I’ve had something on my mind for a while, and as today is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, I figured I’d finally sit down and type it up.

I’m generally a social media apologist. The Catholic mommy blog little pond of the internet (which is also peopled with non-Catholics and non-Mommies) has been kind to me, and has been a wonderful source of community and inspiration.

I like it. But today, I want to talk about the recent social media phenomenon of being “cancelled.”

via GIPHY

As with other fads, it can mean different things to different people. I understand that it often applies to celebrities or instafamous types who are discovered to currently hold an opinion that is contrary to the currently approved opinions of the masses. This is shared about on social media, and it’s decided by the mob that “we” are to like that person no longer. Officially. Catholic celebrities get pummeled with this one occasionally, for being “too Catholic” for regular folks one minute, and “not Catholic enough” for social media Catholics the next. It’s got to be rough. But getting “cancelled” has also been known to happen to folks who become social media darlings for some viral something or other, then someone goes hunting for their old skeletons and they get cancelled as quickly as they were championed.

It can give one the impression that unless we’ve lived a perfect life, every one of us is just one click away from being abandoned and destroyed. It can make it appear that your worst moment is the one that defines who you are.

St. Paul is here, on the very unique feast day celebrating his conversion to remind us that it. ain’t. so.

St. Paul did some very bad things. But a scandalous past did not keep him from a holy future. The same goes for St. Augustine, and St. Matthew, and St. Mary of Egypt, and St. Dismas, and St. Olga, and Ven. Matt Talbot. And, of course, EVERY SINGLE OTHER saint in heaven (except our sinless Mother Mary, of course).

As Catholics, we’ve got the sacrament of confession and the example of the saints. We can take comfort in knowing our former sins can be completely and utterly forgiven, and if we fall again, those will be too, whether or not Twitter is aware of it.

NOT cancelled ever. Like the Simpsons. 😉 😂