful readers.
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