TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

MASS READINGS

Reading 2 Jas 3:16—4:3

Beloved:

Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant,

full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?

Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?

You covet but do not possess.

You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war.

You do not possess because you do not ask.

You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

REFLECTION

"Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice."

Its been over 2000 years since St. James wrote this letter and human nature has not changed a bit.

Some people have compared our behaviors in social media to those of capital sins:

1. Facebook: Gluttony - I want to have lots of followers and likes.

2. Instagram: Envy - Why is their life perfect and mine not?

3. Tinder: Lust - No explanation needed.

4. Amazon: Greed - I want more, and I can obtain it in one click.

5. X: Wrath - Public or Anonymous comments without personal repercussion.

6. Netflix: Sloth - Stream all weekend and do nothing else.

7. LinkedIn: Pride - Impress acquaintances and strangers with accomplishments and resume.

Social media is a universe created at one's personal image. The algorithms are sophisticated enough to show us what we like to see. If we scroll and spend more than a few seconds in an image, these bots will "know" our likes and start showing us more and more that kind of content. There really is no room to observe opposite views like you would when you "surf channels" on a regular tv.

At the end these algorithms are designed to stroke our pride and make us more and more unhappy by doing the following to our psyche, we:

1. Airbrush our life, and curate only positive things.

2. Become obsessed by counting likes.

3. Compare ourselves to others.

4. Become addicted and are constantly checking our phones.

5. Don't realize the negative impact in our mood.

6. Find it easy to engage in enraging comments online.

7. Neglect and hide from our obligations.

Is everything in social media or the metaverse bad?

It is technology. And technology is only as good or bad as the people handling it.

We live in these times, and these are tools that can help us reach others and help with evangelization. There are great websites and apps like EWTN, Hallow, YouTube has great Catholic channels, etc. We even have a YouTube Channel where we record our spiritual director's teachings.

We do have to just be alert, aware, and awake on how we are consuming social media, for how long, and for what reasons. Let's just be careful that these reasons are for the good of our souls, and not for their detriment, so we don't turn into the covetous envious people that St. James is describing.

God bless y'all!