Communities communicating trust and hope

This Sunday’s feast of the Ascension of Our Lord is also the 51st World Communications Day as declared by Pope Francis. The theme: “Communicating Trust and Hope in our Time” is a call to use media to share good news, to feed the minds with material that will not incite to pessimism, rather to optimism. The pope writes, “I would like to encourage everyone to engage in constructive forms of communication that reject prejudice towards others and foster a culture of encounter, helping all of us to view the world around us with realism and trust.” Pope Francis wants to convince all to avoid focusing too much on “bad news” that create fear and anxiety like wars, terrorism, scandals and all sorts of human failure, and to focus on “an open and creative style of communication that never seeks to glamorize evil but instead to concentrate on solutions and to inspire a positive and responsible approach on the part of its recipients.”

The pope explained that this does not mean disregarding the reality of evil or ignoring forms of human suffering. He further warned against the thinking that ‘good news does not sell,’ or where the mystery of human suffering and evil has to be turned into entertainment, as such attitudes could dull consciences. He stressed that Jesus — the “Good News” — shows how suffering is part of a bigger picture as seen in His love for the Father and for all humankind. Through this lens, we can never be alone, as we remain in solidarity with God in Christ. This solidarity must still be tightened by the strings of mercy and compassion, even after the celebration of the year of mercy in 2016, for divine love strongly expresses itself in God’s forgiving mercy, in a healthy, free and fraternal closeness between the children of God and all our brothers and sisters in the one human family. This year Pope Francis chose comforting words from the prophet Isaiah: “Fear not, for I am with you” (Is 43:5). These are the assuring words of a God who is immersed in the history of his people. Hope is the thread with which sacred history is woven, and its weaver is none other than the Holy Spirit, the Comforter/Consoler.

Ours is the task of spreading the Gospel message, starting with helping form families to be communities that give witness to love received and returned in the encounter of true friendship within the right relationships forged among parents and children. This fruitful encounter could then extend to other communities with which they interact, sharing the experienced loving family spirit. In facing the challenges of today’s changing world, let us show our readiness to welcome everyone, especially those in the peripheries with sincere hearts and words, thus building communities in communion with one another and the world.