After the 1st Catholic Social Media Summit what then?

1st Catholic Social Media Summit, Renaissance Convention Center, Marikina City, April 14-15, 2012 - Before we left the venue, we were asked by the organizers to tweet or shout out in twitter and Facebook about our learnings in the 1^st Catholic Social Media Summit. As I thought over it, a one-line tweet won’t describe enough the things I’ve learned from the summit.

Me together with Fray Waway and Asp. Keith.

The three of us with one of the speakers of the summit, Fr. Stephen Cuyos, MSC.

First and foremost, I am grateful and thankful to our community (San Agustin Center of Studies – Formation house of the Order of St. Augustine – Philippines) for a allowing us to participate in the summit (1^st Catholic Social Media Summit). I, as the head servant, personally approached and proposed to our community to participate in this summit. With a positive outlook from our formators, they strongly supported us with this endeavor. (We were actually three who attended the summit representing our community and the Order of St. Augustine in general). For without them, we won’t experience the many wonderful things we encountered and nourished, particularly, the thoughts, the ideas, the information, the trends, the workshops, the variety of sharing, the stories and the people as well. Above all else, a new frontier for mission has been opened to us as young servants of God. With the gift of technology in our generation, we were able to discover our purpose not only as mere active users of the social media but as emphatically as an active Christian Catholic user.

Secondly, as a religious, I am grateful to the challenge that was given to us. For my interests and passions for social media (the safest way to saying an addict to social networking hehehe) won’t be put in vain. A new transformation of the self is called from being plainly a human vanity to a more godly and holistic vanity.

Thirdly, the means were already provided but we lack content and goal. Now, a goal has been readied or rather has been long given to us since God’s time, but what we then should act appropriately is to pass through the path that will eventually bring me, you and us, to a more meaningful and great end, which is to be with God.

So, I then adhere to the 5 points shared to us by Fr. Stephen Cuyos, MSC to be as principles to observe in the social media.

1. I will pray then before I click.

2. I will share photos to proclaim and inspire.

3. I will foster meaningful friendships.

4. I will post uplifting videos.

5. I leave a digital footprint (of God).

For I need these principles so that I could respond well to the call of Arch. Luis Antonio Tagle on the digital world not only as a means to evangelize but also as a platform, field needed to be evangelized. In this way, we may have a process of communicating people not only from P2P (Pulpit to People) way but also to the E2E way (Evangelizer to an Evangelizer).

Let us do then our mission as OMGs (Online Missionaries of God) for the service of God (ad servos Dei!) with one mind and one heart (anima una et cor unum) intent upon Him, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let Him then be our content and end at the same time as we fulfill our mission even though we are in our own homes. 

So see then next year! More fun and more learning!