Over the years I have used various social media platforms. Not only have I watched the platforms change, but I’ve noticed how my relationship to them has also changed. In high school I used social media as a way of connecting with those around me. In college and as a young adult it was a tool for getting information and sharing experiences. Along the way I would think about how I used social media, but it wasn’t until after I entered the convent and was asked to help run social media for the Daughters of St. Paul that I started to examine myself on my own social media usage. As someone who uses social media as a platform for ministry, I want the content I produce and my interactions to always be reflecting Jesus. This is often more difficult than I realize.
In today’s digital age, social media is a powerful tool for connection and communication. It’s everywhere these days. Whether connecting with friends, sharing thoughts, or staying updated with the latest news, social media can comprise a large part of our daily life. This can be a challenge for anyone, but especially for those of us who want to engage with this space in a way that aligns with our Catholic faith. By viewing our social media habits through the lens of the Eucharist—the source and summit of our faith and the sacrament in which God comes to dwell with us and in us—we can develop practices that will help us witness to Christ’s love in the digital world.
The four questions below are some that I ask myself regularly, and my hope is that they can help you think about your own social media habits through a Eucharistic lens:
Is My Content Building Up or Tearing Down?
The Eucharist is a sacrament of unity and healing, which builds up the Body of Christ. Reflect on whether the content you share—posts, comments, or photos—builds others up or tears them down. Are you contributing to a unifying online environment, or is your activity fostering division?
How Do I Handle Conflicts Online?
The Eucharist calls us to reconciliation and peace. I think particularly of the sign of peace we exchange during Mass. Consider your approach to handling conflicts or disagreements on social media. Are you engaging in constructive dialogue or responding with anger and hostility? Social media can often be a place of harsh criticism and quick judgments. Reflect on how you can approach online conflicts with the same spirit of reconciliation and peace that is central to the Eucharist, seeking unity, understanding, and forgiveness.
Do My Social Media Practices Reflect a Spirit of Gratitude?
The word “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word “eucharistia,” literally meaning thanksgiving. Take some time to reflect on whether your social media presence reflects a spirit of gratitude. Are you acknowledging and giving thanks for the blessings in your life, or is your content primarily focused on self-inflation? Let your online interactions be infused with a sense of gratitude, a canticle of praise to the One who has given us the gift of life.
How Does My Social Media Use Affect My Relationship with God and Others?
The Eucharist is a sacrament of unity and intimacy. In this light, it would be good to evaluate how your social media habits impact your spiritual life and relationships. It’s easy to get sucked into endless scrolling: is your online activity drawing you closer to God and fostering deeper connections with others, or is it creating distance and distraction? Consider how you can adjust your social media use to ensure that it supports, rather than hinders, your faith life and your personal relationships.
By living a Eucharistic life and allowing this grace to be integrated into our online lives, we have the opportunity to make every interaction an expression of the Gospel. In this way, social media becomes more than just a platform for sharing our highlight reels—it becomes a place of communion, a place of sharing the Gospel.
This prayer of Pope Francis from World Communications Day in 2021 always strikes me very deeply and I try to pray it regularly as I use social media. I pray that this might be a helpful prayer for you too.
Pope Francis’ Prayer for Communications (2021)
Lord, teach us to move beyond ourselves,
and to set out in search of truth.
Teach us to go out and see,
teach us to listen,
not to entertain prejudices
or draw hasty conclusions.
Teach us to go where no one else will go,
to take the time needed to understand,
to pay attention to the essentials,
not to be distracted by the superfluous,
to distinguish deceptive appearances from the truth.
Grant us the grace to recognize your dwelling places in our world
and the honesty needed to tell others what we have seen.
