The Internet a New Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel

The Internet is certainly a new forum understood in the ancient Roman sense of that public space where politics and business were transacted, where religious duties were fulfilled where much of the social life of the city took place, and where the best and the worst of human nature was on display. It was a crowded and bustling urban space, which both reflected the surrounding culture and created a culture of its own. This is no less true of cyberspace, which is as it were a new frontier opening up at the beginning of this new millennium. Like the new frontiers of other times, this one too is full of the interplay of danger and promise, and not without the sense of adventure which marked other great periods of change. For the Church the new world of cyberspace is a summons to the great adventure of using its potential to proclaim the Gospel message. This challenge is at the heart of what it means at the beginning of the millennium to follow the Lord's command to "put out into the deep?: Duc in altum! (Lk 5:4).
John Paul II

1 comment:

jeffmathews said...

I love this space! This space is like the root of a tree that will be a great place for me to come back to often. I know I need to be St. Paul and share the good news of the Gospel with everyone. I have had many excuses (and to be honest much nervousness and fear) about living the Pauline charism I have come to cherish, but this space and Sr. Margaret's words have now inspired me to go out on a limb and begin to evangelize. What I picture now is a blog and possible podcast, like a branch growing out from this Pauline space. I am comforted to know I can always come back here to the roots of this tree, but I must branch out as a limb myself in order to bear fruit for Christ and His Church. Please pray for me as I use the means of social communication available in today's world to accomplish what Blessed James Alberione envisioned for the glory of the Divine Master!