Commonplace books (or commonplaces) are a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books. They have been kept from antiquity, and were kept particularly during the Renaissance and in the nineteenth century. Such books are essentially scrapbooks filled with items of every kind: recipes, quotes, letters, poems, tables of weights and measures, proverbs, prayers, legal formulas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonplace_book
AMDG
If you didn’t know it, I once worked for a fantastic Bishop – now Archbishop Donald Bolen of the Archdiocese of Regina. He’s great, he also studied at Oxford and gave me this idea.
He shares great bits of wisdom, poems, and writings from smart and wonderful people. I wondered how he always did it … well, he cheats – in a smart holy kind of way!
I was recently at a retreat Bishop lead and he gave us pages of quotes and great things to reflect on from his commonplace book. I’ve always saved random great things all over the place. We chatted about his commonplace book and I knew what I had to do! I needed one place to store them all, and one place to come when I needed inspiration, and sometimes encouragement in a world where darkness can often overwhelm us at the best of times.
So, here is my running list of great quotes, music, photos, videos, and memories worth remembering. Check out the blog for my rant and raves about life. But here we salute what is true, good, and beautiful in our world and each other. Feel free to peruse and take what lifts your spirit!
Peace! – Colm