“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” Matthew 6:1.
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” Proverbs 27:2
The Catholic Church is embracing online tools such as Twitter and Facebook to deliver its message. The Church is using new media to stay in touch and relevant with its followers. The new media is not an optional extra, it is a central element in what we need to do in the proclamation of the gospel today. The interactive nature of social media made it an ideal tool for communicating the gospel and young people today expect that community leaders to be proficient in new media. We need to be faithful to the people to whom we’re preaching. The substance of the Church’s message had been lost on in classical media like radio and (other) techniques because you have a reaching out to people but you don’t have any contact with the response that they actually make. This modern-day engaged audience is using whatever means available to elicit faith and to deepen our faith in Jesus. This new media is about interactivity! Social media is a real-time engagement filled with reaction and raw emotion. Opinions are wielded like swords, we enjoy quick satisfaction, Twitter and Facebook are emotion outlets, where complaints are being heard. Anger is also expressed, contrary views vigorously opposed! As believers we are called to walk by the Spirit, perhaps especially on social media, given its reach and impact and due to the time spent there. Ask yourself if your posts are gracious and edifying, if love and kindness are reflected? Are you blessing or cursing? In the social media we can shine brightly for Christ. We can point people to Jesus with the light of our lives, with eternal truth, and with grace-filled interactions. People are watching and our attitude on social media, as Catholics, should be the counter-cultural way of the cross, should be of humility, of enhancing our witness as followers of Christ.
Listen Up Pedro! 