A new phrase that have surfaced just recently is one that is being used by Pope Leo as he celebrates the Jubilee of youth, media and social media. It is the Vatican's weeklong Jubilee for young people that culminates this weekend with a vigil and Mass in a vast field on Rome's outskirts. Leo thanked the young people for using their digital platforms to spread the faith. But he warned them about neglecting human relationships in their pursuit of clicks and followers, and cautioned them to not fall prey to fake news and the "frivolity" of online encounters. "It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts," Leo said in a speech that showed his ease switching from Italian to Spanish to English. "Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Our mission — your mission — is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together." In a way, all young people using their cell-phones effectively to spread the message of the Gospel, can truly be digital missionaries.
Digital missionaries are all those who use
the media , written, published, electronic and in any other form to spread the
Good News. I consider myself a seasoned digital missionary as I’ve been involved
in the written and spoken message since my Seminary years, over 50 years. My contributions has taken various forms, including writing for 38 years in a Maltese Catholic
newspaper, using effectively various parish bulletins in former parishes,
preparing PowerPoint talks on various topics, mainly religious, using my Blog
for 13 years so far, using photography, music, and email to connect with friends,
and answer questions about the faith, even as a form of online counselling.
I am thankful for both your digital missionary efforts but most especially for your time being an in-person missionary in Eastern Oregon. You are such a blessing then and now! Thank you, Father Julian!
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