Psalm Reflection: Ascension Sunday (Cycle A)

“God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.” - Psalm 47

By the very fact that we have social media, we must admit that we care about what other people think. Now I am not saying that using social media is wrong, because it can be used to do a lot of good. I am also not saying that caring about what others think is bad either, because if we love our neighbor we should care about how what we are doing is affecting them.

What I mean is that we are often compelled to use social media to feed our desire for attention, affirmation and fulfillment. Even though that satisfaction can only ultimately come from God, we settle for likes and comments, because they are quicker and easier. But if the ability to like, comment, follow, share or subscribe disappeared, would you still use social media?

I think most people would stop, because many of us use it to get the attention of others, and often not in the most appropriate way. We might use our bodies, our experiences, or our money to present a more glamorized version of our life because we think it will be more appealing. We have put others on the throne of our hearts, and they will never fulfill or satisfy us. We are always left posting more, getting sucked in and maybe even trying to go viral. It feels good in the moment, but that feeling dissipates and quickly leaves us depressed, lonely, unsatisfied, wanting more, and feeling like we will never be good enough.

What happens if God assumes His rightful place on the throne of our hearts? What if you lived your life like your only follower or friend on social media was Jesus, and all you wanted to do was please, love and glorify Him? We would erupt in shouts of joy and trumpet blasts, because no matter what your life looks like, God will ALWAYS like, follow and subscribe. He loves you. You don’t have to compete for it or earn it. If you didn’t even have a single social media account, He would have a fan page for you. That is how much He loves you (and infinitely more than that).

This week, try setting down your device, turning off notifications for those social apps, or even logging out of them for a day or two to take a break and focus more on your relationship with the Lord. If you do post this week, make at least one post that is devoted to glorifying God: share a Scripture verse, your testimony, or offer to pray for others during this time. Let God sit in the throne of your heart this day and every day forward.

We are praying for you this week.

See you in the Eucharist.