This world has gotten so angry and divisive, with groups of people verbally and physically attacking others. It saddens me as a member of the human race to see it occur online, in the public arena, and yes, even here at our Church. I daily pray and work for the love, mercy, respect, and joy that the Catholic Faith clearly showcases to the world. It can overcome the hatred and distrust that seems to be the cause of so much pain. We must put the good back into the world and that starts with how we speak to people and engage in our moments of encounter. Smiling and holding a door open for someone. Asking your family members how their day was and listening to their stories. Even speaking kindly to someone that vehemently disagrees with you and even confronts you with maliciousness.
Our Holy Father has made it clear last week just how we are to behave in the world as Catholics when it comes to communicating. January 24 was the fifty-first World Communications Day, and Pope Francis stated:
I wish to address this message to all those who, whether in their professional work or personal relationships, are like that mill, daily “grinding out” information with the aim of providing rich fare for those with whom they communicate. I would like to encourage everyone to engage in constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice towards others and foster a culture of encounter, helping all of us to view the world around us with realism and trust…
Confidence in the seed of God’s Kingdom and in the mystery of Easter should also shape the way we communicate. This confidence enables us to carry out our work – in all the different ways that communication takes place nowadays – with the conviction that it is possible to recognize and highlight the good news present in every story and in the face of each person.
Those who, in faith, entrust themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit come to realize how God is present and at work in every moment of our lives and history, patiently bringing to pass a history of salvation. Hope is the thread with which this sacred history is woven, and its weaver is none other than the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Hope is the humblest of virtues, for it remains hidden in the recesses of life; yet it is like the yeast that leavens all the dough. We nurture it by reading ever anew the Gospel, “reprinted” in so many editions in the lives of the saints who became icons of God’s love in this world. Today too, the Spirit continues to sow in us a desire for the Kingdom, thanks to all those who, drawing inspiration from the Good News amid the dramatic events of our time, shine like beacons in the darkness of this world, shedding light along the way and opening ever new paths of confidence and hope.
– Pope Francis (https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/communications/documents/papa-francesco_20170124_messaggio-comunicazioni-sociali.html)
The world is not easy, but it is our responsibility as Catholics to fill it with love, mercy, trust, and importantly and urgently, hope. I know so many of you already do so and the world is a better place because of you.