The Gospel through social media

By Robert Batch

St. Jerome in his Study by Fabriano
(Wikimedia Commons).

It is not a typical thing to hear Facebook and Twitter accompanied with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The question is, why is this the case?  We live in a society where we have become very dependent on the functions and convenience of social communication.  Whether it is the instant communication through Facebook messaging or texting, or the number of followers that you have through your Twitter Account.

Over the past 20 years we have seen a rapid development in technology, not only has it increased in speed, but at the same time it has decreased in size, giving us the ability to bring it where we like, when we like.  So why I am I writing about this topic, you might ask.

As consumers of media, or even frequent media users that are part of the Catholic Faith we must ask ourselves, are we living the Catholic life through our computer, ipad, iphone, and laptop screens?  Are we, through our use of media portraying the truths of the Gospel, and the love of Christ.  In my weekly podcast recordings, I have been focusing on the spirituality of St. Jose Maria Escriva, who was a fan of obtaining holiness through the small, and normal routines of everyday life.  Well I think it would be safe to say that technology has fallen under this category, of “normal” and “routine”


Continue reading Robert's reflection at Love is Calling.

How to stay relevant

By Caroline

In the Cloister Library by Alessandro Sani (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons).

rel·e·vant [ rélləvənt ]
1- connected: having some sensible or logical connection with something else such as a matter being discussed or investigated
2- having social significance: having some bearing on or importance for real-world issues, present-day events, or the current state of society


The older you get the easier it is to think you’re becoming, ‘not relevant.’
If you’re in ‘that bracket’ maybe, like me, you occasionally sense that a technology tsunami has dragged you out to sea and like trying to tread water in a rip current, you can’t get back to shore. It’s not that I don’t see the value of all the latest click enhancers, or use some of them;

but truth be told, I put up with them, learning only what I have to in order to function… Generally, I find they really cramp my style. I deleted my Facebook three months after I got an account..and for me, Twitter is a hot mess. Too many people thinking out loud, saying too many things that should probably be whispered and, well– taken out to sea in the tsunami and forgotten. I’d really just like to talk to somebody instead of texting all the time and for goodness sake, does anybody remember when a picture wasn’t virtual and stored on your smart phone, but actually something you kept in an album?

Yet, this is how the message travels today; with hash-tags, FB updates, blog posts and apps– that’s what I was recently telling the Lord in prayer;

I’m not relevant anymore. I don’t speak the language of the culture.
I feel young…but, I’m ‘old school.’
I’m washed up, Lord…and…I’m not going to Twitter.

Continue reading at Caroline's blog  Bell of the Wanderer.