Father’s weekly message

LOVE YOUR PRIESTS

𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬… 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡. 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 - 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐭? 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬. 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬.
𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭 - 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐘𝐎𝐔!
𝐘𝐨𝐮 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦.

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Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the Fourth World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly - 28 July 2024

“Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Ps 71:9)

Dear brothers and sisters,

God never abandons his children, never. Even when our age advances and our powers decline, when our hair grows white and our role in society lessens, when our lives become less productive and can risk appearing useless. God does not regard appearances (cf. 1 Sam 16:7); he does not disdain to choose those who, to many people, may seem irrelevant. God discards no stone; indeed, the “oldest” are the firm foundation on which “new” stones can rest, in order to join in erecting a spiritual edifice (cf. 1 Peter 2:5).

Sacred Scripture as a whole is a story of the Lord’s faithful love. It offers us the comforting certainty that God constantly shows us his mercy, always, at every stage of life, in whatever situation we find ourselves, even in our betrayals. The Psalms are filled with the wonder of the human heart before God who cares for us despite our insignificance (cf. Ps 144:3-4); they assure us that God has fashioned each one of us from our mother’s womb (cf. Ps 139:13) and that even in hell he will not abandon our life (cf. Ps 16:10). We can be certain, then, that he will be close to us also in old age, all the more because, in the Bible, growing old is a sign of blessing.

At the same time, in the Psalms we also find this heartfelt plea to the Lord: “In my old age do not abandon me” (cf. Ps 71:9). Words that are strong, even crude. They make us think of the extreme suffering of Jesus, who cried out on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46).

In the Bible, then, we find both the certainty of God’s closeness at every stage of life and the fear of abandonment, particularly in old age and in times of pain. There is no contradiction here. If we look around, we have no difficulty seeing that its words reflect an utterly evident reality. All too often, loneliness is the bleak companion of our lives as elderly persons and grandparents. Often, when I was Bishop of Buenos Aires, I would visit rest homes and realize how rarely those people received visits. Some had not seen their family members for many months.

There are many reasons for this loneliness: in many places, above all in the poorer countries, the elderly find themselves alone because their children are forced to emigrate. I think too of the many situations of conflict. How many of the elderly are left alone because men – youths and adults – have been called to battle, and women, above all women with small children, have left the country in order to ensure safety for their children. In cities and villages devastated by war, many elderly people are left alone; they are the only signs of life in areas where abandonment and death seem to reign supreme.

In other parts of the world, we encounter a false belief, deeply rooted in certain local cultures, that causes hostility towards the elderly, who are suspected of using witchcraft to sap the vital energies of the young; when premature death or sickness, or any other misfortune strike the young, the guilt is laid at the door of some elderly person. This mentality must be combatted and eliminated. It is one of those groundless prejudices from which the Christian faith has set us free, yet which continues to fuel generational conflict between the young and the elderly.

Yet if we think about it, this accusation that the elderly “rob the young of their future” is nowadays present everywhere. It appears under other guises even in the most advanced and modern societies. For example, there is now a widespread conviction that the elderly are burdening the young with the high cost of the social services that they require, and in this way are diverting resources from the development of the community and thus from the young. This is a distorted perception of reality. It assumes that the survival of the elderly puts that of the young at risk, that to favour the young, it is necessary to neglect or even suppress the elderly. Intergenerational conflict is a fallacy and the poisoned fruit of a culture of conflict. To set the young against the old is an unacceptable form of manipulation: “What is important is the unity of the different ages of life, which is the real point of reference for understanding and valuing human life in its entirety” (Catechesis, 23 February 2022).

The Psalm cited above – with its plea not to be abandoned in old age – speaks to a conspiracy surrounding the life of the elderly. This may seem an exaggeration, but not if we consider that the loneliness and abandonment of the elderly is not by chance or inevitable, but the fruit of decisions – political, economic, social and personal decisions – that fail to acknowledge the infinite dignity of each person, “beyond every circumstance, state or situation the person may ever encounter” (Declaration Dignitas Infinita, 1). This happens once we lose sight of the value of each individual and people are then judged in terms of their cost, which is in some cases considered too high to pay. Even worse, often the elderly themselves fall victim to this mindset; they are made to consider themselves a burden and to feel that they should be the first to step aside.

Then too nowadays many women and men seek personal fulfilment in a life as independent as possible and detached from other people. Group memberships are in crisis and individualism is celebrated: the passage from “us” to “me” is one of the most evident signs of our times. The family, which is the first and most radical argument against the notion that we can save ourselves by ourselves, has been one of the victims of this individualistic culture. Yet once we grow old and our powers begin to decline, the illusion of individualism, that we need no one and can live without social bonds, is revealed for what it is. Indeed, we find ourselves needing everything, but at a point in life when we are alone, no longer with others to help, with no one whom we can count on. It is a grim discovery that many people make only when it is too late.

Solitude and abandonment have become recurrent elements in today’s social landscape. They have multiple roots. In some cases, they are the result of calculated exclusion, a sort of deplorable “social conspiracy”; in others, tragically, a matter of an individual’s personal decision. In still other cases, the elderly submit to this reality, pretending that it is their free choice. Increasingly, we have lost “the taste of fraternity” (Fratelli Tutti, 33); we find it difficult even to think of an alternative.

“Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Ps 71:9)    

Dear brothers and sisters,

God never abandons his children, never. Even when our age advances and our powers decline, when our hair grows white and our role in society lessens, when our lives become less productive and can risk appearing useless. God does not regard appearances (cf. 1 Sam 16:7); he does not disdain to choose those who, to many people, may seem irrelevant. God discards no stone; indeed, the “oldest” are the firm foundation on which “new” stones can rest, in order to join in erecting a spiritual edifice (cf. 1 Peter 2:5).

(continued from last week)

In many older persons we can observe the sense of resignation described in the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of the elderly Naomi who, after the death of her husband and children, encourages her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their native towns and their homes (cf. Ruth 1:8). Naomi – like many elderly people today – is afraid of remaining alone, yet she cannot imagine anything different. As a widow, she knows that she is of little value in the eyes of society; she sees herself as a burden for those two young women who, unlike herself, have their whole lives before them. For this reason, she considers it best to step aside, and so she tells her young daughters-in-law to leave her and to build a future in other places (cf. Ruth 1:11-13). Her words reflect the rigid social and religious conventions of her day, which apparently seal her own fate.

The biblical narrative then presents us with two different responses to Naomi’s words and to old age itself. One of the two daughter sin-law, Orpah, who loves Naomi, kisses her and, accepting what seemed the only solution possible, goes her way. Ruth, however, does not leave Naomi’s side and, to her surprise, tells her: “Do not press me to leave you” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth is not afraid to challenge customs and inbred patterns of thought. She senses that the elderly woman needs her and she courageously remains at her side in what will be the start of a new journey for both. To all of us, who are accustomed to the idea that solitude is our unavoidable lot, Ruth teaches that in response to the plea “Do not abandon me”, it is possible to say, “I will not abandon you”. Ruth does not hesitate to subvert what seemed to be an irreversible situation: living alone need not be the only alternative! Not by chance, Ruth – who remained at the side of the elderly Naomi – was an ancestor of the Messiah (cf. Mt 1:5), of Jesus, Immanuel, “God with us”, the one who brings God’s own closeness and proximity to all people, of all ages and states of life.

Ruth’s freedom and courage invite us to take a new path. Let us follow in her footsteps. Let us set out with this young foreign woman and the elderly Naomi, and not be afraid to change our habits and imagine a different kind of future for our elderly. May we express our gratitude to all those people who, often at great sacrifice, follow in practice the example of Ruth, as they care for an older person or simply demonstrate daily closeness to relatives or acquaintances who no longer have anyone else. Ruth, who chose to remain close to Naomi, was then blessed with a happy marriage, a family, a new home. This is always the case: by remaining close to the elderly and acknowledging their unique role in the family, in society and in the Church, we will ourselves receive many gifts, many graces, many blessings!

On this Fourth World Day devoted to them, let us show our tender love for the grandparents and the elderly members of our families. Let us spend time with those who are disheartened and no longer hope in the possibility of a different future. In place of the self-centred attitude that leads to loneliness and abandonment, let us instead show the open heart and the joyful face of men and women who have the courage to say “I will not abandon you”, and to set out on a different path.

To all of you, dear grandparents and elderly persons, and to all those who are close to you I send my blessing, accompanied by my prayers. And I ask you, please, not to forget to pray for me.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 25 April 2024

The Pope’s letter begins by assuring the elderly that God never abandons anyone: “In the Bible, then, we find both the certainty of God’s presence at every stage of life…”. The title of the letter comes from Psalm 71:9 where the psalmist was addressing the natural feeling that any elderly person might feel. The inconveniences that come with mature age, should never be perceived as signs of being abandoned by God. Pope Francis affirms in the letter that God is close to all people, regardless their state and age in life.

The Pope goes on to highlight some challenges that grandparents and the elderly face today. Loneliness is ranked first in the letter. The Pope is making us aware of the various causes of this challenge: migratory labour, political instability, viewing the elderly as a burden, etc. This reminds us what Mother Teresa once said: “The greatest poverty today is the poverty of loneliness”.

Pope Francis presents Ruth as an epitome of a care giver: “Ruth’s freedom and courage invite us to take a new path. Let us follow in her footsteps”. To be a modern-day Ruth means that we must be able to identify, criticize and address instances where the elderly are not respected and accorded the dignity they deserve. God blessed Ruth with a marriage, family and a good home for taking care of Naomi. We see this in the New Testament as well, when Mary, the Mother of our Lord rushes with haste to take care of Elizabeth. Old age is a sign of being blessed. Therefore, taking care of the elderly becomes an invitation of God’s blessings upon an individual (Lev 19:32; Ps 103:17-18). Let us then assume Ruth’s words and make them our own:

“I will not abandon you”.

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SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FOR CATHOLICS

The Catholic Christian presence on the internet is so important nowadays. Years ago, TV and radio were the massive means of communication, but today it’s clear that they’ve all come together in one: the Internet.

Pope Benedict XVI said, “Dear Brothers and Sisters, I ask you to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communication and information technology the values on which you have built your lives”.

We’re no longer speaking of the internet as merely a tool for evangelization, but of an environment, a commonplace in which we all encounter people of an array of backgrounds. It’s important to keep in mind these 7 tips that we are sharing. They will help you improve your personal experience on social media and carry Jesus’s message to many of your friends.

1. Give An Authentic Testimony Of Faith

The key to this is to always build. A Church that builds is a Church that raises the Kingdom of Christ on earth. One’s own testimony of faith shared with others will radiate light.  It’s not very common that a young person decides to speak publicly of their faith since, generally, they will receive only questioning or criticism. But this doesn’t matter.

Our authentic life testimony will lead others to catch that “something” that the Christian has, which is Jesus Christ. God is always at the essence of our preaching. Don’t be afraid to speak of God on social media! Be encouraged to share your faith with others!

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (2 Timothy 5-8).

2. Be Constructive With Your Words

Having a public life online brings critics, opinions, comments, and endless reactions. Our message is not always well-received. Sometimes, we are “attacked”, and I say “attacked” in quotation marks because I believe these situations can be turned into opportunities. Yes, every attack or offense is an opportunity to show what we are, to tell our neighbors that we love them, to be authentic Christians while being constructive with our words.  It’s not hard, but it requires a great deal of Humility and reflection because a single moment can ignite rage in us, causing us to respond with a non-Christian attitude.

We must pause and think things through, value them, remember Christ’s example and then act. Saint Alberto Hurtado used to say: “In all, love and serve”, it should be so in our lives, where love leads us to reach out. Attacks must always be met with Jesus’ teaching: love.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4, 29-32).

3. Encourage the Discouraged

In my personal experience, I must say that this point is essential. As soon as we log in to social media apps, we are bombed by all kinds of messages. Sadly many of them are negative, expressing discouragement and weariness in life. What can we do?

Saint Francis of Assisi used to say: “O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love…”.

To place our attention on someone else is Christian behavour.

Social media and the Internet, in general, will always be a great gym to strengthen faith, encouraging the tired, consoling the tormented, cheering the dispirited, and giving hope to those who have lost it. But you must have a strong heart to avoid falling into discouragement yourself.  Work out as a Christian at the gym of charity!

“Son, if you decide to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for the test. Straighten your heart, be firm, and do not be unsettled when misfortune comes. Join the Lord and do not drift away, so that at the end of your days you may be exalted. Willingly accept everything that happens to you and be patient in the vicissitudes of your humiliation. Because gold is purified in fire, and those who please God, in the vase of humiliation. Trust him, and he will come to your aid, straighten your ways and wait in him” (Ecclesiastes 2, 1-6).

4. Avoid Meaningless Discussions

It is a sign of respect and humility to listen when others speak and to stay silent when you don’t know the answer. Being a Catholic does not mean having all the answers. Sometimes, the best advice is to remain quiet and the best way to defend the faith is silence.

That’s why, if we don’t know a topic the best thing to do is be silent and avoid meaningless discussions that would lead us nowhere because of our lack of knowledge. However, whenever we can, we must make an effort to deepen our faith and be informed, even of the latest news regarding the Church, to avoid being caught unprepared.

Always, honesty and humility.  To say: “I’m not sure”, “I don’t know”, or “honestly, I’m not clear on that particular subject” will always show humility. Leave the rest to the Lord. The greatest weapon we Catholics can wield is love, and, by loving, we will conquer.

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain” (Titus 3, 8-9).

5. Share Our Treasure: Jesus

What a great example converts to Catholicism set! They have met Christ face to face and discovered Him as a treasure, as their treasure. As Jesus’s parable in the Gospel:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and joyfully goes and sells all he has and buys that field.” (Mathew 13, 44).

They have left everything to live in Christ. He’s the true treasure of our lives. A treasure that we can keep to ourselves, or a treasure that is shared. Sometimes, without words, we carry the message of love.

“For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2, 15)

Let our lives smell and taste of Christ. How cheerful the heart becomes when we take Jesus to others!

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So, then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10, 14-17).    

6. Don’t lead a double life

Problems arise when we lead a very showy or pretentious “social” life on social media. We might show ourselves as Jesus’s followers, authentic Christians, full of life and profound prayer, but in real life, there are only scraps of that faith.

We party every weekend and do things that contradict our faith. Sometimes, we believe. Other times, we abandon. We say yes and later we deny it. Nowadays, we are public individuals, especially Christians (who are frequently put under a microscope).

If on social media you’re seen as a pious person who is committed to God, and in everyday life you’re seen drunk and “living life” as if there was no tomorrow… something is not right. Sooner or later living a double life will end up driving more than one person away from faith. Being Jesus’ witness means being authentic, always living only one life, the Christian life as an authentic and true follower of Christ.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3, 12-15).

7. Bring Light to Others.  

Our mission is often “to be the light amidst the darkness”. We must realize that one way or another, we carry the light of Jesus with us wherever we go.

We enlighten others with our words, our gestures, our actions, our thoughts, our very selves. But to give light, we must be the lamp. Leading a “dark” life while being a Catholic is certainly not going to enlighten anyone.

Always remember that Jesus left us the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and the Reconciliation, to revive the flame inside us. They can bring us back to the light, resurrect us from sin, to the life that is Christ. Don’t be afraid to turn to them, and you’ll be light to others every second of your life.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5, 14-16).

In the digital era, a true testimony will be something for your friends to lean on. Good is contagious. It spreads on its own. If each of us committed ourselves to live according to the Gospel, if we all gave a little, we’d get incredibly far and transform the world.

Pope Francis tweeted a very deep message: “Do not underestimate the value of example, because it holds more strength than a thousand words, than thousands of “likes” or “retweets”, than a thousand videos on YouTube.”

In fact, an authentic testimony of Christian life, true, unmasked, sincere, and eloquent will change the world. You want to be part of this change?   Keep in mind these 7 tips for Catholics on social media, get going, and be renewed.

The Church needs you, Christ needs you… We all need you!

Taken from the Catholic Link -  Written by H. Edgar Henríquez Carrasco

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