The Jubilee of Digital Missionaries (July 28-29) this past week has supercharged the reflection around the way the Church uses social media in a missionary key. As Jonathan Roumie, known for his portrayal of Jesus in “The Chosen,” said to the Catholic influencers gathered in Rome (via a video message):
“As someone who’s been blessed to portray Jesus in ‘The Chosen,’ I’ve seen firsthand how a story shared online can touch a heart, soften a soul, even change a life. You’re doing the same. Whether it’s through a post, a reel, a comment thread, or a livestream, you’re showing up in these digital spaces with the heart of Christ — not to preach at people but to meet them, to listen, to engage, to start conversations that actually matter.”
There was also a powerful recognition of the digital continent being one in great need of missionaries. With so many precious souls spending more and more of their life online, or going there for guidance and connection that used to be sought exclusively in local communities, the Lord has already been raising up a generation of apostles for digital spaces: Christians who, rooted in a living relationship with God in prayer and the Sacraments, bring with humility and zeal the only true thing of value we have to offer:
Jesus Christ.
At the end of the Mass, Pope Leo XIV addressed the young people present in the Basilica. Here are three of his thoughts that most moved me as a digital missionary:
“Today more than ever, we need missionary disciples who convey the gift of the Risen Lord to the world; who voice to the ends of the earth the hope that Jesus gives us (cf. Acts 1:3-8); and who go wherever there is a heart that waits, seeks, and is in need. Yes, to the ends of the earth, to the farthest reaches, where there is no hope.”
“It is up to us – it is up to each one of you – to ensure that this culture remains human. Science and technology influence the way we live in the world, even affecting how we understand ourselves and how we relate to God, how we relate to one another. But nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others. Our mission – your mission – is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together. This is the beauty of the “network” for all of us.”
“Jesus called his first apostles while they were mending their fishing nets (cf. Mt 4:21-22). He asks the same of us today. Indeed, he asks us to weave other nets: networks of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic; networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter; networks that give space to others more than to ourselves, where no “bubble” can silence the voices of the weakest; networks that liberate and save; networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other’s eyes; networks of truth. In this way, every story of shared goodness will be a knot in a single, immense network: the network of networks, the network of God.”
Since beginning social media outreach as a Daughter of St Paul, I’ve virtually encountered people from across the globe struggling in their faith, searching for faith, or searching for liberation from wounds and burdens they gained from harmful ‘influences’ online. To be able to share Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, with these people; to be able to pray with and for them from afar; to be able invite them off the virtual space and into an incarnate experience of Christ in the Sacraments and in the community of their local Church, has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Each Lent we receive messages from people across the globe sharing that they will be baptized at Easter. To hold them in prayer together as we celebrate Easter Vigil Mass hundreds of miles away … let’s just say I haven’t gotten through an Easter Vigil with dry eyes since I’ve entered the convent!
Whether we are “officially” doing missionary outreach online or not, this Jubilee is a time for all the baptised to take a pulse check. We are all Temples of the Holy Spirit, and we are all called to share with others the faith we have received as part of our baptismal call.
Something to pray about:
+In my interactions online, in the posts I linger on, where I hit a reaction button, the comments I leave or don’t leave… do I pause to recognize what kind of influence I will leave upon others? Am I leaving the influence of Christ’s heart for the salvation of others?
+Do I understand myself as a missionary, even if in small hidden ways, as part of my baptismal call? How do I use my online presence to invite others to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ?
Feature Image Credit: FSP; Pope Leo: by Cristian Gutiérrez, LC via Cathopic