Did the concept of “Social Media” originate in the Catholic Church?

For the past two years I have found myself drawn to the Holy Father’s annual messages for World Communications Day.  This is the first of a series of articles called, Letters from Papa, where I will attempt to unpack some of the Catholic Church’s teachings around Social Communications, and how this affects those of us who use new media to spread the good news.

Did the concept of “Social Media” originate in the Catholic Church?

On January 24, the Vatican released Pope Benedict’s message for the 44th World Communications Day, 2010, The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word.  In his letter, the Holy Father encouraged priests to “…  proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.”

The reaction of some of the mainstream media seemed to be surprise and incredulity that the Catholic church would be keeping up with the times and using modern tools of communication and interaction.   I noticed the same kind of reaction by mainstream media to last year’s World Communications Day message directed toward the laity, New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship.  In fact, throughout history the church has always employed the cutting edge communications tools of the age to spread the Good News, whether it was letters, the printing press, radio, or television.

One of my favorite quotes from The Simpsons is when Homer declared, “Oh, they have the Internet on Computers now!”  This quote seems to be very similar to the misplaced surprise that people have that the Church would be using new media.  Our current communications revolution using the Internet, blogs, and social communities such as Facebook and Twitter is commonly referred to as Social Media.   A search on wordspy.com indicates that the earliest known citation for the term “social media” appeared in 1994.

“What attracted librarians to the Internet? For some cybernauts, USENET, IRC, and the other social media of the net are the hooks. —Greg R. Notess, “Telnet explored,” Online, January 1, 1994 “

I think I may have found an earlier use of the concept, if not the exact term.

In 1963, the Vatican II document “Inter Mirifica” - on the Means of Social Communications begins,

Man’s genius has, with God’s help, produced marvellous technical inventions from creation, especially in our times. The Church, our mother, is particularly interested in those which directly touch man’s spirit and which have opened up new avenues of easy communication of all kinds of news, of ideas and orientations. Chief among them are those means of communication which of their nature can reach and influence not merely single individuals but the very masses and even the whole of human society. These are the press, the cinema, radio, television and others of a like nature. These can rightly be called “the means of social communication”.

Inter Mirifica outlines the role of media in the world, and how the church should engage and participate in all forms of Media.   As a result of Inter Mirifica, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications was established and since 1967, each year the Sunday before Pentecost has been designated as World Communications Day.  For the past 43 years, the Holy Father has released an annual message in preparation for World Communications Day on January24, the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers and journalists.  Past themes for World Communications Day have included such topics as Social Communications And The Family(1969 and 1980), Social Communications And The Promotion Of Solidarity And Fraternity Between Peoples And Nations (1988), Religion In The Mass Media. 1989, and Videocassettes And Audiocassettes In The Formation Of Culture And Of Conscience
(1993).

It seems to me that not only has the Church been active in using and exploring modern communications technologies for some time, the concept of “social communications”, outlined in Inter Mirifica in 1963 seem to predict or at least encompass the current usage of the term ’social media’.

Walking The Line

At my son’s high school, the main student parking lot is across the street from the school. Students must cross the street to get to the school. Unfortunately, to drop our son off, we must turn right at the same corner the students cross.

This is where I go crazy.

Most of the students do not cross the street in a straight line. Instead, they come about two thirds of the way across the street, then angle to the left, toward the gate they must enter. Because they take the angle, they remain in the street longer. This, of course, forces us to wait longer before we make our turn. Which tends to frustrate me in the hustle and bustle of getting everyone to school and work.

I’ve spoken with some of these students and they all believe one thing: Crossing at the angle gets them to the curb and the gate faster.

From the student’s viewpoint, their reasoning seems logical. That is, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Since they want to get to the gate, turning toward it while crossing the street saves them some steps. However, as they do so, they miss the consequences of their actions. They miss the frustration and delay they cause the drivers trying to turn right at the corner. And they expose themselves to danger.

All this got me to thinking about my walk with God.

You see, walking with God is like crossing the street. If you stay within the crosswalk and cross with the light, you get across safely and quickly. But if you wander off at an angle outside the crosswalk, thinking you’re taking a shortcut, you walk out of your protection. Which means you can get hurt more easily.

Too often, I have fallen into the temptation of taking the shortcut, thinking it would be OK.

Skipping morning prayers.
Watching that questionable programming.
Visiting websites best left alone.

More often than not, when I tried walking outside of God’s purpose for my life, I got into trouble. That’s the thing. I can choose to walk in the crosswalk of God’s merciful plan for my life, or I can meander outside the protection of His grace.

Staying in the crosswalk gets me to where I’m going, quickly, within His protection. Angling outside of his path exposes me to danger, potholes, obstacles and oncoming traffic.

I know, this seems so fundamental, even juvenile. But how often do we go our own way, thinking that we’ll get there faster or easier, only to find ourselves in trouble, or worse, in dangerous circumstances? The crosswalk is there for a reason; to protect us as we cross a dangerous place.

I recently faced a severe time crunch on a looming project deadline. I had three hours to complete a video for a trade show. However, my client wanted me to make changes to an animation within the video. To do this, I would have to recreate the animation elements, then re-edit the special effects for the animation. These changes would require two hours of work.

I was tempted to try and cut some corners in order to make things move more quickly. However, when I thought about it, I figured out my shortcut would actually take longer than the expected two hours. I took a few moments to pray, asking God for a solution.

He delivered.

In the pressure of the moment, I had overlooked a simple solution. Since the only thing changing were some colors in the elements, I could replace the elements without having to redo the effects. What I had figured would take me two hours only took me twenty minutes. All because I took a moment to ask God to show me the way.

God’s plan and purpose for our life is there for a reason; to protect us as we move through this life. So stay the course; walk the walk; follow where He leads.

It really is that simple.

Rejoice in The Lord.. Always?

There are times and situations in life when the words “Rejoice in the Lord always” seem so out of place.

How can one rejoice when one is going through a difficult time- a death in the family, a terminal illness, betrayal by a loved one, getting laid off from a job, being the victim of malicious gossip..? How can one find “joy in the journey” when the journey is long and tiring, the skies are dark, the path is strewn with stones and pebbles, when one feels friendless and alone?

Recently, I went through some tough times. And it was amazing because just after having a difficult conversation which left me rather weepy, I heard an amazing talk on “Joy in unlikely places.” Every word spoke to my situation. And I remember thinking; the Israelite had to wait for 700 years for the prophecy of the Messiah to be fulfilled but thankfully, we don’t have to wait that long to know the comfort of The God Who loves us so much.

I also remember what I heard in that sharing was so timely, so providential - The Lord God knew I would go through a time of pain that morning and so, also comforted me with those words, truly, He binds up the brokenhearted, He bandages their wounds, He strikes us but He will also heal us.

I also understood that morning that joy comes from knowing the unchanging, unconditional love of a faithful God. Thus, even in the midst of disaster, I can be truly joyful because I know I am loved by a God Who is in control even when all else seems chaotic and out of control. I will still grieve, I will still shed tears, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel, hope springs eternal, His love will take me through the worst storm, His grace will sustain me.

I made a decision to be deliberate about choosing joy. Now, this does not mean that I go about with a plastic smile on my face declaring ‘ALL EEJ WELL”. No, that would be fake. It does not mean that I deny the reality of my circumstances and pretend I have no pain.

To me, choosing joy means acknowledging what is happening around me, accepting that this is a difficult time, even mourning and grieving; but simultaneously looking to God, proclaiming He is sovereign, He is in control and He knows what He is doing, even when I don’t really understand. And, that He will hold me together when everything seems to be falling apart; nothing can separate me from His love, nothing will ever diminish His love for me and there is NOTHING that He cannot handle.

With this frame of mind, yes, it is possible to Rejoice in the Lord always!

podCatholic.com is now online!

Good news people!

After a seeming eternity of a wait, podCatholic.com has finally got it’s first podcast live!

It will feature stories that will (hopefully we pray) impact your lives. It will also touch upon the general state of Catholics & Catholicism in India.

We welcome your suggestions on improving the podcasts - and we appreciate your prayers for this our new branch of online ministry.

The Living Dead

Even while they are alive some are dead in God’s eyes. The one who rejects one’s loving Father and His home and uses his wealth for his selfish purposes finally reaches the pig’s sty. The wish for worldly comforts and pleasures lead us to lose our lives.

A pig restricts its life’s wish only to gluttony and worldly pleasures. But God raises the hand of the man towards the eternal pleasures of heaven. The ancient serpent cursed to crawl on dust or sand hails man to be an animal showing him all comforts and worldly pleasures. Looking at the man who has lost his way the Lord said “ he is the dead one” He who went in search of worldly pleasures is an unlucky one who was dead before he died. This is what God has to say to all those who search the meaning of man’s existence - “The Son of Man has come not seeking pleasures but to suffer greatly”. He has been resurrected from the furnace of suffering.

From time immemorial, the tempter of pleasures has taken root in our heart. When we restrain from turning to godly life we end up in disgrace and suicide. However, God has made liberation from this and eternal life available to us.
“One who gives himself to pleasure has already died, even though he lives”
(1 Tim. 5:6)

One can evaluate one’s life and failure with Jesus. Those who listen and believe in the words of Jesus have eternal life. The living and dead will hear God’s voice. The voice that has existed from the beginning will obtain for us eternal life. You might be prevented from hearing Jesus’ words and thus believe the tempter; and try to gain comfort or solace in worldly pleasures and evil forces. Jesus came to give life and give it abundantly (John 10:10). When we reject Jesus we choose death. The sons of death, while they are alive, reject Jesus who is life.

The sin of the first man gifted us with death. The earth was spread with death along with the sin. The death of the sinless Jesus provided us with eternal life. St. Paul wrote, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). St. John tells us “Sin is not believing in Jesus” (John 16:9). Belief in Jesus leads us from life to eternal life and disbelief in Jesus leads us from death to eternal hell. “But now that you have been free from sin and enslaved to God the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life.

“For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:22-23). The word of Satan gives man death and Jesus’ word gives man victory over death (John 8:51, Gen 3:4). The choice between life and death is always before man. Jesus tells everyone on the face of the earth - “I am the life and the resurrection” (John 11: 25). It is in accordance with that link with Jesus that one lives or fails.

Let us pray calling upon Jesus: -
Jesus son of the living God, come to save us who are dead in sin. Send upon us your Holy Spirit. Blow into our nostrils your life giving breath.

Ghost Stories ~ Father Dominic Legge, OP

In the middle of the night at a large, old, and now only partly occupied Dominican priory in rural Ohio, a Dominican woke up to see an unknown man, wearing the white habit of the order, standing at the foot of his bed, looking at him. The figure pointed insistently at the bookcase against the wall, and then turned and walked out of the room.

After breakfast the next morning, the friar took aside the superior of the house. “One of our guests walked into my room last night. It was very strange.”

“What guest?” the prior replied.

“The visiting Dominican – someone I didn’t recognize. He came into my room in the middle of the night.”

“But we don’t have any guests staying with us,” the prior insisted. “You must have been dreaming.”

“I don’t think so.”

When he returned to his room, he studied the bookcase: nothing unusual there. He peered behind it, moved it a few inches. Intrigued, he now strained to pivot the bookcase away from the wall. A forgotten door, unopened for decades, stood before him.

Are you hooked? Everyone loves a good ghost story, especially at this time of year. This one has circulated for decades among the friars of my Dominican province. But do you believe in ghosts? Are they real?

The popular fascination with “paranormal phenomena”, perhaps always with us, certainly seems to have grown in our time. Could this be because, as Father Gabriel Amorth writes: “where religion regresses, superstition progresses”? We have a spiritual dimension that is very hard to suppress. If you don’t believe in God, often you’ll end up believing in lots of things (Tarot cards, astrology, crystals, or other New Age superstitions) much less reasonable, and much more spiritually dangerous.

The Christian tradition bears impressive witness to purely spiritual beings who can have real contact with us: angels and demons. Although their power is far greater than ours, they are still creatures of God. They either are entirely in His service, or they have chosen, eternally and irrevocably, to hate Him – and, consequently, to hate us human beings, since each of us is loved by God. There are no spiritual beings who are free agents. Whether or not Hollywood admits it, every one of those spirits believes in God and is subject to Him. “Even the demons believe – and shudder.” (James 2:19.)

So are ghosts real? That depends on what you mean by “ghost.” They could be apparitions of demons. This is probably what happens when one tries to contact the dead at a séance or with a ouiji board. Since they’re liars, they usually try not to appear malicious. Engaging these spiritual powers, the Catechism warns, “conceal[s] a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers.” Such attempts “contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.” It’s very dangerous. (By the way, vampires, zombies, and the “undead”: definitely not real, unless they’re demonic apparitions. Witches and sorcerers? I’ve met people who claim to be such.)

Could ghosts be the souls of the dead? Perhaps, although not in the way Hollywood usually depicts. The souls of the dead are never homeless: they find themselves, in short order, in either Heaven, Purgatory or Hell. Is it possible that we could somehow encounter them? When permitted by the power of God, yes. In fact, when the Church celebrates her saints – the reason that Halloween exists, since it is “All Hallow’s E’en,” the night before the great Catholic feast of All Saints – she rejoices that we have such friends in Heaven who can help us in our need.

But what about ghost stories and haunted houses – or haunted Dominican priories? (My ghost story – slightly embellished here, as any good ghost story should be – has many priests who suspect it is true.) We cannot say for sure, but it could be that God sometimes permits souls in Purgatory to appear to the living to seek the help of their prayers. And that means that the best remedy for seeing a ghost is to pray for it!

The door opened; the friar peered into a dusty closet containing a bureau. Inside the bureau, he found a stack of yellowed slips of paper: Mass intentions. Some priest had long ago left these promises to say Mass for the souls of the dead without fulfilling them. Perhaps that is why the unknown Dominican desired so much that these papers be found – so that the duty he had failed to fulfill in his life could be completed by his brothers who remained alive.

The room was turned into a chapel, an altar erected. Many Masses were offered there. The unknown Dominican never appeared again.

My Story ~ Ramchandran Vydianathan

Praise the Lord, Praise you Jesus, and Praise you Abba. Dear Friends, I would like to share my encounter with our Lord Jesus in my Life My name is Ramchandran Vydianathan. I was born in a Hindu/Brahmin family in Kerala. After my graduation, I was sent to Bombay to take up a job. This is where I met my wife Bernadette.

For a period of four years, i.e., from December 1983 to December 1987, I worked in Saudi Arabia. In the year 1987 I returned back to Bombay. We got married in the church in 1990. Initially, my family did not approve of this marriage, however since I was most loved by my mother she finally agreed. I was blessed with a good job in Dubai in September that year and my wife joined me six months later. We used to attend mass once a week either on a Friday or Sunday. But I still remained a Hindu.

Detention

In the month of February 1995 at 11 p.m., while we were returning from our vacation, I was stopped at Dubai Airport by an immigration official. On asking the officer what it was all about, I was told that there was a case against me and they could not give me any further details. My wife quickly put a Rosary and a novena book of our Lady in my pocket. I was put into a vehicle at the airport and taken to the Immigration Lock-up at Bur Dubai Police Station. I was able to meet her only the next morning after she obtained information about my whereabouts. Through her I informed my company about my detention. This happened during the Ramadan season.

After a couple of days, I was shifted to a police lock-up at Al Mulla Plaza. I was detained in an underground cell. My wife managed to contact me there too and told me not to be afraid and to pray to Lord Jesus. I began to recite the Rosary and say the novena prayers in the prison. It was a prayer said in desperation; and Jesus as usual was faithful and responded to my prayer. Immediately help started pouring in. My wife used to come to meet me daily and she somehow managed to give me a small Bible.

Read more

February 2010

Daily Intercessions through the Word of God – February 2010
Sanctuary Intercessors – India Branch of FBB
International Catholic Charismatic Missionary Intercessors of the Fellowship of the Burning Bush (FBB)
The ‘Intercession Diary’ has the approval and blessings of the Bishops’ Team of the Archdiocese and contains intentions of our Cardinal and the Bishops
(Join us in agreement to intercede each day according to the Scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit how to pray to actualize God’s promises in each situation)

Day/Date Interceding According to the Mind of Christ

Mon
1/2/2010 Mt 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it
The Church in Mumbai, light to the nations and the glory of God’s Holy People – Vision Statement, Archdiocese of Bombay, Synod 2000. As we focus our prayers this month for our city, we pray that Jesus Christ will be the Rock on which Mumbai is built. We pray that the Catholics in Mumbai will be salt and leaven, bringing the light of Christ to our city. Today is also the concluding day of the Catholic Apologetics Convention. May the Holy Spirit sustain and empower our Catholic faithful in a renewed love for the Word and the Church

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Let’s believe it: “Mumbai; light to the nations”

Wow! Halleluiah!

That is all I can say as I look (with disbelief at times, so forgive me Lord) and marvel (Ps 118:23) at what God is doing in our midst.

Watching barely half a month of the very first month of this year itself, I am hugely excited at what the Lord has in store for 2010. In my spirit I can see the wonderful way the Lord is putting piece after piece in place as His vast tapestry emerges for this beautiful city of Mumbai.

Truly, with our eyes of faith (2 Cor 5:7), we should see, and rejoice over, the fact that Mumbai is the Lord’s. And this is precisely, and prophetically, what the Archdiocesan Synod had as its Vision “The Church in Mumbai, light to the nations and the glory of God’s Holy People” – Vision Statement, Archdiocese of Bombay, Synod 2000.

In the past few days itself we have seen so many marvellous things taking place. The first-ever Catholic Apologetics Convention, the various ecumenical initiatives across the city during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Silver Jubilee of the SCCs, the inter-faith initiatives, all signs that the Kingdom of God is at hand, in Mumbai. So, let us catch this vision and press on (Phil.3:14) in faith, and in prayer.

Thus, this month we focus our prayer for the Church in the city – we pray fervently for the Archdiocese of Bombay, our shepherds, our priests, our families, our youth, the various programs, movements and associations through which the Spirit is at work in the Church.

We pray especially for our sisters and brothers in Bandra who are preparing for the 75th Anniversary of the Consecration of Bandra to Christ the King.

And as we await, with prayer and hope, the reign of Christ the King not only in Bandra but all over Mumbai; we bring to mind the call to “sanctify ourselves, for tomorrow the Lord WILL do wonders among us.” (Joshua 3:5; emphasis added).

May we thus, sharpen our focus on sanctifying ourselves - as individuals and as a body. We are privileged that we are blessed with the grace-filled season of Lent; let us not lose this time lent to us, but let us treat this time like a ta-lent. For which the Master, who we know is a demanding person (Mt 25:24), will demand of us an account. Let us focus on the Cross, so that from Him will flow our prayers, fasting and almsgiving as a loving response to God’s mercy and saving plan, rather than a selfish way of trying to ‘earn’ our salvation.

May we too take our place at the foot of the Cross – the only place where surrender is turned into victory; where death is turned into life. May Mumbai experience victory and life in Christ, because you and me have died to self and surrendered to His will. May Mary, our Beloved Mother, who journeyed with and stood by Jesus (Jn 19:25) during His way of the Cross, accompany us.