MISSION IS FUN

The rain dance

BY Fr Nazzareno Contran | Namokora, Uganda

FR TARCISIO Pazzaglia has always believed in the usefulness of mass media in catechesis. Over time, he brought himself up to date and, with his video camera, filmed cleverly and tastefully recreated scenes that mediated messages of belief and morality. One day he had organised the famous ‘rain dance’. To make it more real, he had asked the dancers to present themselves in the traditional way: raffia petticoats, beads, ostrich feathers, drums, etc. Weeks of preparation ensured that no detail was missing from the colourful choreography. The dance was performed superbly and the numerous spectators were granted an encore.

As if to take everyone’s goodwill seriously, the sky moved and two days later a violent thunderstorm hit the area, with water never seen during the dry season. The wind carried away the rooves of many huts, the market and the dispensary.

The village chief came to Fr Tarcisio and without the usual compliments said to him: “Did you see what your unplanned and unauthorised dance did? Did you see the damage it did?”

Fr Tarcisio responded: “Yes, but it also did some to the mission. Look at the metal sheets it tore off the roof of the school!” Having ascertained that the heavens had spared no one, the chief left it at that.

THE LAST WORD

The wedding at Cana (Jn 2: 1–12)

BY Fr Silvano Fausti SJ | Biblist and writer

THE PASSAGE speaks of a wedding, of a shortage of wine, of servants, of six stone jars, of water and of beautiful wine, reserved until this moment. The bride is not named; the bridegroom only appears at the end, as the table master’s interlocutor. The wedding represents the covenant between God and the people, the wine that is lacking signifies the love of man that is failing; the stone jars for purification, which are empty, allude to the unfulfilled law. Water, the first element of creation, becomes ‘beautiful wine’, given at the end, that we can draw from ‘now’.

This scene is meant to immediately make us realise that God is shockingly different from what we imagine. The first sign of the Son of God is to add more than 600 litres of wine to a banquet! With all the hunger in the world and alcoholism, could he not have done something more useful and less futile? Perhaps Jesus changed water into wine knowing that His devotees would then abundantly turn the wine of the Gospel into the water of the law. Jesus appears giving an overabundance of ‘beautiful wine’ to a wedding feast that is languishing and dying for lack of wine.

In the Bible, the nuptial union is the highest symbol of the covenant between God and His people; a relationship of interest and care, of complicity and belonging, with feelings of trust and companionship, of tenderness and union, which make life beautiful. His coming is the ‘now’ in which the covenant is renewed and we experience the joy of meeting the Bridegroom. The Church is represented by the disciples to whom the glory of Jesus is manifested: they understand the sign of the wine and believe in Him.

The narrative focuses on the gratuitousness and greatness of the gift. The presence of Jesus is the renewal of the covenant, the beginning of the eschatological wedding. The passage is to be read, not only as a sign, but as ‘the beginning of signs’, as a symbol which illuminates what the Gospel will later tell about Jesus of Nazareth. Just as the healing of the blind man manifests that Jesus is light, the gift of bread that He is food, and the resurrection of Lazarus that He is life, so the beautiful wine manifests His glory: Jesus is the Bridegroom. With Him has come the hour in which the wedding between God and His people is consummated.

With Jesus has come the hour in which the wedding between God and His people is consummated

From the story also emerges the continuity of the one covenant, both ancient and new, like the commandment of love (1 Jn 2: 7), of universal value. Indeed, the beautiful wine of the Gospel is drawn from the stone jars, symbol of the law.

Wine in fact comes from water, the primordial element of creation, and makes its first appearance with Noah, after the Flood and the renewal of the cosmic covenant (Gen 9: 20, 21).

The drama of Israel is the same as that of every man, being ‘the lack of wine’. Where is the love, joy and life for which we were made and of which we feel defrauded? Through Jesus, the Word becomes flesh—everyone can taste the wine offered in abundance. With Him is realised the blessing promised to Abraham and, in Him, to all nations (Gen 12: 2).

With this sign, Jesus did not cure someone of an illness, as He would do elsewhere; He simply saved us from that subtle evil that destroys our humanity, ‘the lack of wine’, being the absence of love and joy. Jesus, the Word became flesh, God and man, is heaven opened on earth.

YOUTH VOICES • MUSIC

Celebrating life through resonance with music

Music is a form of entertainment that has featured throughout history. It has a powerful influence in our lives and it is a vehicle to express our passions, to praise God or even a vehicle for hope

BY Jill Williams | Candidate Landscape Architect, Pretoria

OVER THE centuries, entertainment has taken many different forms from one civilisation to the next. The ancient Egyptians used to juggle, have pageants, hunt and fish. The Romans watched chariot races, combat between gladiators, or lions (or both). Wrestling and combat games also featured strongly in many cultures, including the Greek and Nguni nations. Many forms of entertainment have fallen away. Some have been revived, such as camel jumping in Yemen. Others only started being popular recently, like binge-watching of TV series. One form of entertainment, however, that has stood the test of time, is playing and listening to music. As Shakespeare said in the opening line of his comic play, Twelfth Night; “If music be the sound of love, play on!”

The power of melodies

Just like atoms being positively or negatively charged, we can shift moods and intentionally create the atmosphere we desire around us through the use of music. By playing joyful music in the morning when you wake up or on your way to work, you can go through the day feeling lighter and more energised, particularly when the music is God-focused. Not surprisingly, music has also been proven to boost memory in all age groups, aids in building task endurance. It can lighten one’s mood when playing non-melancholic or nostalgic tunes. Music also helps to reduce anxiety and depression, helps preventing fatigue, aids in improving one’s response to pain, and improves the effectivity of physical workouts. This has a lot to do with the length, frequency and speed of a sound wave. Sound is deeply rooted in our psyche. The vibrations and muffled sounds a baby hears and feels in the womb greatly influence the growth of the child. Similarly, the type of music played is important. Even plants have been proven to grow better when music with a faster tempo is played to it; however, very depressing slower tempo music tends to depress the plant (Oxford 2020). How much more so are we human beings affected? From the beginning of time God has spoken (Gen 1: 2); the very power of creation was triggered through the vibrations of the sound of the Word and continues to vibrate and echo throughout the universe today.

One form of entertainment that has stood the test of time is playing and listening to music

Musical genres

Over time, music styles fluctuate. We can observe very distinct categories and genres and combinations of various sounds from different periods and styles forming new genres still. Its fluidity, adaptability, relatability and ease of access make music arguably one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. By simply repeating, stretching, over-or under-emphasising a sound or a word, one crosses the delicate threshold between sound and song. From classical to rap, blues to rock, hip hop to pop, reggae to house and everything in-between, music has found a place on everyone’s physical, mental and virtual playlists. There is a constant hunger for the latest music and new trends particularly in the younger generation, while the more mature generation tends to prefer listening to old favourites. Preferences and relatability to certain genres of music can even be the cause of unity or division in families, friendship groups and societal groups. It can become a great challenge for families hosting multiple generations to sit in a room, listen to and actually enjoy a certain piece of music.

Music creates the atmosphere of a setting or event

Matter of dispute

This is particularly the case in families where grandparents and grandchildren live together. Here, complaints can be heard from either end of the spectrum; one form of music is being too loud and obtrusive, while the other is too slow and boring. Dancing and singing often accompanies the playing of music, which could add to the list of complaints due to the quality of the singing and appropriateness of dancing styles in different settings. If one overlooks this, it can also become an opportunity to enjoy little moments with family that most take for granted.

David’s wife, Michal, opposed David’s dancing before the Lord as he expressed his joy of the triumphal entry of The Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. In 2 Sam 6: 16, we see how Michal viewed King David’s actions as inappropriate: “Michal, daughter of Saul, came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honour” (2 Sam 6: 20–22). Is the playing of music and dancing thereto ever inappropriate when done for the glory of the Lord? A great event in the history of Israel was taking place and music exemplified the atmosphere. David’s dancing was inevitable.

Raising emotions

This is one of the qualities of music; that it creates the atmosphere of a setting or event. The use of this as a tool in sport, gaming, cinema, or other forms of entertainment and even in retail stores and eateries is strategically done to trigger certain emotions in consumers. Even now, I distinctly remember the soundtracks of the games that my brother and I would play as kids: from the Nintendo NES’s classic Track and field soundtrack, Hyper Olympic – Gentai Ban! by Konami (1985) to Mario Bros’ “Underground Theme” soundtrack in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1995), there are just some tunes that will forever be engrained in our memories. Even the theme songs of our favourite cartoons, series or movies never grow old. The chorus of Eye of the tiger by Survivor (1982) popularised by Rocky III (1982) will never fail to energise the athlete and Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s A whole new world (1992) in the movie Aladdin (1992) continues to spark hope and wonder in the eyes of young fans. Even a drop of ketchup can bring a happy jingle to mind.

Singing for God’s praise

In Is 6: 1–4 we read an account of heaven where God’s presence was hosted by the seraphim’s constant, foundation-quaking hymn of praise: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

“In communion with them, the Church on earth also sings these songs with faith in the midst of trial. By means of petition and intercession, faith hopes against all hope and gives thanks to the “Father of lights,” from whom “every perfect gift” comes down. Thus faith is pure praise. The Eucharist contains and expresses all forms of prayer: it is “the pure offering” of the whole Body of Christ to the glory of God’s name and, according to the traditions of East and West, it is the “sacrifice of praise” (Catholic Church 1999).

Music and song also created an atmosphere with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as everyone, including little children sang joyfully: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19: 37–40). The Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke these praises, however, His response indicated that the energy and atmosphere of praise was so tangible that even the rocks—inanimate objects—would have had to join in the joyful melody of celebration.

Carrier of hope

The energy and passion in the rejoicing taking place in this passage reminds me somewhat of the movie Sarafina (1992) based on Mbongeni Ngema’s 1987 musical Sarafina which comments on the events that happened on 16 June 1976 in South Africa where thousands of Sowetan youths protested against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. One very memorable scene in the movie is when Sarafina, the protagonist sings Freedom is coming, by Mbongeni Ngema with her classmates, marking the hope for the future of the youth of South Africa. Despite the seeming hopelessness of the situation at hand, people still had great faith in the future. Music became a prophetic sign, enabling the characters to express their hope and dream for freedom even if just with their voices. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was that rebuke-defying cry of hope and joy: hope for a Saviour and joy at the prospect of being free.

Despite the seeming hopelessness of the situation, people still had great faith in the future and music became a prophetic sign

With millions of sounds and songs plaguing our minds and vying for our attention, it becomes very necessary to stop and focus on the present moment. At times one needs to tune into the heavenly atmosphere encamping the “now” and listen to the liberating, hope-filled work that God is doing. Zeph 3: 17 reminds us of this, saying; “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Our eternal God sings an eternal song over us. We can tap into His heavenly sound at any time and at any stage in our lives. We can do this alone, with our loved ones or as a community. The most relatable, memorable and impactful of all music; the song of all songs is the Song of the Lord.

FRONTIERS • ARTISTIC TALENTS

Evangelizing through art

Daniel Comboni invited those preparing to become missionaries to use their God-given natural gifts for the task of spreading the Gospel. In South Africa, one of his missionaries is developing his painting skills and is engaging in social media platforms to announce God’s love for humanity

BY Raul Tabaranza MCCJ | Pretoria

“WHO WOULD have thought that Christianity, heritage and art can go together?” One of my Tiktok friends made that comment about my doodle of the carrying of the Cross. Aside from doodling, I love painting and making collages from old magazines or newspapers. I am not a professional artist, just a self-taught artist, who discovered these passions at a later stage of life, in my late 40s and more in my 50s. I am, probably, one of those of whom you can say: “life begins at 40, a very late bloomer in the field of arts.”

Developing a passion for arts

I worked as a Comboni Missionary priest in Zambia for almost nine years, and the sceneries in the mission captivated me; especially the Luangwa National Park, where I had very personal and close encounters with animals. Most of my paintings subsequently included animals. In 2017-2018, I did my Sabbatical in Rome; I was already 50 years old then. Everything was in Italian, and since at that time, I was really struggling to understand some words, I had challenging moments during the classes. One day, I started doodling, taking my left hand as the outline. I made different strokes and designs and I found it so beautiful. I bought a bigger sketchpad and I started doodling in my free time, not even realizing that at the end of my sabbatical, I already had three albums.

What is a doodle? Google says that “A doodle is a drawing made while a person’s attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or composed of random and abstract lines, generally without ever lifting the drawing device from the paper, in which case, it is usually called a scribble.  Is doodling a real art? Doodling is underrated as an art form. It’s a fun way of expressing oneself, but also of experimenting and learning to draw. Doodles give a unique insight into your artistic style, conveying parts of your personality not shown through other mediums of art. 

Art communicates a message about our faith, customs and traditions or even virtues and values

When I went home for holidays, I carried with me sketch pads and I produced more doodles. I also started painting different images, mostly abstract on illustration boards, canvas etc.  Imagine at my age, exploring arts in this way, experimenting and blending colours, trying out many designs, liquid painting, taped painting, making collages from photos, dried leaves and branches, papers, pictures and magazines.  I found so much joy in this hobby, and quietly, I put my thoughts and sometimes my prayers into art. 

Communicating faith contents

Nobody knew of my hidden talent, and I was ashamed to share it with others because I felt they were the works of a child. I doodled some more, about Church feasts, Stations of the Cross and mysteries of the rosary. I use these artworks to express my own faith and my life as a missionary, abstract as they may be. Later I started posting my paintings and doodles on Instagram and Facebook. It was then that I realized that my artworks created a special impact on my friends.

Art communicates a message about our faith, customs and traditions or even virtues and values.  When I doodle or paint, I often feel like praying deeply. It creates in me some form of discipline and calmness. It develops patience and in-depth reflection on reality.  Art conveys the intangible stories of our faith; therefore, it is a very effective means of teaching and enhancing devotions and prayers.  In the past, they used art to teach their children and many people about the history of the Church, lives of saints and images of the Old Testament.  Many were not privileged in getting educated, so teaching by images became a very effective tool.  The messages in images can easily be retained in the mind when teaching is accompanied by visual aids.  For example, a mere glance of a dove and a man in the river reminds us of the baptism of the Lord and what transpired in that event. The sight of an image can communicate at a greater level. In 1999, Pope John Paul II addressed this very issue too in his Letter to the artists: “in order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art” (1999: 12).

A work of art is a work of creativity, and creativity has value because God is the Creator 

The value of artworks

When there are special occasions in the Church, I find myself asking how I can make a meaningful image of the feast. When I visit a church, the first things that attract me are the paintings on the walls and the ceiling. I noticed this also from my collection of pictures, I tend to take more photos of artworks. These artworks testify something to us; that there are bigger, deeper and more powerful potentials in our Christian faith.  There is something in arts that could influence a person, especially his feelings.  I often stay for long, sitting down, staring at a painting or artwork, because there is something in art that conveys reverence, as if you become involved in the picture. Aside from art, I love writing a lot, and I preserve my memories in my writings.  I like writing the details of what I have seen or experienced, my feelings of joy and my frustrations. As in art, I love the little details. 

We need creative and quality communication techniques, to show to the people in the mission the love of God through arts

Doodling is a very time-consuming artistic activity and the details speak of its beauty.  When you put the details in your work, communication is elaborated upon. A piece of my artwork speaks of something within me.  My painting, doodling and collaging is a very special gift for me; a spiritual gift that leads me to a deeper communication and communion with God. A spiritual piece of art links one to Him; gives some connections of one’s life, past, present and future. Artists have a vision, and bring it to life by painting or doodling, as they are always participants in their work.

Art and life

Art is a very healthy hobby, it keeps you grounded, able to analyse things, visualize thoughts and convey desires.  Since it is a passion, one’s creation and creativity can also transform into a way of life, in personal or communitarian aspects. Art is very influential and I may have to consume a bushel of salt in order to reach that level, whereby my artworks would speak to the world and go beyond boundaries. I know that a good artist has a very deep level of introspection. He can connect his work to a higher motivation and stir the unconscious part of a person. I am trying to reach that.  I pray that it will come. Reflecting on the words of my Tiktok friend, art and any form of social media can powerfully connect together in the evangelizing work of the Church. 

Sharing in God’s creative power

Let’s consider the Creation story in Genesis.  We call God, the Creator. He created heaven and earth, fishes and plants, trees and animals and everything that lives on the earth.  God is an artist and He was immensely happy with what He had created.  At the end of the day, He looked at His creatures and everything was good. I am also happy with my work. Actually, I find them very good. As Christians, we know why a work of art has a value. Why? A work of art is a work of creativity, and creativity has value because God is the Creator. The first sentence in the Bible is the declaration that the Creator had created: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1: 1) Creating and being artistic runs in our veins. It should be handed from generation to generation in our works of evangelization and developed more and more so that people can experience that intimacy and connection with God. 

As I have said, in the beginning, I was so ashamed to share my work, afraid to be laughed at by people. I didn’t have that confidence because I felt that, being a self-taught artist, my pieces of art were of no value.  Then one day, I said to myself: “Raul, God has given you this gift, and you should put it into the open space.”  My hidden talent should be discovered in depth, developed and put out for the common good.  When I started posting online one by one, I was so surprised by the effect: what a huge community of friends and family I found, aspiring artists, neophytes in the craft and many professional artists who encouraged me to keep on practising, developing my skill and harnessing my work to perfection. I am an aspiring artist who pursues goodness and beauty in my life, and I want to share it with others. Perhaps they may also see beauty in the little details of their life, whether bad or good.  In life, as in visual arts, we can also repair the work, as we can also make amends for the wrongs we have done.

Mission and arts

Being a Missionary, I think art is a very challenging gift to impart, as many of our missionaries are more into buildings and infrastructures, churches and refugees.  Artists are sometimes isolated.  As a Comboni Missionary, I experienced life in the mission as being more about relationships with people and pastoral commitments than artistic expression.  It was only when I worked in Waterval Mission (Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga), that I dug a bit deeper to discover my artistic talents. My colleague priest used to tell me to organize a workshop with the youth and combine prayer and arts, and I would have called it, “Praying with your fingertips: painting your imagination.” The plan unfortunately didn’t come to fruition, because of transfers and the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Mission needs some creativity to capture the attention of our people.  The Charisma of St Daniel Comboni has a lot of symbols such as the Pierced Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, The Crucified Christ, The Cenacle of Apostles and Mission Ad Gentes. All of them have been interpreted by artists in different ways. We need creative and quality communication techniques, to show to the people in the mission the love of God through arts.  To have a creative team for this unique mission is a very big challenge. If you are very attentive to social media, there is an increasing number of aspiring artists. Today’s generation relates more to the arts than to lengthy talks. 

I take this as a personal challenge now; to use my God-given gifts for a special ministry.  When I post my humble works on Instagram, I accompany them with my own voice, explaining the work created, the events, the historical and biblical backgrounds as my way of imparting our faith. This is my little personal contribution to God, aside from my commitments in our Province. May it flourish, for it is said, “If it is for God, it will always bear fruit”.

CHALLENGES • DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND FAMILIES

Children and Social Media

Whether we are children or adults, our day-to-day choices about where we focus our attention are central to who we are and who we are becoming. With the youth spending more and more time using social media, it is increasingly important for us to be involved in assisting them to be discerning about the choices that will literally shape them and their lives

BY MARIOLA BRAVO | PRETORIA

IN THIS digital age, the world is no more than a global village. The dangers of what children might encounter online have increased so enormously that it includes every imaginable ill that society faces today. The world of social media is certainly a minefield that warrants careful navigation, yes, but is its use really without any merit whatsoever?  

Beneficial online contents

Social media has many applications where its uses are invaluable. Some of these include helping youngsters stay connected with friends and family on a regular basis. This goes a long way towards sustaining essential contact with significant others. Maintaining these ties promotes emotional wellbeing and supports mental health. Within the school environment, supplements, study aids and communications can be shared by educators and between fellow students through this medium. Large parts of what the youth share online include ideas, music and art which bond them together as a generation. These also include sharing content about current trends, songs, games, TV series, news or hobbies that form the stories and memories of their childhood.

Many children have extraordinary talents and potential. Social media gives them the opportunity to meet and interact with others online where they can share and develop their interests together. Consider the worldwide reach of social media to bring talent together in collaboration and creativity. Among these online global communities and networks are those that cater to young people with disabilities or medical conditions or children from particular cultural backgrounds, ex-patriots and so on, giving them a sense of connection and belonging. 

Negative influences

The flip side of this is that social media can be a hub for the propagation of negativity and destructiveness. Such activities include the sale of illicit substances and popularisation of questionable activities, cyberbullying and sharing of violent or sexual comments or images. Without meaning to, kids can share more online than they should. Kids also face the possibility of a physical encounter with the wrong person. Some apps automatically reveal the user’s location when they post. User profiles often include the names of children’s schools, club affiliations and regular activities. This can make children easy targets for online predators and others who might mean them harm.

Large parts of what the youth share online include ideas, music and art which bond them together as a generation

Limitless screen time has far-reaching effects on our children’s mental, emotional and physiological development. Studies show that social media is highly addictive. A normal occurrence when an individual receives praise, experiences success, or gets recognition of any kind is that a substance called dopamine is released by the brain. With each game won or positive comment received, youngsters get a rush of happiness characteristic of the natural dopamine, and automatically, they want more. The risk here is that children become dependent on positive feedback and their usage increases accordingly. Mental health issues and suicidal tendencies increase as opinions are fickle and oftentimes teenagers can be devastated when the dopamine fix falls without warning. It is as dangerous as any drug that is for sale. In this case, it is completely legal and is a potential threat that has infiltrated your home.

Sadly there are very serious dangers facing our children’s young and curious minds. In fact, normal curiosity can quickly and easily turn into a lifetime of bondage, unless proper care is taken to protect them. As parents we do not want the moment that we are confronted by a testy teenager, acting out their withdrawal from dopamine, to be the moment we spring into action. Instead, it would be ideal to take preventative measures to steer and guide our children into adulthood.

Parental guidance

Without careful management, a media interface is as unpredictable as any stranger that your child may encounter. Realising these dangers, the most irresponsible thing we can do is give our children a phone or computer without any kind of restrictions. Without tailoring, your child’s experience of social media can quite easily be tainted with just about the entire spectrum of ills that society can think up or monetise. The best bet for a healthy online experience should begin with talking openly with our children about how to use social media wisely.

Our children want nothing more than to seem grown up, make their own decisions and feel a sense of belonging. For social media interaction to remain healthy, these needs must be met at home and within the family circle and its social and professional connections, to as large a degree as possible. Parents who create an environment of togetherness, acceptance and teamwork within the home are more likely to remain informed and even be included in their children’s social media circles. Keeping communications between generations open and pleasant goes a long way towards accomplishing this.

Setting a good example through your own virtual behaviour can also help your child learn to use social media safely. Parents, who themselves spend inappropriate amounts of time posting pictures of themselves, boasting about their material accomplishments, will more than likely cause their children to similarly seek out and rely on approval and validation from others to fortify their self-worth. As followers’ opinions fluctuate, so too do the feelings and moods of the user. St Paul explains in 1 Cor 6: 12, “I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am not going to let anything make me its slave”.  Children can post increasingly inappropriate pictures and comments to ensure that they are always in the limelight. These children are subsequently crushed by any criticism which may arise. Society can be so unforgiving and it is also almost impossible for youngsters to ever escape their mistakes if any do occur, once they are posted online. 

Social media gives many children the opportunity to meet and interact with others online where they can share and develop their interests together

Fortunately, parents can implement several strategies to prevent their children from falling prey to any of these dangers. Strategies will differ greatly according to the age of the children. While an eight-year-old will require that parents have full access to their social media platforms, older teens may protest that they are lacking in privacy. Screen time limitation often remains an area of contention with older children. 

Parents should not feel guilty about reasonably limiting usage time, especially during the teenage years when social engagement increases so exponentially. These are some of the considerations that parents have when keeping age appropriate boundaries. While younger children need more protection from dangerous content, older children need to develop the discipline to balance their time spent doing online activities with their dedication to their actual day-to-day lives.

Initially keeping computers in public areas of the home is helpful. Avoid laptops and desktop computers in bedrooms. Since smartphones are by definition portable and personal, their use may be withheld until children reach a suitable level of maturity. Obvious ground rules on the use of technology should be put in place, such as no devices at the dinner table. Some families have traditions of having particular gadget-free days, gadget-free activity evenings or occasional holidays and weekends away, where no devices are permitted. 

To assist parents, many excellent, free, downloadable applications exist which allow them to determine exactly what shape their children’s online interactions take. Parents can help keep kids grounded in the real world by putting limits on screen time as well as how much time is spent on each app. Notifications can also be blocked after bedtime. Online browsing can be protected, worthless or dangerous apps can be banned completely and others can be set for use without limits—all according to the parent’s wishes. As children get older and after careful grooming and guidance, some space can be given whereby the child develops the ability slowly to protect and defend themselves from the dangers that exist. 

It’s important to be aware of what your kids do online. However, snooping can alienate them and damage the trust you’ve built together. The key is to stay involved in a way that makes your kids understand that you respect their privacy but want to make sure they’re safe. Ensure that your children are proactive and agree to protect their own privacy, consider their reputation when posting, and not give out personal information. They should agree not to use technology to hurt anyone else through bullying or gossip. Parents have the right to be involved and should practise those rights by putting measures in place which protect their children as they explore and reap the many potential benefits that social media offers the discerning. As children step up to manage their own social media interactions, parents resolve to lessen restrictions slowly and where appropriate.

Media, a double-sided coin

It would be narrow-minded to label social media as a universally ‘bad’ thing because clearly, it brings myriad benefits to our lives. As with most good things in life, though, exercising balance is key. Dangers and temptations face us all each day, young and old. It is, therefore, how we navigate social media, which will ultimately equip us to get the most out of it.

The most irresponsible thing we can do is give our children a phone or computer without any kind of restrictions

Social media has brought many dangers into our homes and our children’s immediate vicinity—for better or worse—at a very young age. Vigilance and monitoring are needed today more than ever. Let us stand ready to meet these challenges presented to us by social media so that our children can thrive in this digital age. Rom 12: 2 tells us, “Conform no longer to the pattern of this present world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, acceptable, and perfect”.

PROFILE • MARCUS RASHFORD

A voice for children

A world-class football player, who has known hunger as a child, has successfully led a campaign in UK to end what he calls the “child hunger pandemic”

BY Marian Pallister | Chair of Pax Christi Scotland

DEPENDING ON which set of figures you choose, the UK ranks as the fifth or sixth richest country in the world and it has a record total of 177 billionaires, according to the Sunday Times Rich List published in May 2022. Yet according to the UK government’s own figures, there were 3.9 million children living in poverty in the UK in 2020-2021. Anecdotally, that figure has risen in the past year. According to the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), that is 27% of the UK’s children, or eight children in a classroom of 30. Almost half of all lone-parent families are living in poverty, and CPAG says that children from Black and minority ethnic groups are more likely to be living in poverty: 46%, compared with 26% of children in white British families.

Between 2008/09 and 2020/21, the number of foodbank users in the United Kingdom increased every year, from just under 26 000 to more than 2.56 million. As we move into a post-pandemic period, approximately 2.17 million people are still accessing a foodbank and that is set to rise again as the worldwide food and economic crisis bites.

There are even more unofficial places where people can access free food than the recorded UK foodbanks. It isn’t just people out of work who use them: 75% of children growing up in poverty, live in a household where at least one person works, and foodbanks report that health workers and many ‘professionals’ have had to turn to charity to feed their families.

During the pandemic there were government measures to keep people in jobs—but 2.5 million children experienced food insecurity between February and July 2021, and one million children in the UK living in poverty were not eligible for free school meals.

Challenging the government

That is when a remarkable young man stepped in and challenged the UK government. He is asking that not only would children living in poverty receive school meals during term time, but that during the school holidays—a particularly trying time for families facing economic difficulties because of the extra mouths to feed, the extra childcare costs—free school meals would be available.

That young man is Marcus Rashford, Manchester United and England footballer, who said: “We must act with urgency to stabilise the households of our vulnerable children. No child in the UK should be going to bed hungry. Whatever your feeling, opinion, or judgement, food poverty is never the child’s fault. Let us protect our young. Let us wrap arms around each other and stand together to say that this is unacceptable, that we are united in protecting our children. Together we can end this problem.”

The government’s first efforts to provide meals during the school holidays were frankly pathetic, and pictures of inadequate provisions dominated the headlines in the summer of 2020.

Marcus Rashford persisted. The publicity his campaign generated meant the UK public backed his demands (always made eloquently and with the greatest politeness), and the government had to up its game. In September 2020, just a month short of his 23rd birthday, Marcus formed the Child Food Poverty Task Force, a coalition of charities and food businesses calling on government to implement three recommendations from the National Food Strategy. In October 2020, he launched a parliamentary petition to end child food poverty, which over 1.1 million people signed.

The government reacted positively to two of the National Food Strategy recommendations, extending a holiday activity and food programme to all areas of England, to all children who qualified for free school meals (Scotland and Wales have their own more generous provision), and increasing the value of vouchers labelled ‘Healthy Start’. It refused, however, to expand free school meals to all under-16s whose parent or guardian received a particular state benefit.

“Whatever your feeling, opinion, or judgement, food poverty is never the child’s fault. Let us protect our young”

You would have thought that was enough effort by a young man busy reaching the heights of his footballing career. But Marcus Rashford was not planning to let go of this campaign. In September 2021, he was telling the nation that child food poverty was getting “devastatingly” worse. He asked the public to write to their members of parliament seeking to end what he called a “child hunger pandemic”.
Perhaps the government thought he would call it a day when they “rewarded” him with an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire medal). Perhaps they were forgetting that he knew far more than all the well-off, well-paid members of parliament what a “child hunger pandemic” meant to the children he was campaigning for.

An inspiration for many youngsters

His was not just rhetoric. Marcus Rashford and his siblings had endured all that he was now placing before the UK public and its government. He had known hunger as a child. He had seen his mother struggle to feed her family, working at several jobs yet never earning what could put enough food on the table. He was not doing this for a medal. He was doing it for every child suffering as he had done.

Marcus was born in Wythenshawe, a town near the English city of Manchester, on 31 October 1997 to Robert and Melanie Rashford. He has two brothers, Dwaine and Dane, and two sisters—Chantelle and Claire. There is a half-sister, Tamara, through his father, who left Melanie when the children were very young.
Marcus’s football skills did not take long to emerge. At the age of five, he was playing for Fletcher Moss Rangers, a little local amateur junior club. By the age of seven, he had joined the world-renowned Manchester United pre-academy programme, followed by the club’s academy programme. He has paid tribute to his mother, Melanie, for pushing to have him accepted into the academy a year early to help him escape growing up in their low-income family.

He explained, “The programme that I started at 11 years old, you’re supposed to start it at 12 years old. It basically gives you accommodation closer to the training facilities and a new school. She worked hard to push it forward, because she knew that for me it was the step I needed to take. I needed to be eating the right foods and I needed to be close to my teammates and my new school friends.”

When his campaign for today’s poor children began to succeed, he took no credit, saying it was his Mum’s day. He remembers going hungry as a child, but stresses it was through no fault of his family.

The Manchester United Academy supported Marcus in his studies for a Business and Technology Education Council National Diploma in Sport as well as turning him into a world-class player. He was still playing with the Manchester United under-18s when he was asked to join the first team. But cataloguing his subsequent football career belongs elsewhere, because this is a young man who has not been in the headlines solely because of his successes on the field, nor for the money he’s earned, nor for glamorous girlfriends—the stuff of most footballing heroes.

He has inspired many youngsters to step into his football boots also because of his plain-speaking advice to work and train hard

He has no doubt inspired many youngsters to step into his football boots, not only because of his successes but also because of his plain-speaking advice to work hard and train hard. He surely inspired many who have never watched a game of football when he said, “Political affiliations aside, can we not all agree that no child should be going to bed hungry?” and, “These children matter—and as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine.”

So many children facing the realities of being Black, from a one-parent family, and poor, find themselves in trouble rather than receiving a medal from Prince William. What were the influences that directed Marcus Rashford to become an activist and philanthropist? He has put his money where his mouth is, investing his own money in the projects he supports.

Openly speaking of his faith in God

Asked to speak to members of the UK parliament, he encapsulated the Rashford childhood: “The man you see before you is a product of her [his mother’s] love and care. I have friends who are from middle-class backgrounds who have never experienced a small percentage of the love I have gotten from my mum: a single parent who would sacrifice everything she had for our happiness.”

It is not easy to admit to a poverty-stricken childhood, but Marcus has spoken lovingly and proudly of his mother working at a number of jobs, skipping meals so that the children had food.

“These children matter, and as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine”

It is not easy to talk about the racist abuse that he and other black players regularly experience, but Marcus refuses to be riled by it. Last year after particularly offensive insults, he responded, “The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up. I am Marcus Rashford, 23-year-old black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else, I have that.”

Unlike many young people in the public eye, he isn’t afraid to speak of his faith. That he is “definitely religious” comes, he says, from his mother. “The faith we have in God is shown by the people that we are,” he adds, “For me and my family, that’s definitely the case—if you could see our lives 15–20 years ago to where we are now, it’s impossible not to have faith in God and all He does for us.”

He also knows how to grab the public imagination—even if he has had to work a lot harder to convince the UK government.

He said, “You can fill 27 Wembley stadiums with the 2.5 million children that are struggling to know where their next meal might be coming from today. What is it going to take for these children to be prioritised? Instead of removing support through social security, we should be focusing efforts on developing a sustainable long-term road map out of this child hunger pandemic.”

In March 2022, his child poverty campaign won a victory when the UK government announced it would permanently allow children from families with no recourse to public funds access to free school meals.

Another step forward

Little wonder he got that medal. Little wonder Manchester University gave him an honorary doctorate. Whatever his footballing career brings, this young man—who has now made sure food is on the table for so many children—will surely be heard in the public arena for many years to come: a voice for children.

FEATURES • CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL

Connecting people to God through music

Twins, Lesedi and Lebone Khunou, are Catholic Gospel artists who are passionate about communicating a message of faith and hope to their audience, through contemporary Gospel songs

BY Jill Williams and Rafael Armada | MCCJ

Q: Who are The Light Twins?

Lesedi (LS): Our names, Lesedi and Lebone, both mean “light”, in our Sesotho language. We always felt the need to bring the light of Christ to other people, whether through music or prayer. We grew up at St Hubert Parish, in Alexandra where we were members of the Youth Choir from the age of 10. When we sang, many women would come to us saying ‘I really felt God’s presence!’. It was then that I realised that what we had was something profound and different. Later on, at the age of 26, we decided to go beyond the walls of the Catholic Church at St Hubert, taking this ministry on and preaching the Gospel of God to the greater Church.
Wherever we go, there is a light that follows us, for people to come closer to God because of us. What God has called us to be, The Light Twins, is such a powerful witness!

Q: What is ‘Contemporary Gospel’ to you?

Lebone (LB): Where we come from, Gospel is a very traditional genre and Catholicism is a very traditional religion. ‘Contemporary Gospel’ is fusing secular and contemporary pop sounds with the Gospel, which is traditional.

Q: Where do you get the inspiration for the messages in your songs?

LB: Our inspiration always comes from God; what God speaks through people, though not necessarily in a literal voice. That is how we normally know that God wants us to sing a specific song. In 2017, we released an album titled, Filled with hope. God was speaking to us through people. Over the years, we have been releasing individual songs not necessarily based on any specific liturgical period, but on what we were inspired to create at that time.

There is something about our Catholic teachings and hymns that is needed in the greater world and we are here teaching people about the message of God through our music

LS: Our first and most popular song, “O tla ntshedisa” (2017), has a chorus taken from a Catholic hymn. We expanded it adding what it means to us: God’s comfort. Although we weren’t going through hardships at that time, people would come to us and say that that song helped them to get through difficult periods, such as the loss of loved ones. In 2021, we lost our aunt to COVID-19, and we sang at her funeral. We cried through most of it! Then we understood what people meant when they said that the song had carried them through hardships. God spoke to us at a time when we didn’t even know we would need that song.

Q: Does it often happen that you sing a song and later you realise that it was actually meant for you more than for the people you were singing to?

LB: It happens quite frequently. We released a song recently which we had posted three years ago. It’s a song that we have been singing throughout our lives but only now, after COVID-19, it had a great impact and went viral on social media. The lyrics translated say, All who thirst, come to Christ! I now have a deeper understanding of what the song means.

Q: When you visit a parish, do you integrate your songs into the liturgy?

LS: There is one song of ours, in particular, that is a medley of communion hymns. Whether we can play it or sing it at Mass, depends on the circumstances. We have music that incorporates the liturgy of the Church. We visited a lot of parishes before lockdown and we sang our songs. It was amazing!

Q: At other Christian churches, such as Christian Revival Church or Hillsong, there are either large groups or one-person leading worship. In your opinion, is there room for it in the Catholic Church or is our current choir type more appropriate?

LB: There is power in both! Choirs and the singular worship movement of Hillsong-type churches are both essential. They play a different role and move the soul in a different way. In terms of the structure of the Mass, it has the capacity to accommodate both. A worship team or a single person can be used during communion or collection times, versus the moment of the Kyrie and Gloria. It would require a shift in mind-set because the Church is not used to that type of sound and one can risk creating the perception that one wants to do a solo, or be a diva during the liturgy.

LS: At the end of the day, it is about connecting people to God through music; whether it is the Hillsong route or the choir route. At St Hubert, we have played both roles, not only because we had the instruments, but also had songs where one person could lead. It depends on the structure and how you go about doing it, but there is room for implementing anything that brings one closer to God.

Q: Are you ‘accepted’ outside the Church?

LS: The reception has been amazing. We actually have a song called Kwake kwathi, speaking about the Annunciation to Mary by Angel Gabriel. We released that song in 2017 and it is loved by people who aren’t even Catholics. This showed us that there is something about our Catholic teachings and hymns that is needed in the greater world and we are here teaching people about the message of God through our music.

The contemporary nature of our ministry speaks to people who are active members of the Church, to those struggling to return as well as to people who aren’t even church-goers. We need to draw people back to the Church, not only in a way that says ‘come back to Church’, but firstly says ‘come back to God!’.

Q: How do you evaluate social media and its influence on the youth? What is your opinion about the online contents of the industry in which you are involved?

LB: We come from a corporate background and always think of branding. We take that into our Catholicism and what we do on social media where you are your own brand. The various platforms have helped us to connect and reach people across the world. It has its pros, but the youth often forget that it does also have bad repercussions if misused. It all depends on the content you put out there. So, you can go viral for good or for bad things, it is your choice as a youth, how you want the world to receive you.

LS: Just as the Church saw the need of online platforms, especially during lockdown for Masses, we also used platforms to give people hope throughout the pandemic. We hosted rosary evenings daily. We called it “Rosary for an end to the Corona Virus.” We prayed with people and asked God and Mother Mary to intervene in the situation. Later, when we stopped, people would ask us to pick it up again. We can use social media in a positive way, to enrich people’s lives.

Q: What are your dreams as The Light Twins?

LS: Our names give weight to the calling that we have, which is to shine the light of Christ through our music and any form of ministry. Apart from that, we are also full-time workers. Lebone is in project management and I am in business management and communications. From a career point of view, our hope is to advance in our careers, to have our own businesses and to partner with many people, particularly in the fashion industry. For the ministry, we hope to sing for the Pope one day!

Q: What are the challenges you face on this journey?

LB: What we are doing in the Church is not really popular as people are used to choirs. We were among the first few solo-artists in our Church. In the Gospel industry, we are probably among the youngest. Gospel is often done by older people so, to get respect from the elders is tricky. The way we sound is also very different because we come from a Catholic background. We don’t raise our voices the way other singers do and, we can be perceived as not worshiping enough, because of that.

LS: We have received a lot of ridicule and criticism, with claims that we are trying to be Protestant, but all we try is to bring people closer to God. Sometimes people don’t hear our Catholic hymns despite them being so rich. It is like praying the Hail Mary and not paying attention to the words. We might not sing all eleven verses of a common hymn, but rather the three that touch us, singing them in a way that someone can really listen to and not just hear it.

Q: Do you collaborate with other musical groups?

LS: We have collaborated with a few other Catholic artists. Recently, we had The Music Extravaganza at Regina Mundi Catholic Church, in Soweto, to fundraise for the building of a Marian Shrine in the Archdiocese. We have also collaborated on a song with an artist from Pretoria Archdiocese. We featured a Catholic poet in one of our songs. We have worked with many artists. We have not yet had the opportunity to feature a choir, but we want to. We are also going to be featured in a song with a Hip Hop artist in the mainstream Gospel space.

Q: What impact do you think Catholic authored music and its specific sound makes in the Gospel industry and in the music industry at large?

LB: Because of the powerful lyrics and music we have as Catholics, we find Gospel artists from other denominations taking our hymns and making them their own. It’s time that we, Catholic artists, take our music, which has so much depth, to the world. We have so much to give.

LS: I think it’s also in the packaging. Our neighbour heard us sing and asked which Church we attend. We said that we were Catholics. She replied that we do not sound Catholic. As much as it was a compliment, it made me wonder, what does Catholic sound like? But it showed me that there was something that appealed to them. As Catholics, we need to package our music in a way that any person (who is not a Catholic) will be able to hear and understand.

Q: Is your music addressed to the youth or to people of all ages?

LB: We are young and we try to make our music appealing to the young people. Fortunately, we have been able to get buy-in from the young people due to the sound we are ‘selling’, but adults are also drawn to our music. It is nice to know that we can speak to the youth and to the adults alike. When we perform on radio, people in our space always ask: ‘who is your target audience?’, our answer is that we don’t have one because we want to reach everyone. This is what makes our music quite unique, because it is not youth-orientated or adult-orientated.”

LS: Most of our supporters are older people. Whenever we are on Radio Veritas, all the people that call in are elderly. They love our music. We find that so amazing because if we get blessings from our elders, we know that God is blessing us.

LB: We are followers of the fourth Commandment, so when adults give you their stamp of approval, you know you are doing something right. It is just as touching when we go to a parish and twelve- or thirteen-year-old children tell us that they are inspired by our work and look up to us. We are making a positive impact on the youth.

LS: Their being inspired goes beyond trying to get into a solo act. Many are asking how to start a choir. The work that we do inspires people to do better for the Church as a whole.

Q: What support have you experienced from your Church or the community at large?

LB: We have been so blessed! Every time we knocked at parishes and ask to render some items, everybody opened their doors to us. We are also freely allowed to sell our CDs. In 2019, we had a launch and the bulk of the attendees were our parishioners. To know that we are supported at home is always beautiful.

LS: Another Catholic organisation that supports us is Radio Veritas. They play our music all the time. It helps us reach people we don’t usually reach, which is phenomenal. Beyond this, posting on social media is the kind of support that can be given to groups like ours. It greatly assists us to reach more people.

Q: How could the Church be more outreaching?

LB: People have to be ready to receive you before they are willing to share what you have to give. If you love our music, post it or share one of our songs with others.

LS: Online Mass has been working, and it is not only for lockdowns, but even for those who cannot attend church on Sundays. It can assist the Church to reach more people.

God used us as a vessel to give someone hope and faith

Q: What advice would you give to young people who are aspiring to do what you are doing?

LB: We always say ‘yes, you can!’ as Barack Obama said. A lot of people don’t believe in themselves. It’s so important to find your voice and niche. Everybody has something to offer. Our society often focuses on the negative and not on what people can actually do. We always tell the youth that they can make a difference in their family, community and church. We say, ‘Just get started and forget about the nay-sayers’.

LS: My advice would be to stay in your lane. There is something about being yourself. God called you for a reason. Someone once said: “It wasn’t a conference call when God called you”. That is what Lebone and I remind ourselves of when people ridicule and criticize the work we do. We rest in the fact that our fruits will follow us, and we always see the fruits. In a prayer session one lady said that after praying with us, her dad woke up from a coma. That was amazing! God used us as a vessel to give someone hope and faith. So, we already know that there is something we do that no one else can do. There is a reason why God called The Lights to do what they are doing and someone else to do what they do. So I say “stay in your lane and don’t compare yourself to other people because God made you to be you.” Even Lebone and I have different voices. She must play her role and I must play mine and God just makes magic.

SPECIAL REPORT • online choices

Igniting your faith with mindful media use

Media can be a powerful tool for encountering Christ and communicating His values
to an extended audience. In order to be such an instrument, a Spirit-guided process
of discernment and choices becomes crucial

BY Sr Neville Christine Forchap | Daughters of St Paul (FSP), Johannesburg

Does your media use ignite or quench the fire of your faith? Do your prayers embrace the realities of the world presented by the media channels you visit? Navigating the incredible evangelization potential of the media while avoiding the dangers can be quite challenging. We all need formation for it and criteria to discern what the best online choices are for us. In the Church we find teachings, prayers, and examples of the holy lives lived by role models such as St Paul, St Brigit, St Francis de Sales, Blessed James Alberione, and Blessed Carlo Acutis, which can help us to engage in media usage mindfully and effectively.

Human beings are created in the image and likeness of the Trinitarian God; the communion of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our humanity and faith call us into a relationship with God and with each other. True communication—the giving of self in love (O’Connor & Ferrari-Toniolo 1971: 11)—fosters communion in those relationships. Our mobile apps, favourite TV programmes, books, and conversations can either build up those relationships, or break them down. Therefore, we can ask ourselves, what is the relationship between our use of the media and our faith?

Today, social media gives most people the privilege and responsibility to be content creators

A follower of Christ is attentive to God’s presence in each person, experience, and situation. This awareness requires sacramental imagination. Media content has the potential to awaken that imagination, calling us back to God and to the service of our brothers and sisters. However, this demands integration of faith and life, rather than a compartmentalization of lives, which hinders seeing Grace at work in the culture.

Media as gifts from God

Vatican Council II broadened the ways in which the Church relates to the world. The Decree on the Media of social communications (Pope Paul VI 1963), highlights the potential of the media. “Among the wonderful technological discoveries which persons of talent, especially in the present era, have made with God’s help, the Church welcomes and promotes with special interest those which have a most direct relation to human’s minds and which have uncovered new avenues of communicating most readily news, views and teachings of every sort” (Pope Paul VI 1963: 1).

We need eyes of faith to perceive God’s presence in every situation, be it a war, pandemic or natural disaster

Pope Paul VI and subsequent popes’ documents and World Communications Day (WCD) messages have encouraged the Church to enter into the New Areopagus of the culture of communications, to proclaim Christ and promote the common good. In his 2014 WCD message, Pope Francis described internet as a gift from God. He has often spoken of the potential of social networks in fostering solidarity, as
a means of evangelization, and a contributing factor in human development. The Church also acknowledges that the media
can be, and are, misused for evil purposes.

A moral responsibility

Pope John Paul II stated, “The media can be used to proclaim the Gospel or reduce it to silence in human hearts” (Foley & Pastore 1992: 4). These words highlight the power of choice and the meaning of
our responsibility. We can ask ourselves, what are we doing or failing to do to bring the light of God’s Word to others through the many available means?

In the past, the responsibility to produce and share wholesome content fell mainly upon writers, actors, producers, and distributors. Today, social media gives most people the privilege and responsibility to be content creators. Our posts, tweets, blogs, and podcasts go beyond
familiar circles. We all have a moral responsibility to choose and promote what is true, good, and beautiful. A media mindfulness strategy developed by Sr Gretchen Hailer (2007), proposes four considerations when discerning the value of media content:
• Consider what you are seeing or hearing.
• Be aware of who is being targeted and what is being sold.
• Notice the Christian values, morals, or social issues that are being supported or ignored.
• Reflect on the appropriate personal or group response.

Three spiritual practices for a mindful online presence

1. Examination of conscience Our consciences need to be formed and examined daily, helping us make the right decisions and assume responsibility for our media choices. We prayerfully review our thoughts, words, and actions, and consider how we have hurt our relationship with God, self, and others. This practice helps us see God at work in our lives. It fosters gratitude and the resolve to live according to God’s will. Daily examination of conscience facilitates a mindful and contemplative life online and offline.
   
2. Praying the news
   Every day we hear news from family, friends, communities and from the world. The amount of information we receive can be overwhelming and make us lose our Christian sensitivity to the cries of our brothers and sisters.
   
   I learned to “pray the news” when I joined the Daughters of St Paul, a religious congregation founded in 1915 by Blessed James Alberione and Venerable Mother Tecla Merlo in Italy. We are called to communicate the Gospel through our lives and all available forms of media. Our Sisters often bring to prayer the stories, names, and faces that strike them during the news. We share and reflect on current events in the light of God’s Word.
   
   News does not end when the anchor signs off or when we close our browsers. God has something more to say about what is happening in our countries and the world. It may not always come naturally to ask Jesus what he thinks about a situation. Sometimes we are stuck in the anxiety provoked by bad news. Other times, we forget to celebrate good happenings with the Lord. Bringing the news to the Lord in our prayer takes grace and practice, but it is fruitful, especially when we can bring these intentions to Holy Mass and Eucharistic adoration.
   
   We need eyes of faith to perceive God’s presence in every situation, be it a war, pandemic or natural disaster. We need hope to dispel discouragement and despair. We definitely need Christ and His love in the world. Our faith trusts that we live under the loving and merciful gaze of our heavenly Father. God knows the truth about each person and situation and the Holy Spirit purifies our minds to see the truth and expands our hearts to love more deeply.
   
3. Reparation
   Reparation for our sins and the sins of others is part of the Catholic tradition. We offer something good in place of evil or of what is missing, as an act of love for God whose love is ignored or rejected. The digital era has seen a proliferation of information and entertainment content, both good and bad. Pornography, cyberbullying, human trafficking, gambling, and scamming are some online dangers. Prudence and critical judgment when using the Internet can be invaluable. Christians are called to work and pray for good use of the media and for reparation for its misuse.
   
   St Paul the apostle engaged fully with the cultures of his time. He guides us by his example and words, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil 4: 8). May the Holy Spirit animate us so that our media usage will brilliantly and boldly ignite faith in Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

SPECIAL REPORT • NEW TRENDS

A return to Tradition: Catholic converts and the modern world

Rebellion is not always fruitless. While society and media often try to push God aside, many young people are searching for meaning in their lives by moving towards a counter-culture of traditional faith and morals

BY Dylan Gous | Pretoria

SINCE THE beginning of time, children have disobeyed their parents; and no parent has ever been exempted from this rebellion, not even God the Father. Adam and Eve first set the standard, and it continues to this very day. Rebellion plays itself out in mysterious ways: a teenager may choose to smoke cigarettes in secret—an implicit protest against his father’s stern warnings, and yet, another teenager may choose to avoid tobacco altogether after witnessing his mother’s cancer diagnosis. If a corrupt and Godless government demands that we kill the innocent, rebellion and a refusal to commit evil would itself be the only truly moral decision. Even our Blessed Lord, when He walked among us, rebelled against the religious leaders of His time. Yes, not rebellion itself but that which we rebel against, reveals the quality of our character and how narrow the road we walk truly is.

World culture

In a rather astounding way, it is now rapidly becoming counter-cultural to get married, have children, and attend church regularly. The dominant popular culture, which we see expressed in the films we watch, the books we read, and the celebrities we follow, is almost indistinguishable from blasphemy. Traditional marriage is seen as a dead end that only leads to divorce; pornography is touted as harmless and even beneficial; women are told that they are free when they consent to ‘help’ their manager, but a slave when they ‘serve’ their husband. Many young adults leave university with no conscious theology for life. They are left only with an unconscious acceptance of the broken bits of an incomplete, shattered, and often discredited philosophy. Is it any wonder that the millennials and generation Z feel so discontent? Is it any surprise at all that they long for something serious, ancient and true? Let’s begin by providing some context.

New-Atheist Movement

In the mid-2000s the New-Atheist Movement kicked off with the release of four bestselling books: The God delusion by Richard Dawkins, The end of faith by Sam Harris, God is not great by Christopher Hitchens, and Breaking the spell by Daniel Dennet. Each of these authors felt it was irrational to believe in God, and that faith was to believe something without evidence. Even though their arguments were very old, they were now heard for the first time by a brand-new generation—a generation that had never been properly instructed in the faith. Many of us were embroiled in the ongoing debates, and many of us lost our faith in the process.

The New Atheist Movement thought it was liberating the world from the bonds of religion, when in reality they initiated what has come to be known as The Meaning Crisis. Have you ever considered why there has been a resurgence in the popularity of Buddhism, meditation or Psychedelics, or why so many young men and women are exploring ancient philosophies such as Stoicism and Epicureanism? The truth is that they are hungry for God, but every major authority structure in their lives: the media, the teachers at school, the university, and even their own parents, do not seem to take religion seriously—so why should they? As a consequence, much of today’s youth feel their lives have no objective meaning. They do not know why they are here, and they have no purpose other than the purpose they choose to ascribe. This nihilistic approach to life may feel liberating at first, but in the long run it corrodes the individual. This is the meaning crisis—and it is a real crisis.

Faith and morals arise

After the New-Atheist Movement had cemented itself within the dominant culture, seemingly out of nowhere, in 2017, a new voice emerged upon the scene. Not a priest, or a pastor, or even a politician—but a psychologist: Jordan B. Peterson burst onto the scene telling young men and women to clean their rooms, find an ideal, pursue the kingdom of God, and embrace suffering. Hundreds of thousands flocked to his lectures where he would explore a single chapter of the Bible for over two hours (the lectures are all still available on YouTube). What was going on? To put it simply, Jordan Peterson didn’t dumb down the Bible, he revealed how complex it was, and suddenly, the new atheists began to look quite old—marriage, children, and church, these were the ideals to strive for, and a cultural phenomenon was born.

It is now rapidly becoming counter-cultural to get married, have children, and attend church regularly

Peterson pointed many to God, but many did not want to blindly return to the beliefs of their childhood, they needed to be sure what they were committing themselves to. You see, much of today’s youth do not know up from down, and as a consequence they live their lives thinking they are going straight up, all the while going in the opposite direction. Eventually they find the bottom, at which point they are shaken, scared, shocked and heartbroken; they then finally realize that it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. They realize that they have been lied to by everyone—everyone except the Church. Then at last they come to see that the Church’s teachings are not insane, but are instead sanity preached to a planet of lunatics.

A Church which moves the world

While some do return to Protestantism, many crave more traditional forms of living, as many Protestant churches now affirm gay marriage, worship feminism, violate scriptural truths, and generally promote the very same modern heresies which the youth so desperately wish to oppose and rebel against. This is why many end up at a crossroads: do I become Catholic or Eastern Orthodox? The reasons why each individual convert chooses one or the other are too vast to summarize here, but whether East or West, the desire beneath the conversion is the same: they want a Church that does not move with the world, they want a Church which moves the world.

Some of the consequences of this cultural shift include, but are not limited to, young men and women learning Latin and praying the rosary daily; young women wearing veils at Mass, a renewed interest and popularity in Church history and its councils, apologetic work in defending the faith against Atheism, New Age Beliefs, and Protestantism; an explosion of online content: YouTube Channels, Instagram Pages, Websites and Podcasts featuring theological discussions and debates, and even a wave of new Catholic apps.

They want a Church that does not move with the world, they want a Church which moves the world

Return to tradition

It is always difficult to see exactly how large or small a movement is, but one thing is certain, traditional thinking and living is making a comeback (as it always does). Except now we have the technology to see the impact all the more clearly. An interesting question to consider: why this return to tradition? Of course the answer is more complicated than we may realize, but I suspect it has something to do with the state of the modern world. Day to day, the dominant culture denies the very God in whose image we are created. It is important to remember that Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but rather the preservation of a fire. Much of the youth now wish to carry the blazing light of Christ in their hearts, all the while carrying a cross upon their backs; and they are doing this with all the vigour and zeal of one who has just felt the scales fall from his eyes, looking at the world, as if for the first time, and seeing just how desperately it needs Jesus Christ.

WORLD REPORT • CATHOLIC RADIO NETWORK

Waves for peace in the world’s youngest country

BY Brother Alberto Lamana MCCj | Juba, South Sudan

THE SUDANESE based Catholic Radio Network (CRN) project was launched in 2005, during the period of the Government of National Unity between Sudan and South Sudan which led to the declaration of independence of South Sudan via the referendum celebrated on 9 July 2011. The initiative to start the project came from the Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Missionary Sisters, who have always accompanied the South Sudanese people, even during the decades of violence before independence. Today the CRN is part of the evangelisation plan of the South Sudanese Catholic Church, which, in addition to its commitment in the fields of education, health and pastoral formation, is clearly committed to the use of the media, in particular radio, for the promotion of justice and peace in the country.

CRN’s programming rests on four pillars: evangelisation, information, education and entertainment

Today the CRN is made up of nine radio stations: The first to be established was Radio Bakhita, in Juba, the current capital of South Sudan, in 2005. Later came others: Radio FM East, from the diocese of Yei; Radio FM Emmanuel, from the diocese of Torit; Radio FM Anisa, from the diocese of Yambio; Radio FM Good News, from the diocese of Rumbek, Radio FM Don Bosco, in Tonj County, also in Rumbek; Radio FM Voice of Hope from the Diocese of Wau; Saut al Mahabba (Voice of Love) from the Diocese of Malakal and Radio FM Voice of Peace from the Diocese of El-Obeid Gidel in the Nuba Mountains. In total, the Catholic Radio Network reaches a population of six million people, in addition to some 150 000 people in the Nuba Mountains, a border territory between Sudan and South Sudan.

CRN’s programming rests on four pillars: evangelisation, information, education and entertainment. Mary Ajith, the current director of the CRN, tells us that all the stations share the same editorial line and administrative policies. The radio stations broadcast in Arabic and English, the country’s two official languages, although there is also specific content in some of the eight most widespread local languages in the country’s states, equivalent to our provinces.

Useful topics

Among the diverse and varied content of the programming, the following stand out:

1. Education in civil and democratic rights. This is essential education in a country which, two years after gaining independence, after more than half a century of attacks and conflicts with the central government in Khartoum, suffered a civil conflict, in 2013. Power struggles between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and Vice-President Riek Machar, a Nuer, once again fuelled the fighters, causing more than 100 000 deaths and four million internally displaced people. In the current context, radio is intended to be a tool to promote reconciliation and peace.
2. Health education. Programmes are dedicated to improving child nutrition and disease prevention. For example, Voice of Peace in the Nuba Mountains has seen a decrease in malaria cases since the advent of radio by disseminating practical health advice, such as the use of mosquito nets in homes.
3. Citizen participation through debates on political, economic, social and religious issues.

Local journalists

Proximity and knowledge of the culture are essential for the stations’ broadcasted messages to reach the hearts and minds of the people. For this reason, the teams are made up of young professionals from the local communities, who communicate more easily in their own language. The radios also try to share oral expressions of their own culture, songs and the history of the people, enriching the younger generations.

Radio Voice of Peace

According to the author of the article, who worked as technical architect of Radio Bakhita and the rest of the CRN to set up the stations and make them operational, Radio Voice of Peace has programmes that have increased the school attendance of young girls by making women’s issues visible, through discussions on polygamy, child marriage, girls’ reduced school attendance and domestic violence. Thanks to this rise in awareness, they have been able to increase their presence in the classroom.

Training journalists

Over time, the Catholic Radio Network has become a training centre for new generations of journalists, with specialised courses in Peace Journalism, with a focus on developing skills for reporting in conflict situations. The centre also serves to connect stations with partners inside and outside South Sudan, as well as providing technical support to broadcasters.

At the service of peace

The Catholic Radio Network employs eight people at the head office, and there are 20 to 25 people working in each station, including volunteers. More than 200 people are therefore committed to informing and training, as well as entertaining and accompanying the South Sudanese people from day to day. This service is offered in order to contribute to the consolidation of a new country with the conviction that peace is built via the airwaves, through dialogue and listening.