Blog by-the-Sea

A Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship in Cyberspace

In today's General Audience, the Holy Father spoke about his journey to the Holy Land completed last Friday.  He said, "Despite the vicissitudes that through the centuries have marked the holy sites, despite the wars, the destruction and unfortunately, the conflicts among Christians, the Church has continued her mission, moved by the Spirit of the Risen Lord."  He said that the Church is on the path toward full unity "so that the world believes in the love of God and experiences the joy of his peace."  He asked people to pray for that objective.

Zenit has a full English translation.  The Vatican Press Office's Daily Bulletin has the original Italian text.  Asia News has its article.  There are photos and more at Benedetto XVI Forum. 

At the end of the Audience, the Holy Father mentioned this Sunday's World Communications Day and his Message for World Communications Day 2009.  Specifically encouraging those who use new technologies, such as the digital world, to communicate, and especially the young, he said:

"This coming Sunday, the Church celebrates World Communications Day. In my message this year, I am inviting all those who make use of the new technologies of communication, especially the young, to utilize them in a positive way and to realize the great potential of these means to build up bonds of friendship and solidarity that can contribute to a better world.

"The new technologies have brought about fundamental shifts in the ways in which news and information are disseminated and in how people communicate and relate to each other. I wish to encourage all those who access cyberspace to be careful to maintain and promote a culture of respect, dialogue and authentic friendship where the values of truth, harmony and understanding can flourish.

"Young people in particular, I appeal to you: bear witness to your faith through the digital world! Employ these new technologies to make the Gospel known, so that the Good News of God’s infinite love for all people, will resound in new ways across our increasingly technological world!"

Awards! Awards!

I have to admit I am a bit competitive, which works better for me at work than it does in the rest of my life.  And I am quite pleased to have been nominated as "Best Underappreciated . . ." in the 2009 Cannonball awards at The Crescat (the blog of "Carolina Cannonball").

Meanwhile, nominations have begun for the 2009 Catholic New Media Awards (formerly known as the Catholic Blog Awards).  I was nominated for a few categories last year, and I was very pleased to see the nomination.

Please follow the links to vote in the Cannonball Awards or to nominate in the Catholic New Media Awards.

Michael Dubruiel, RIP

Amy Welborn's husband, blogger and author Michael Dubruiel collapsed and died at the gym yesterday morning.  Amy's post asks for prayers.  For those who would like to do something to help, she asks that you buy Michael's books, but not from her since she does not have the ability to fill the orders right now.

Catholic Blog Awards Results

The results of voting in this year's Catholic Blog Awards have been posted.  Thanks to everyone for voting.  Although I did not win in any of the categories, I am quite happy with the results.  This was the first year I have been nominated, and there were many excellent blogs in each competition.

Voting Has Begun in the Catholic Blog Awards 2008

Please go to the Catholic Blog Awards and vote.  Blog by-the-Sea has been nominated in several categories.  Other terrific blogs are also nominated, so that it is an opportunity to find new great blogs as well as to vote for your favorites.

2008 Catholic Blog Awards

The nominations for the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards have begun and will continue through February 29.  Anyone who would like to do so can create a free account and nominate a blog for any of several categories.  Here are the rules for nominations.

Award . . . at last, an award!

Thanks to Elena Maria Vidal at Tea at Trianon, who has honored me and several other bloggers with the "Excellent Blog Award."  The rules are that those who receive it must award it to at least 10 other excellent blogs.  You can award it to as many people as you like, and it doesn't matter whether they have already received it.

Here is my list of 10 blogs to which I hereby award the Excellent Blog Award:

In the Light of the Law,  Carmelite Sisters, Father Adam Gonzales, OCDS,
Coffee and Diapers, The Foothills of Carmel, Carmen's Chatter,
Pause for Prayer, Flos Carmeli, Me Monk. Me Meander., and the recently reactivated Pontifications.

Blog by-the-Sea Calendar will end January 1

Although Trumba offered me the same rate for coming years as for the past year, I have decided that the time I have put into keeping the calendar in the sidebar could be put to better use given the amount of use the calendar gets.

(The blog will continue the same as it is now, by the way.  The only thing that will change is the event calendar that you see as an item in the sidebar.)

I can no longer update the calendar, but it has events posted through December and a few for next year, and can still be read through early January.  I am planning to delete it New Year's Day. 

When I delete the calendar, I am planning to add a new page with links to the websites of various retreat centers and other websites that show upcoming events that may be of interest to Catholics, including those who live in southern California and those who may be planning a visit to this part of the world.

"Books by-the-Sea" aStore Now Organized

The amazon.com "aStore" in the sidebar, called "Books by-the-Sea," is finally organized.  I'm sure I will continue to add books to it when I think of something I forgot or come across something good.

I have noticed that for some of the out-of-print books, the aStore page will tell you that you cannot buy the book from this store but can click on a link to buy it directly from amazon.com.  That just means it is only available used.  I don't get my few cents on the purchase of used books.  I didn't set up the aStore for the money, and I won't get much anyway, so no worries.  I don't care whether anybody buys a book new or used.

For the same reason, feel free to go to the ICS Publications site and buy an ICS Publications book that you saw on Books by-the-Sea.  The friars at the Institute of Carmelite Studies will probably get a little bit more money for the sale if you buy it from them directly, and it helps to support their apostolate.

The Church History books are set up more or less in chronological order, or at least more or less by century.  As a result, books by the same author will not be together, and the authors' names are not in alphabetical order.

The books in the "Prayer" category are grouped by subject matter, more or less, but there is no overall direction.  The books are not in alphabetical order by author, and they don't progress from simple prayer to contemplation either.  They are set up with the idea that browsing would be easier if they are grouped loosely by subject matter.  So several books on praying the rosary are together, for example.

Anything earned on the book sales will help to cover the costs of the blog.  However, the purpose of the aStore is to help people find books on prayer and Church history so that they can know their faith better.  Enjoy.

Blog Changes: New Bookstore Just Added; Trumba Calendar May End Soon

I have started to assemble an amazon.com "astore."  A link to the new "Books by-the-Sea" astore is in the sidebar, just below the amazon.com "Recently Mentioned" widget that was already there.  If you click on the link, it will take you to the amazon page with books on whatever book is featured at the moment.  In the sidebar of that page, you can click on "Church History "Prayer" to go to the pages with books in that category.  Don't be surprised at what is missing, as I have not had time to finish either category. 

Also, I can't control which books show up in the widget, so I'm going to have to decide whether to delete the books that amazon has no picture for -- or send them a picture of my copy in some cases.

Right now, it is experimental, as it took a while to assemble.  If people use it, I may add another category.  If not, I may discontinue it.

Meanwhile, in early December, I may discontinue the Trumba calendar ("Blog by-the-Sea Calendar").  When I started the calendar over a year ago, it was free.  A year ago, the price went up to nearly $100 per month for a single user.  However, people who had had the free blog calendars were offered a very low price for the first year.  I do not know yet whether I will still have a low price for the next year.  If the calendar goes up to the regular price, it will be cost-prohibitive.  Instead, I may add a page that links to various other sites with their own southern California event calendars rather than keep a calendar of my own.  As this will fall early in Advent, with Advent and Christmas events on the calendar, I will post another warning before it is deleted if that is what will happen.