Become an iMissionary

Position:  iMissionaries to spread the Gospel.

Employer: God

Qualifications: Love of God and neighbor.

Job Duties: Acknowledging Jesus before men so that he will acknowledge you before the angels in heaven. (Luke 9:26).

Details:  Work in the comfort and privacy of your own home as little or as often as you want, under the supervision of the Blessed Mother and the angels and saints. 

Payment:  Grace and blessings

Travel: One-way ticket to heaven.

     Missionaries are tentacles of love and courage, infiltrating pagan and hostile lands to share the Good News.  Like post-Pentecost apostles, they tread where the timid dare not go.  Thanks to technology, today we can do missionary work as a divine hobby.

     Becoming an iMissionary is a unique opportunity to encourage others to grow in faith and virtue through well-placed posts, comments, and responses to others. 

The worst we need to fear are haters and friends with differing viewpoints--no burning at the stake, getting our heads chopped off, or lion’s dens. Simply by relying on the Holy Spirit, in union with the tools of the Internet, we can impact others. 

     Consider how social media is changing the world. After the movie The Passion blew critics’ dire predictions out of the water, movie companies woke up to the power of Christian social networking.  Any wholesome movie is now promoted among Christian websites and bloggers.

     Social networking spreads news and gets results. For instance, in November of 2010, Amazon.com pulled a how-to book for pedophiles after a massive public outcry had thousands of customers calling for the boycott of the online retail giant.

     I once went to a Christian website that I heard through the grapevine was run by a local business owner who was anti-Catholic. I contacted him through his website and we began a cordial debate on some of his anti-Catholic beliefs. He has no idea that I lived right in town.  But through a lot of back and forth debate, he learned that Catholics can back up Church teachings with the Scripture.  I did not convert him, but I definitely enlightened him on mistaken anti-Catholic beliefs and at least planted some seeds.

Share powerful messages on Facebook. Don’t be shy that some of your friends might not agree. If it’s God’s truth, share it. If you feel timid, say a prayer to one of your favorite martyrs and realize what you are doing is easy by comparison.

Retweet on Twitter, important action alerts and to help trend hashtags. By putting hashtags with key words, your message can be found by those looking for those trends. This means to put the number sign, #, in front of each key word. For instance, if I share a link about Jesus, after the link, I would put #Jesus#faith, etc.

Sign petitions you believe in. If you are worried about keeping your email address private, create a secondary email address. Petitions can make a difference.  And regardless, doing the right thing is ultimately between you and God anyways.  As Mother Teresa used to tell us, “God does not ask us to be successful, he asks us to be faithful.”  But success is often thrown in.

Get in on Discussions and Comments, under articles and on Facebook.  If you see something offensive to the faith, speak up in a respectful manner. Say a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit for words to touch souls and open minds. Point out truths. Even if you get attacked, you’ve still planted seeds. However, I caution people to use moderation and avoid behavior that could be viewed as harassment.

     If you really want to be an iMissionary in foreign lands, consider treading into liberal territory that promotes values contrary to your own.  If you are on already spending time on the Internet, consider cutting out time wasters in place of missionary work. Share Catholic articles and engage in commenting and discussions.  Look for liberal websites, chat rooms, and Facebook pages where you can stir things up a bit.

     As a missionary, keep in mind at all times that you represent Christ.  Pray for inspiration and speak with love. Don’t let someone get you riled up. If things get ugly, it’s a good time to exit and just pray for them.

     Take care that you are not neglecting your responsibilities to God, family and work to be on the Internet. But if you truly desire to spread the Gospel, there’s likely time in your day to do it.

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Tom Peterson has become a missionary to ex-Catholics as the founder and president of Catholics Come Home, a non-profit multimedia organization dedicated to promoting Catholic evangelization.  Read his book Catholics Come Home: God’s Extraordinary Plan for Your Life to hear the amazing story of how a man once living the good life now shares the Good News. He is bringing fallen-away Catholics back home by the hundreds of thousands.

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