On Carpe Diem, Ecumenism and Social Media

CHRISTIAN MEANING OF ‘CARPE DIEM’

27 January 2013 (VIS) – “Each moment can be the auspicious ‘today’ of our conversion. Each day can be the salvific ‘today’ because salvation is a continuous story for the Church and for each of Christ’s disciples. This is the Christian meaning of ‘carpe diem’; seize the day that God calls on you to offer you salvation.” 

“This Gospel passage also challenges us ‘today’. Firstly, it makes us think of our way of living Sunday; it is a day of family and of rest but even more, it is the day that we dedicate to the Lord, participating in the Eucharist in which we are nourished with the Body and Blood of Christ and with His life-giving Word. Secondly, in our times of dispersion and distraction, this Gospel passage invites us to ask ourselves about our ability to listen. Before we can speak of God and with God, we have to listen to Him, and the Church’s liturgy is the ‘school’ of this listening to the Lord who speaks to us.”

ECUMENISM: WALKING BEYOND BARRIERS

“Communion in the same faith is the basis for ecumenism,” the Holy Father said, emphasizing that “God gives us unity as something inseparable from the faith” and that “the profession of baptismal faith in God, the Father and Creator, who has revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ, pouring out the Spirit who gives life and holiness already unites Christians.

Without faith, which is first a gift from God, but also the response of human persons, the entire ecumenical movement would be reduced to a type of ‘contract’, to adhere to out of common interest. … The doctrinal questions that still divide us should not be overlooked or minimized. Rather, they should be faced with courage, in a spirit of fraternity and mutual respect. Dialogue, when it reflects the priority of faith, can be open to God’s action with the firm confidence that alone we cannot build unity, but that the Holy Spirit is the one who guides us toward full communion and who allows us to see the spiritual wealth present in the different Churches and ecclesial communities.”

POSITIVE TAKE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

“The social dynamic of the social media, it is appropriate to point out, lies within the even richer and more profound dynamic of the human heart’s existential search. There is an interweaving of questions and answers that gives meaning to the human person’s path. In this context, the Pope touches upon a delicate aspect of the matter when he speaks of the ocean of excessive information that overwhelms ‘the gentle voice of reason’.”

The theme of the Day speaks of new spaces for evangelisation: evangelisation that announces the Word, that proclaims Jesus Christ. In this regard we must remember what Benedict XVI wrote in his message for the World Communications Day in 2011, when he emphasized that it was not only an explicit expression of the Faith, but essentially, an effective witness “in the way one communicates choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically.”

Likewise, the Holy Father “identifies some of the challenges that we must address if our presence is to be effective. We must become more fluent in the language of the social networks; a language that is born of the convergence of text, image and sound, a language that is characterized by brevity and that seeks to engage hearts and minds as well as the intellect. In this regard, the Pope reminds us to draw on our Christian heritage which is rich in signs, symbols and artistic expression. We need to remember a basic truth of communications: our witness – our actions and our patterns of behaviour – is often more eloquent than our words and proclamations in expressing who we are and what we believe. In the digital arena, the Pope suggests that our willingness to engage patiently and respectfully with the questions and doubts of those we encounter in the networks can be a powerful expression of our care and concern for them. Notwithstanding the challenges, we should always be hopeful.”