The thing with ask.fm

The popularity of ask.fm seems to be waning. Nevertheless, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the trend, particularly some interesting things it can tell us about human nature.

source: http://ask.fm/about/logos

What is it? Ask.fm is a social networking site in which users can ask each other questions, usually anonymously(more here). As of August 2013, the site boasted 70 million registered users.

Like other sites such as Twitter and Facebook, ask.fm is not in itself good or bad. It is a tool and as such can be used for either purpose. This said, ask.fm seems to pose some risks. The questions asked on the site range from basic questions (what is your favorite color?) to more personal questions (what do you think about X in our class? who do you have a crush on?). The very format of the site puts pressure on people to answer the questions, regardless of how intimate they are. Unsurprisingly, this was often a recipe for disaster. In fact, the site at times facilitated cyberbullying.

What can we learn from ask.fm? The very popularity of ask.fm shows that within each of us there is a desire to know and be known by others. This desire can certainly get distorted (ex. gossip, bullying), but the desire itself is good. What makes ask.fm troublesome is that it expects people to reveal their thoughts/desires/dreams to anonymous people. In fact, it seems to violate what I think is a law of human interactions:

Revelation is proportional to relationship.

If our relationship with someone is superficial, we will not share much about ourselves with them. The deeper our relationship is with someone the more we reveal to that person about ourselves. Likewise, the more we share with someone our hopes, dreams and opinions, the deeper our relationship with that person grows. The problem with ask.fm is that it demands personal revelation where no relationship is possible because the questioner is anonymous. When I think of ask.fm, I am reminded of Jesus' warning:

Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:6)

Since we have have been made in the image of God, it is not surprising that for God too the principle that "revelation is proportional to relationship" holds. We see this in two ways:

1. Within the Trinity: the three Persons of the Trinity share a perfect relationship. As such, their revelation and communication with each other is perfect. As Jesus said: "All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." (Matthew 11:27).
2. The Trinity working in the world: Over time, God has gradually and progressively revealed Himself to humanity. He has done this not to satisfy our curiosity but so that we would respond to what He has revealed about Himself and chose to enter into a relationship with Him. The greater the revelation, the greater the relationship requested. Jesus Christ is the ultimate revelation of God to the world. In Him we see the true face of God. This revelation is meant to provoke a choice: will we enter into a personal relationship with Him or not?

What's the point? We need to be aware that we all have a desire to know and be known by others. This desire is good. We should remember, however, that we should only reveal ourselves to others according to the depth of our relationship and as a way to grow the relationship. When this doesn't happen, people can get hurt. We need to be strive to grow in good, healthy relationships so that we can more and more reflect the One in whose image we have been created.

Holy Trinity, Andrei Rublev (1360-1430)

Can't preach the Resurrection with Good Friday faces

MT 5:13-16

Everything I really needed to know I learned in Kindergarten.

There is a lot of truth in this expression. The gospel of today, in which Jesus calls us to be salt of the earth and light of the world, reminds me of my time in Kindergarten. One day, my class stood up in front of the rest of the school and sang “This Little Light of Mine” while holding in our hands small torches that we had made out of Styrofoam cups with paper flames glued to the top. Many of you will remember the lyrics to the song:

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine.Hide it under a bushel? Oh no! I’m gonna let it shine.Jesus gave me the light, I’m gonna let it shine.

In Kindergarten I learned the important lesson that Jesus wants us to have a real positive effect on those we come in contact with. Christ calls us to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. The two images of light and salt would have been very meaningful for those who heard Jesus’ words some 2000 years ago. At that time, salt was a necessary part of life and a valuable commodity. In addition to flavoring foods, salt was used to preserve food in a time before refrigerators. Then as now, light is something of fundamental importance. Light dispels darkness and it it helps us to see; when light takes the form of a flame it keep us warm.  When Jesus tells us to be the salt of the earth, He expects that through our words and actions we season the world with love, justice and all that is good. Like salt we are also meant to be a preservative. We are called to preserves truth in the world, the truth about who God is and who we have been created to be as human beings. When Jesus tells us to be the light of the world, He is asking us to dispel from the world all the darkness caused by sin, hatred, violence and greed by bringing the light of joy, goodness, faith and hope. Being salt of the earth and light of the world means that as Christians we are called to transform everything around us for the better.

The best way to transform the world is one person at a time. Maybe you have heard this joke. 

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Jesus’ call to reach and transform the entire world can be very intimidating. We need to remember that this transformation starts one encounter at a time. Mother Teresa exemplified this principle.She is remembered for her vast worldwide network to help the poor. Interestingly, she never went out trying to eradicate global poverty. What she did do was strive to bring the love, care and kindness of Jesus to one person at a time. She would often say,

Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.

If you have ever had the opportunity to see video showing Mother Teresa in action you will notice the remarkable attention she paid to however she happened to be with, rich or poor. When she was speaking to someone, she listened as though there was no one else in the world. She showed such care and interest in the person through they way she looked at them, touched them and smiled at them. She was salt and light to one person at a time. Do we do the same? Think about it. Are the people that you encounter and speak with during the day left happier and more full of hope and joy after having spent time with you? Are family members, coworkers and friends better off for having been in your presence? We are called to transform the world one person at a time.

vatican.va

Often we are not salt and light to those that we encounter. In the Gospel warns us against hiding our light or from becoming salt that has lost its saltiness, something that is good for nothing and thrown away. What does it look like when we Christians lose our saltiness? Christians who have lost their saltiness are a drain on people that they encounter. They have become pessimistic, cynical, sad and lacking in conviction. They are not pleasant to be around. In his speeches and writings, Pope Francis is known for some unique turns of phrase. Pope Francis explained recently that Christians who had lost their saltiness turn into “sourpusses” (Evangelii Gaudium, 85). As followers of Jesus we have been entrusted with the Good News that Jesus has died for our sins and has risen from the dead so that we can one day live forever with Him. This news should fill us with joy and affect the way that we behave. Certainly, we cannot be upbeat all the time, that is not realistic. That said, if Christians are habitual sourpusses, pessimistic and lacking in zeal there is something wrong. As the expression goes,

We cannot preach the Resurrection with Good Friday faces.

Often we are not salt and light to those that we encounter.

The good news is that we can regain our saltiness once we have lost it. We can make our light brighter if it has become dimmed. The secret to doing this is by remembering where we got this light from in the first place. This is something I learned in Kindergarten:

Jesus gave me the light, I’m gonna let it shine.

Jesus is the light of the world. As Christians, we are called to carry His light to others. This fact is symbolized in a powerful way during the rite of baptism. After anyone is baptized, they are given a lighted candle and told to “receive the light of Christ” and to “keep the flame of faith alive in our hearts”. It is very significant that the candle is lit from the Paschal Candle. This is the candle that it blessed at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. The Paschal candle is a special symbol of Jesus’ resurrection. In order to brighten our light if it is dimmed or regain our saltiness, we need to return to the source: the resurrection of Jesus. Often the disappointments and struggles of life can get us down and defeated. We can turn into sourpusses without even being aware of it. We need to remind ourselves of the simple fact that because of of His resurrection Jesus has conquered everything: sin, hatred, greed and death itself. We need to remind ourselves that the war is already won. As Pope Francis said:

Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand. If we start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our talents.(Evangelii Gaudium, 85)

When we consciously remind ourselves of Jesus’ resurrection, we can restore our saltiness when it has been lost and brighten our light if it has become dim.

When we talk about being salt of the earth and light of the world, we must resist the temptation to think abstractly. God has put concrete people in our lives that we are called to impact in a positive way: family, friends, co-workers. In our encounters with these people, are we bringing them joy and peace? Whenever we find that our we are losing our saltiness or that our light has become dimmed let us remind ourselves of a powerful truth we learned in Kindergarten: our light comes from Jesus Christ who has Risen from the dead and conquered death.  Christianity is about Good News. Let us not be sourpusses but a light to others that can shine, shine, shine.

Keep calm and go to the Vocation Live-in

Fellas, if you are interested in the priesthood or the consecrated life, I encourage you to go to this:

Vocation Live-in

February 14 - 16

Seminary of Christ the King, Mission, BC

For more information call: 604.826.8715

At this weekend you will get the chance to learn more about the priesthood and what it is like being a seminarian by following their life for a weekend. It lasts from Friday night till Sunday after lunch. You will pray, eat and play sports together with the seminarians. This weekend is for those interested in becoming a priest.

The key word here is interested. By going to this weekend you are not announcing to the world: "I am going to become a priest 100%!!" Keep calm... don't put that kind of pressure on yourself. By going you are simply saying that you are interested and open to the idea. Maybe you will become a priest, maybe not. The reality is that most people who go to a Live-in (or enter the seminary for that matter) do not go on to become a priest. I do think, however, that the experience benefits them in whatever life they choose. I went to my first Live-in when I was in Gr. 9, but didn't enter the seminary for another 10 years. 

The Seminary of Christ the King has both a Minor Seminary (grades 8 - 12) and a Major Seminary (college students studying Philosophy or Theology). After university I studied philosophy for a couple of years at the Seminary of Christ the King and it was a awesome experience for me. I really appreciated the balance between prayer, study, community life and sports. It was challenging, but very enriching. Plus the location is beautiful:

source: sck.ca

Knowing what vocation God is calling you to can be difficult. In this video Fr. Robert Barron gives some very good advice for how we can better know whether God is calling us to be a priest. The principles hold for any vocation.

I leave you with this prayer from Blessed John Henry Newman. It expresses well the feelings of excitement, uncertainty and fear that we can experience when we try to discover what kind of life Jesus is calling us to. The prayer reminds us of the importance of trusting God. He loves us and has great plans for us.

God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am. I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890)