Communicating Hope and Trust Online

In his message for the 51st World Communications Day (May 28, 2017), Pope Francis challenged the media to share good news storylines that will communicate hope and trust to their readers. He said that hope and trust are remedies for the fear, malaise, and anxiety that many people in our society feel today.

How do we at the local level communicate this hope and trust to those who visit our websites and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)?

We do it by sharing God’s mercy and goodness as they are revealed in the people and events of our Catholic parish or religious community, the rich heritage of our Church and its mission to the world today, sacred scripture and the lives of the saints.

Here are some of the good news stories that I see on Facebook Pages this time of year:

1. New Catholics
2. First Communions
3. Confirmations
4. Ordinations and ordination anniversaries
5. Religious professions and anniversaries
6. Easter messages from scripture
7. Weddings and wedding anniversaries
8. Baptisms
9. Service/outreach efforts especially to the poor
10. Devotions (Divine Mercy, Marian, etc.)
11. Ascension
12. Pentecost
13. Days of Prayer, Prayer Intentions
14. Social justice actions
15. Efforts to protect the environment

Please add your own.

Through photos, images, scripture quotes, videos and positive descriptions, readers and viewers find inspiration, joy, hope and confidence in the goodness of people and the goodness of God. They find affirmation of their own faith commitment.

Happiness is attractive. Photos of smiling faces, people engaged in doing good and caring for others, and a positive thought for the day can lift people’s spirits even if for only the few seconds they are engaged. If this is what people find in our online communications, they will come to associate those positive feelings with the faith community to which they belong, or to which they may wish to return or join.

Here is a video reflection on Psalm 42:2-3 that I created this week, feel free to share it on your sites whenever you like: