New Evangelization in The Digital Age

Just sharing my reflection of a small portion of Pope Benedict’s Message for the 45th World Communications Day…



“The task of witnessing to the Gospel in the digital era calls for everyone to be particularly attentive to the aspects of that message which can challenge some of the ways of thinking typical of the web.


First of all, we must be aware that the truth which we long to share does not derive its worth from its “popularity” or from the amount of attention it receives.


We must make it known in its integrity, instead of seeking to make it acceptable or diluting it.


It must become daily nourishment and not a fleeting attraction. The truth of the Gospel is not something to be consumed or used superficially; rather it is a gift that calls for a free response.


Even when it is proclaimed in the virtual space of the web, the Gospel demands to be incarnated in the real world and linked to the real faces of our brothers and sisters, those with whom we share our daily lives.”


What struck me most as a Catholic Christian blogger is the immense responsibility to truly be a genuine witness for Jesus Christ – always practicing a cyber form of radical discipleship on the web.


This call from the Pope is for everyone, be it an amateur blogger like me or some other much more sophisticated blog guru.


What ought to be important is not how many people “like” your blog or how many “followers” your blog attracts but it is a constant quest, on our part, to share the true un-watered-down good news of Jesus Christ.

As humble instruments of Christ, we must be sustained by the Word of God and continue to gently “break open” the Word for the world at large – so that the Word becomes relevant and alive, reaching the minds and penetrating the hearts of humanity…simply and quietly.

Together as one Catholic Christians cyber-community, let us make good use of our presence to share the gift of Jesus Christ in the digital world, as we continue to be sustained by the prayers and Apostolic Blessings from Pope Benedict XVI.

Simply A Blessed Blogosphere Year...

“People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.”

- St. Augustine (354 - 430)

Exactly 12 months ago, on 11th May, 2010, I, a pilgrim, simply a nobody in this world, took courage and posted my very first journal on this newly created blog.  Today, this anniversary posting will carry the same familiar quotation as denoted above.

This is the place in the Blogosphere universe where I simply jot down my humble thoughts so that I can hear and listen to myself better, to proclaim God in my life, to wonder - putting down into words, as simple that I possibly can, thoughts that otherwise, might have just drifted or fade away.


The web media platform simply facilitated the sharing of my thoughts with many others who journey the same; bringing a kind of solidarity to this community of pilgrims - sharing God's gifts manifested in our lives.


I was particularly careful to ensure that I do not lose sight of this fundamental objective.  If not, I might become self indulgently addicted to blogging, for the sake of blogging.  Instead, I try to become more aware of my life’s journey – my simple ‘being’, reflecting on these quietly in my heart rather than merely ‘existing-to-blog’ or even ‘blogging-to-exist’ – the ‘doing’.


Sometimes, when there are just no words in my heart, I will pray and all you will find is just a scriptural verse, a tune, a quote, a book, a poem or just a relevant clip; at other times, simply a pure and full filling of emptiness...of pure silence.


As crazy as it might sound, after this one year journey, I have been able to see my life with more clarity and hope, through the experiential lenses of “SimplyQuiet’.

I am just a pilgrim, a sojourner through life…no name to identify me, no title to distinguish me, no origin as I see all of us as one people of the world, one humanity.  I am no smart-aleck trying to ‘lecture’ others on the ‘how-to’ of living.  This simple pseudonym is preserved because, although I blog to listen to myself, by the grace of God, I pray that He uses me as His humble instrument to be a reflection to others, a mirror to shine His light to brighten the paths of many other travelers through life...to inspire in any small way.  All glory to God, Alleluia!


For the past year, God has blessed this site with the ‘presence’ of many visitors (or ‘searchers’) from around the world; for this, I find much solidarity and hope.  This number is minute as compared with the mega millions of internet hits (in mere hours and days!) to President Barack Obama’s speech on the brutal killing of unarmed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.  But then, we must acknowledge that this is the sad state of the world we live in today - cruel, vengeful, barbaric, noisy, distracting, seductive, sexual, conspiring, destructive…so-called values which the bulk of the world promulgates…‘values’ (or search words) which optimizes search engines’ traffic.  This world seems tired of faith...tired of God.

“the world of the media can sometimes seem indifferent and even hostile to Christian faith and morality…”  (Pope John Paul II, Message for the 35th World Communications Day)

Amongst the many visitors of this blog over the past year, there are so far, 14 ‘followers’ who are constantly kept updated of this humble community; a phenomenon as far as I am concern because of the overwhelming existence of ‘similar’, ‘bigger’, if not, more ‘commercial’ blog sites out there in the blogosphere.  I am continually sustained and encouraged by these ‘friends’ who gives me strength and inspiration to continue…  For the many who have left a word of hope and inspiration, my sincere prayers, love and gratitude goes out to you.

My topics of reflections are simple but definitely not unique to the blogosphere; what I am committed to share is a genuine part of myself, my feelings, my frustrations and my weaknesses…my own unique journey through life back home.  I believe, in that sense, there’s only one real ‘me’ on the world-wide-web (hopefully)!

“The Church sees these media as ‘gifts of God’ which, in accordance with his providential design, unite men in brotherhood and so help them to cooperate with his plan for their salvation.” (Pope Pius XII's 1957 encyclical letter, Communio et Progressio)

My ultimate hope for this blog is that the number of followers and audience of this blog can multiply many folds, so that, one day, we truly become a community of pilgrims journeying as ONE human race back home…encouraging, lifting, supporting each other along the way.

Thank you, fellow pilgrims, wherever you may be, for a blessed year on Blogosphere!  May God continue to touch you gently with the message of the Gospel through SimplyQuiet!

“…For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself.  But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them…”

(Acts 5:38-39, NAB)

Blogging into The Quiet Abyss…

“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children.” (Deuteronomy 4:9, NAB)

The journey towards Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, can be long and winding for many, not to mention forgetful, at times as we go about daily attending to various tasks.  My thoughts, so many of them, seem to be shifting focus from one end to the other…as I too struggle to calm myself...prepare myself for a meaningful holy season. 


One particular article caught my eye…Blogging on the decline among the younger generation, it reads.  Previously, it was the death of bookshops as reading was said to be on the decline; actually reading from a 'real' physical book!  

The new generation 'types' or 'copy & paste' more than they write and 'scrolls' or 'google' more than they visit a real library, 'saves' instead of file.



Traditional folks like me still prefer the old rustic bookshop, flipping through the pages and jotting down my thoughts in a notebook.

Being amongst the crowd of book lovers, yet feeling simply alone with the bound book in your hands...reading into the thoughts of someone...sharing in the journey of others. 


I still love reading spiritual books and writing...although in many ways, 'surfing' (on the web, that is) does enhance my love of the former two.

“To my surprise, I never lost the ability to write. In fact, writing became part of my struggle for survival. It gave me the little distance from myself that I needed to keep from drowning in my despair.”
-Henri Nouwen

Many young people have also shy away from blogging or web logging, migrating towards online expressive social networks like Facebook and Twitter; making many new instant ‘friends’ and being ‘liked’ many, many times over, instant messaging, online games and virtual world.


While technology is not exactly bad, the world we journey in today is drowned with data, chronicles of information and gadgets that supports us to keep up with everything on the super e-highway.


I hear from many youths who boast that they have hundreds and thousands of ‘friends’ or 'followers' connected to their Facebook account.  What does this mean?  Popularity?  Boost to the ego?  Growing up has never been the same in this modern day and age…

Like it or not, youths of today all ‘live’ in a world of instant gratification – fast food, instant microwave meals, YouTubes, iPhone downloads, instant ‘friends’, followers, cyber-pals, etc, etc.

Who wants to put deep old-fashioned thoughts into each and every blog post when it is not even certain that anyone ‘out there’ is listening or ‘following’; blogging into the abyss sounds quite daunting to many these days.  Blogging seem to be dying a slow and natural death as the world progresses.


Why then do people like me still choose to blog?  For one, I am long-winded with words and blogging suits me fine to express my thoughts.  I am sure everyone has their own personal reasons.

Blogging or cyber-journaling, as I would term it, pens my own simple journey towards God…at a point of my life when there’s just too many things going on around me and I am trying to stay spiritually sane.  Another more noble reason could be to leave a legacy behind for those who know me, perhaps my children.

Blogging an online spiritual journal allows me to be real with myself and to also share the hidden treasures of my heart with others.  Thus far, my journaling has been quite a self discovery for me.  I find that I enter into this quiet and calm meditative state of serenity with God, listening, revealing my thoughts to Him, although He already knows it all before it even reaches my lips, in this case, my fingers hitting the keyboard!

“O LORD, you have probed me,

you know me:

you know when I sit and stand;

you understand my thoughts from afar.

My travels and my rest you mark;

with all my ways you are familiar.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

LORD, you know it all.” (Psalm 139:1-4, NAB)

Before the blogging days, my experiences would often breeze through without me taking even a glimpse of my thoughts, reactions, insights and feelings…my soul…not bothered in remembering what God has done in my life or the blessings showered upon me and my family…more pre-occupied with the doing, chasing, reacting, achieving, directing, working…


This blog has helped me to be more aware of my own spiritual journey and disciplined me to savor simple thoughts within my heart as they quietly pass by.  It has prompt me to pay more attention to God, see with new eyes what God has been doing, touch God in the gentle breeze and see how God has blessed me in my life.

“...but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””  (1 Kings 19: 11-13, NRSV)

Today, SimplyQuiet, a relatively young blog journal, acts like a mirror, reflecting my own life journey back to me, my weaknesses, my imperfections - providing me with a place to explore, learn more of God, a good sounding board for me to learn and deepen my own spiritual life, to sustain me in seeking God under all circumstances…more importantly, I hope, shed some light to brighten up others’ path...

Journaling on the blogosphere also allows me to be more descriptive in landscaping my own journey so that many others who walk the same path may know, may recognize…that our life’s journey have much in common and through this avenue of simple sharing…others may walk this path a little easier, less burdened, knowing that there are others who have already passed by.

Scripture discloses a God who, even when rejected and abandoned, still keeps believing in human beings, loving them to the end and doing all in His power to awaken their trust.

I pray that this humble journal, SimplyQuiet, can also play a small part where God can invite you personally to trust in His love, to place your confidence in Him and to follow Him into a communion that will have no end.Lent is a time for self discovery, discovering God within all our imperfections and sharing and journeying towards God...seeing and finding God in everything.

Under a leaf, in a snowflake

In a blade of grass, in a raindrop

All parts of nature

In your parents’ loving embrace

In the phone call from your grandparents

All family relationships

In working and sharing with others

In helping the unfortunate

All volunteering jobs

Where are you able to find God?

Lord, help me to find you in all ways and walks of life.

Amen.