Catholic Media Promotion Day Pt II (but late, whoops)

I kind of missed the boat on Catholic Media Promotion Day part II, but it's better late than never, I suppose, right?

The second part of CMPD was supposed to be reflection on our purpose... what do we do as Catholics involved with social media? I've been thinking about this along and along, and I think it finally struck me today with the readings from today's Mass - it's from 1 Peter. Here... let's look:

"Beloved:
The end of all things is at hand.
Therefore be serious and sober-minded
so that you will be able to pray.
Above all, let your love for one another be intense,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another
as good stewards of God's varied grace.
Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God;
whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies,
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you,
as if something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ,
so that when his glory is revealed
you may also rejoice exultantly." 

 [The emphasis is mine, obvi.]

Catholic Media Promotion Day 2012 Logo

This spoke to me today in a serious way... I feel as though it kind of sums up the last few months of my life. I haven't really felt like I've made God laugh in any particular way lately. Things have just been... serious. Many things have caused it... and so, I ask for you, my friends, to please send up prayers for

• My mother... that she returns to her normal self soon after breaking her hip and having to recover from the corrective surgery, and that the issues she's having with her back are fixable so that she can enjoy the life she once had

and

• Our youth minister in Smalltown USA... that she returns to her health after a harrowing month following a stroke and aneurysm and that in her absence, I may continue to lead the Catholic Teens in this area to the best of my ability

Catholicism: Journey Around the World!  I haven't read this yet or been a part of the series but it's coming to Smalltown USA in the fall, or so I hear....

And that... this... that I have a support group of people who don't even really know me, necessarily, can gather around in a time of need. And that's what our purpose as Catholics in social media is all about. To be a support group, a community that is there for one another.

We are the universal Church. Catholic means universal. We need to support one another in our faith journeys. We need to be brothers and sisters in Christ.