Intro:
The purpose of putting our smartphones on grayscale for Lent is to choose a form of Lenten penance that requires sacrifice while also allowing us to regain an element of thoughtfulness and recollection in our use of these devices, which can distract us from purposeful Christian lives. However, while this Lenten resolution is a good first step, it may not "solve" all our usage struggles.
Perhaps that is why so many people, instead of grayscale, choose other specific resolutions, such as giving up online shopping or social media. At times, we may feel that it the struggles come with impulse control in the little bits of time we have free. We look for distractions on our phone, and find them easily, but we are left feeling that online window-shopping or mindless social media scrolling was not the best use of our time. It lacked a sense of purpose and increased our sense of a lack of impulse control or meaning in our usage.
The question for today is how we might approach Facebook during Lent, using it as a force for good, rather than mindless, time-filling, quasi-entertainment. We consider this question with the traditional Lenten penances in mind: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving and offer concrete suggestions for using Facebook well this Lent, rather than simply giving it up.
Prayer:
Prayer is one of the most basic prayer practices of Lent. Of course, Lent should not be the only time of the year when we make efforts in our prayer life. And yet, it is a special time where we may take on extra or different prayer practices than usual, such as adding a daily Rosary, attending daily Mass, or reflecting on the daily Mass readings. If we are not adding anything specifically, we may try to be more intentional about prioritizing our prayer or using our times of prayer well.
While Facebook may not be the first forum we think of when it comes to prayer, there certainly is no shortage of opportunity for prayer on Facebook. If we have faithful Catholic friends, we have probably at some point, possibly even frequently, encountered prayer requests on Facebook. In fact, even those who are not regular churchgoers will occasionally request prayers or respond to friends' posts by noting that they are praying for them.
Perhaps no lie is so common among Christians as the false promise to say a prayer for someone. The falsehood may not be intentional, but, especially if we are quickly scrolling through posts, we may intend to pray for someone and then fail to do so. Or we may recognize that someone seems to be in need of prayers, even if not requesting them, and we want to pray for them later in the day but forget.
Lent is a wonderful opportunity to use Facebook as a force for good by actually praying for those who ask for it or would seem to benefit from it. And if we find ourselves getting frustrated by friends on Facebook, perhaps for their political postings or unkind comments to ourselves or others, we should make an extra effort to pray for them during Lent. Here are some ideas about how to be more intentional about prayer on Facebook.
First, if someone is requesting prayers, let's pray for them. Stop the scrolling, pause for a minute, and immediately say a prayer. There are many quick prayers that we can say mentally, such as: "Lord, for Michelle as she mourns the loss of her father-in-law and for the repose of his soul: Hail Mary..." Or, "Dear God, for my friend Nicole and her son who has a high fever right now: Our Father..." Again, "For Tom, who was just in a car accident, may his angel keep him safe: Angel of God, Tom's guardian dear..." It is great to choose a prayer in advance, such as the Memorare or, the ancient (and slightly briefer) prayer Sub Tuum Praesidium. If we are prepared, we can easily pause and say a prayer for the person in need, and, then, when we are finished with the prayer, we can comment on the friend's post: "Just said a Hail Mary for you guys. Hope your son gets better soon!" It lets the person know that we really did say a prayer for them!
Second, for those who aren't requesting prayers, but clearly have some need, whether it's because of a bad day in general or a specific challenge they are facing. There are also those who seem to be negative, angry, or purposely antagonistic toward others in their comments or posts. For such occasions, it's probably best NOT to let them know they have our prayers, as that may simply seem to be sarcastic or offensive. And yet, we can still pray for them, using the same procedure as above. Pausing and offering a prayer right then and there takes our concern or frustration and turns it toward God, sharing our worries in a way that can help us to grow closer to God during Lent and maybe also help our friends who are struggling.
Third, if we are incorporating specific prayer practices this Lent, such as a daily Rosary, it is a good idea to keep a list of intentions on a slip of paper in our pocket or on the notes section of our phone. This way we can keep track of our friends in need of prayer and remember them at another time of the day. Praying for others in need is a great way to strengthen the body of Christ, and we will find it easier to pray for friends if we have some written reminder of these intentions.
Finally, what about requesting prayers for ourselves or others? This is usually a good idea, so long as we don't overdo it; some people may weary of constant requests for prayers for ourselves or others. Asking for prayers should not be a way of seeking attention; we should ask for prayers only if we really desire the prayers of others for a particular situation. If we believe in the power of prayer and know that we have good Catholic friends who will pray for us, it is a good idea to ask for prayers for difficult situations, such as our own loss of a loved one, the serious illness of a child, etc. We also may see benefit in asking for prayers for someone else that we know is in need, but may not believe in prayer or want to ask for prayers so publicly. In such cases, it's good to ask permission, and generally not to name the person if we know they don't want attention this way.
Prayer may not be the first thought that pops into our head when we think of Facebook, but there are many invitations to do so when we are more recollected and intentional in our use of Facebook. We know we have friends facing difficult situations, writing rude remarks, celebrating a birthday, or having a rough day. Rather than zipping through these posts, we can take the time to pause and offer specific prayers for these friends. We can commit to remembering them in our prayer later in the day as well. And we can be willing to open ourselves to others praying for us in our times of need. By embracing this opportunity for prayer, we can use Facebook as a force for good this Lent.
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