Digitalis Jubilee

Keen gardeners among you will know exactly what digitalis is: a lovely plant, with a vivid, varied palette of pink and purple flowers, commonly known as foxglove. Crime drama aficionados will know that its loveliness is deceptive, because it is seriously toxic, to both humans and animals. It does have medicinal uses, but mostly, it is poisonous - whether by murderous intent or accident. Unfortunately, its leaves bear a resemblance to the entirely harmless comfrey: there have, apparently, been cases of people who thought they were making themselves a nice herbal tea, ending up seriously ill - or worse. 

Why am I rambling on about foxgloves? Because there's a Jubilee of Youth currently taking place in Rome - and, at times, joyously filling my social media feeds. And somewhere within that, there has also been a Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers. (I imagine the timing arose from an assumption that social media influencers are predominantly young, though it's possible a few influencers and creators aged over 35 also managed to take part). Yesterday, I began to see social media posts about the special Mass at the Vatican, and a surprise appearance and address at the end by Pope Leo. And I immediately noticed the globally inclusive, Latin hashtag being used: Digitalis Missio. 

And I chuckled, thinking of meadows and Midsomer Murders. And then it occurred to me that digitalis, foxglove, is a very good analogy for how social media can be: lovely, colourful, vibrant, with potential for healing... but it needs to be used carefully and wisely, lest its strong potential for toxicity takes over. And we who spend time here, whether we see ourselves as people with a mission or as influencers, as the Nuns and Bruvs of Twitter... as welcoming, loving companions or simply as being here supportively, have a call and a responsibility which must permeate our presence, our encounters and our words. As Pope Leo said in his address: 

This is a challenge that we must face: reflecting on the authenticity of our witness, on our ability to listen and speak, and on our capacity to understand and to be understood.  We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking, to develop a language, of our time, that gives voice to Love...

It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter of hearts.  This will entail seeking out those who suffer, those who need to know the Lord, so that they may heal their wounds, get back on their feet and find meaning in their lives. 

And he concluded with a powerful invitation... 

...“go and mend the nets.” Jesus called his first apostles while they were mending their fishing nets (cf. Mt 4:21-22). He asks the same of us today. Indeed, he asks us to weave other nets: networks of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic; networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter; networks that give space to others more than to ourselves, where no “bubble” can silence the voices of the weakest; networks that liberate and save; networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other’s eyes; networks of truth.  In this way, every story of shared goodness will be a knot in a single, immense network: the network of networks, the network of God.

And all of this begins with accepting our own poverty, letting go of all pretence and recognising our own inherent need for the Gospel - a process which is a communal endeavour.

How can we support one another in this, so that we might all, truly, give voice and space to Love...?