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The Good Samaritan Revisited

By Gabe Garnica

 

 

One of the hallmarks of what I will call relentless holiness is the drive and desire to go steps beyond the convenient, obvious, and practical. Thus, we often heard how Padre Pio advised his flock to pray many decades of the Rosary daily instead of the perfunctory single decade. It is with this spirit that I suggest we revisit the famous story of the Good Samaritan ( Lk 10:25-37 ).

We are All Travelers

The victim in this famous parable is a traveler who has been robbed and lies beaten on the side of the road. I do not know about you, but I have not come across any beaten and robbed folks sprawled across the sidewalk lately. We would like to believe that most, if not all, of us would try to help such an unfortunate person in some way. One would like to think that we would prove those cynics who believe that technology does not help us be better people wrong by using our cell phones to call for help.

This all reminds me of speaking about the Fifth Commandment to Fourth Graders in Catechism class.  Left at face value, there would be nothing to talk about since these children are not usually involved in murder. However, one can tell them that mocking, gossiping, criticizing, and isolating people for sport murders their spirit and well-being and can kill their chances of overcoming adversity.  In the same way, let us consider that we come across many unfortunate travelers on our daily journey who are prime candidates for some Christ-like assistance.  Ultimately, we are all travelers on our journey through life and, hopefully, toward God.  If we fancy ourselves true followers of Christ, we will see many opportunities to be Good Samaritans helping those struggling around us.

A Tale of Two Real Estate Professionals

A famous line in the real estate industry is the value of location, location, location.  Given this mantra, we may ask where our priorities,  hearts, and compassion are located.  Are we truly willing to help others whenever possible or do we just love to say that we do?  Do we only help people for a price in money, fame, business, or some other immediate benefit we crave?  Do we wax poetic about serving Christ and bounce around pollinating our own agenda even as we look the other way when we can help a fellow traveler?  To illustrate these points, I submit the following story of two real estate professionals.

Adam is a successful real estate professional with a well-established portfolio of accomplishment in many avenues and facets of his field.   He has managed to develop both traditional success in investment and resale but has also managed to achieve in online, publishing, speaking, and marketing areas as well.  His story reads like a textbook guide to starting from little and achieving much. By all parameters and indicators Adam is a very successful person helping others achieve their dreams. Ben, on the other hand, is just starting out in the real estate arena. He clearly has talent and a desire to help others, but he has been unable to make the most effective networks much less gotten any help at all from established pros like Adam.

Realizing and eager to achieve, Ben reached out to Adam in the hopes that Adam would help him become established. Ben also wanted to write books and do presentations in his field as Adam had done and he figured that a little help from Adam could help him get his foot in the door.  Now Adam charged high fees from clients and others wishing to learn from his experience and knowledge.  He justified those fees by arguing that nobody had really helped him break in and knowledge does not come cheap.  Ben could not yet afford those fees and he really struggled with getting connections and building a network like Adam had managed to do.

Words are Cheap

Ben repeatedly asked Adam for help and made his intentions of achieving the kind of success Adam has clear, but Adam turned a blind eye to those overtures. At one point, Ben directly asked Adam to have Ben do a presentation as a warm up to one of Adam’s speaking engagements. Ben also asked Adam to help him get published.  Adam ignored all of these overtures, requests, and opportunities to help Ben.  At one point Ben even directly asked Adam to mentor him a bit to which Adam began shifting the conversation to taking on Ben as a client for a fee.  Adam often expressed great faith and confidence in Ben’s ability to succeed and achieve in the field they both shared but, ultimately, he did nothing to help Ben along.

Eventually, Ben had some success, but with much less impact and extent than Adam’s achievements. Despite this modest achievement, Ben did his best to help others like himself find their footing in the field. He mentored others and even invited some to speak at his speaking engagements in the hopes that they too, would find a following.  When asked why he was so willing to reach out to and help others succeed, Ben simply stated that he had been given a gift to help others but that gift would be lessened or tainted if he also did not use that gift to help others to help others moving forward.

Do Not Be a Smiling Hypocrite

Given the above two men, I ask you to consider which, Adam or Ben, is truly an example of what Christ meant by the Good Samaritan.  Which of these two men is truly using his gifts to help others and to make a difference in the world. Which of these is all talk and hot air and which truly tries to live the kind of selfless, generous, and compassionate help that the parable of the Good Samaritan entails?

My friends, do not drone on about how much you love and care for others unless you are willing to help others selflessly and generously. Do not wail on endlessly about how much faith and trust you have in others’ road to success unless you can honestly say that you tried to contribute to that success within the means of your ability to do so.  In short, be a Good Samaritan, do not just sell yourself as one.

 

2019   Gabriel Garnica

 

Read all posts by Gabe Garnica Filed Under: Catechism, Catholic Spirituality, Discernment, Evangelization, Featured, loving the poor, Scripture, Technology, Values, Vocations Tagged With: Gabriel Garnica, Luke 10:25-37

Meet Two Teens who use Social Media to Evangelize

By Mary Lou Rosien

Freeimages.com/luisosorio

There are a few strong voices in the world of Teen Catholic Social Media. I recently had the privilege of interviewing two of them for an article on Catechist.com, Jimmy Reynolds, @litcatholicmemes on Instagram and Peter Burleigh of @Jesufex (Young Catholics) on Twitter. I wanted to share some of the insights they shared with me.

Why did you start your page?

I wanted to start this page because I wanted to try to be a part of something where I could reach a large number of people and show them the faith. I loved seeing memes on Instagram, and I felt like there weren’t that many new Catholic memes being made, just a few old ones that got passed around a lot. I had a few ideas, so I decided to start a page. Now a year later, the ideas haven’t really stopped.
Jimmy R.

I always wrote down anything I thought to be interesting—perhaps a bit too meticulously. One day I realized that other people would probably want to hear what I’m hearing. After a bit of prayer and discernment (because it would not be a small commitment if there were an audience—I would be responsible if I led people the wrong way) I set up the account late one night. Then, whenever I got a hint of truth about the world or some whisper in prayer I shared it. It was always something basic: asking prayers for a friend, noting that God shows His love through making the sun rise every day, and perhaps a few Bible quotes. Over the years my knowledge of the Church and spirituality increased (a bit faster than I would have liked) and so I found that I never ran out of material to share. I love listening to talks and podcasts and so the small things I can wring out I hope to make a difference in the lives of people who follow me. Over time it has become easier to say more with fewer characters, suggesting bigger ideas with the same limit. Not that I’m a rock star at tweeting, but I go for that; I think it makes a difference when people are forced to stop and think about what I’m saying rather than get a message they’ve already heard. The last thing I want is to tweet platitudes.
Peter B.

What is the Goal of your page in terms of evangelization and catechesis?

They [other teens] don’t consider investing any time in the Church, because that’s not the lifestyle they wanna live. S,o I am hoping that by running my page, I can show people that you can live a life devoted to Christ, and still enjoy life here on earth, as that will ultimately lead you to the fulfillment of life in Heaven.
Jimmy R.

Young people are thirsting for real connection and faith that demands they change their lives. They don’t want a voice online telling them to frequent confession [that] only makes a difference in the world of the Internet. People change their lives more often through what they hear in person rather than what they read online. And this is an unfortunate difficulty because the amount [number] of solid parishes out there are too few. Young people want something more, but they don’t know how to go about finding it; in person is what hits hardest, but online is much easier. I think once we have the understanding that one voice amongst a million others is not going to do it. I think things like YouTube channels and other subscription programs (where a person is more isolated and has to go out of their way to pay attention) are effective; I think well-written blogs are effective, as are songs. If you want to be heard, go to the tower and not the market place. For those who want, my favorite resources are…Ascension Presents (YouTube), @emwilss (Instagram), @FrMatthewLC (Twitter), and definitely “The Crunch” and “Pints With Aquinas” Catholic podcasts.
Peter B.

What else do you want others to know?

I never would have thought I could make this many [memes], and it is truly a testament of God working and inspiring me with so many ideas. As long as He inspires me, I will keep making more. All glory to God.
Jimmy R.

Stick close to the Sacraments. Frequent Mass as often as you can; carpe those graces. Get cleaned up in reconciliation at least once a month. Keep close with the friends who lift you up. Spend time with your family as much as they annoy you. Look at beautiful things. Most importantly, disconnect from the Internet as often as possible so you’re in every moment of your own life. Never take yourself so seriously that you can’t laugh at yourself. The glory of God is man fully alive.
Peter B.

(C)2017

Read all posts by Mary Lou Rosien Filed Under: Featured, General, High School, Interviews, Technology Tagged With: Catechesis, evangelization, Instagram, New Evangelization, Technology, teens, twitter

Catholic Words and Games, an App Review

By Deanna Bartalini

Let’s face it, technology is not going away and kids love to play games using technology. But every now and then it’s be nice instead of playing Angry Birds they maybe played a game that they could learn from. Enter: Catholic Words and Games.
I downloaded it onto my iPhone and played, many times. There are five different games on the app: flash cards, memory match, tap it, spell it and name match. In theory, you could learn all the words using the Flash Card section and then move onto the other games. But that’s not how I roll. I just started playing. I made mistakes (flashcardheaderon purpose people, c’mon now) and nothing bad happened. Sadly, I didn’t have anyone to play with but I think it’s great you can play the games with others.

Memory Match is my favorite and you can choose from six different sized boards, the more squares you choose the more challenging. The Name Match is fun as well. My least favorite is Spell it, mostly because I stink at spelling!
I would definitely have used this game with my children, instead, I’ll start having my faith formation students play with it while we wait for parents.
The app is available for both mobile and desktop devices, for windows and mac users, on iTunes or Google Play. For more information and a peek at graphics, go to the website, Catholic Words and Games.

© Deanna Bartalini, 2016

Read all posts by Deanna Bartalini Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Apps, elementary, game, review games

Golden Catechists

By Gabe Garnica

 

 

 

olympic-evangelization

 

 

The 2016 Rio Summer Olympics is currently the center of the world’s attention, and its many outstanding athletes are great examples of what dedication, hard work, and faith can accomplish. While these great performers have all demonstrated faith in themselves, four outstanding athletes at these Olympic Games have openly and proudly gone a step further by openly and publicly proclaiming their faith in Christ.

American divers David Boudia and Steele Johnson, who earned Silver medals,  have openly spoken of their Christian faith and belief that Christ is the center and purpose of all that they have accomplished. In fact, both men insist that they wish to be defined much more by their faith and dedication to serving Christ than for their athletic accomplishments.

Speaking of accomplishments, openly professing Catholics Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky are behind only swimming legend Michael Phelps as the stars of this event.

Biles entered the games in the conversation as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, and her domination so far has only strengthened the argument in her favor.  Biles earned four gold medals and one silver, matching the most gold medals ever won by an Olympic gymnast at a single Olympic Games.

Like Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky entered these games with great aspirations and pressure, being called the world’s greatest athlete by numerous experts and, like Biles, has dominated her events. Expected to earn numerous gold medals, Ledecky has more than met those expectations, winning four gold and one silver.

Both Biles and Ledecky have cemented themselves as record-breaking, historic athletes, but that is not their greatest accomplishment. These two incredible athletes are very vocal and openly practicing Catholics.  Biles has revealed that she always carries a rosary in her bag, and Ledecky has publicly stated that she prays a Hail Mary or two before each event.

Biles has revealed that she is devoted to  Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes, and that she  is a regular churchgoer, lighting a candle beneath the statue of her favorite saint before big events.  Ledecky says that her Catholic faith is very important to her and is part of her identity. She feels that her faith keeps her grounded and that faith and prayer help her manage and excel in her athletic life.  Ledecky is grateful to the sisters of the convent school where she studied, who she credits with forming the person that she has become.

A catechist is defined as one who teaches the principles of Christian faith by word and action, and  Catholic catechists are living examples of the mission of spreading Catholic teaching and doctrine by what they say and do. The above four outstanding athletes are proof positive that one can be a role model of the faith while soaring and spinning in the air as well as by soaring and spinning with enthusiasm for Christ. They are a shining example that serving Our Lord is a greater accomplishment than any medal can ever be.

2016  Gabriel Garnica

Read all posts by Gabe Garnica Filed Under: Catechetics, Culture, Evangelization, General, Technology Tagged With: David Boudia, Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, Steele Johnson

Getting Noticed, Looking Good

By Deanna Bartalini

No, this is not a post on fashion for Mass or dressing for faith formation classes.  I want to introduce you to a great way to make an impact in your marketing materials for the programs, classes, and events you promote.  In this day of almost constant visual and auditory input, the same old thing won’t be noticed.

About a year ago I discovered Canva.com.  Canva is an easy to use tool to create beautiful  designs and documents.  You sign up and have access to layouts and design elements for posters, Facebook posts, Twitter, blogs, postcards, and more.  There are both free and for fee elements you can use, all clearly labeled.  Since I have been using Canva I have never purchased anything I have used.

Let me show you some of the work I have created.

block party

This is a postcard we handed out after Mass to generate interest in our first event. It also went in the bulletin. FYI, we had a great turnout!

 

precepts of the church

This is an 11×14 poster I created for a bulletin board.

 

-Blessed be God who filled my soul with

I used a photo from Morguefile.com and then added the text.

These are just a few examples.  The possibilities are endless and the price is definitely right for ministry which often have to watch the bottom line.  The finished product can be downloaded as a standard or for print PDF or as a JPEG or PNG image.  Once you create your work, it is yours without copyright restrictions.

There are tutorials to learn how to use Canva, but I found it easy to use without instruction.  You can also see other people’s work in the Design Stream or follow friends by putting in their email address or pulling gmail contacts.  A blog gives you tips on everything from color to fonts.  And of course, you can follow them on Pinterest.

Canva has recently come out with a new product, Canva for Work, which has various pricing plans.  I plan to try it during the trial period and then decide if I’ll make the switch.

I cannot encourage you enough to try out this tool for yourself.  If you are posting “out there” on the internet for your parish, keep in mind that more and more, posts everywhere  benefit from a graphic to catch people’s attention.  By creating visually appealing graphics we let those we are trying to reach that not only do we have an awesome message, we know how to present it.

Go try it, play around and create something lovely.  Leave a link to where it is in the comment section; I’d love to see what you made!  I hope you enjoy Canva as much as I do.

Copyright 2015, Deanna Bartalini

FYI: I may sound like a paid advertisement, but it’s not.

Read all posts by Deanna Bartalini Filed Under: Featured, General, Technology Tagged With: catechetical toolbox, free resources, marketing, religious education, Technology, visual content

Should Catholic Kids Unplug?

By Mary Lou Rosien

"All rights reserved"

“All rights reserved”

I try to prepare myself for the tech requests of my kids: Ipods, Ipads, cell phones, laptops….and of course the newest video games and DVDs. In a world where you need to be tech savvy or at least technologically literate, I struggle with the limits to set on some of these devices and influences.

As I have struggled to raise seven kids and a foster son, I have come to some conclusions about the tech world. First, I can’t avoid it. We can limit television, computers and music, but they are everywhere and so is access to them. Second, all my children react differently to the limits placed on them and some will (horror of horrors) disobey me at times. There, I admitted it. I have raised six to adulthood, two more are close behind and I couldn’t do it perfectly. Yup….. I home schooled for years, took them to church, gave them (what I hoped was) a good example, but sometimes they disobeyed anyway.

Social media can also provide a positive tool for some children! One of my kids has a mild form of autism. Social sites helped her to connect in a non-threatening way with some of her peers. This gave her the confidence to interact more freely in person. Another daughter of mine uses her page to promote messages of chastity and a pro-life world view. We do not need to be out of the social media sites, just not negatively influenced by them.

So, with these things in mind, I have a few ideas to help parents and youth ministers tackle these difficult subjects.

1/ Don’t be too rigid. Experience has taught me that when I draw a line in the sand my children will be challenged to cross it. Rather than not having a television, we all watch things together. Instead of saying you can’t watch a particular movie, we may pre-screen it or watch it together and critique it at the end. This becomes a valuable tool for both the young adults and ourselves. They have an environment in which they are getting the benefit of our knowledge and wisdom and we know what they are drawn to watch. As our children have become adults we hope that they will make good choices and this way we can still have some influence over the things they choose.

2/ Help them to become media literate. Often times, information is presented through media purposefully confusing or even imitating truth. Most teens need help sorting this out. Teaching them how commercials are influencing them, or how movies will say, “This movie is based on actual events,” even when it is not, will help discern truth as they discover media. We can teach them critical thinking skills and give them information on websites that critique and rate movies and games for their offensive content.

3/ Join in. Many teens will use a friend’s computer to have a social networking website if they are not allowed one at home. (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc.) A better tactic might be to allow them to have one on your computer, but keep the computer in an open, family space and require that you have their password. Another idea is to have your own social media and become ‘friends’ with your kids and with their friends. You would be amazed at how much information your teen or other teens will reveal about themselves on a social networking site.

4/ Teach them safety rules. Teens often don’t realize the long-term ramifications of their actions. Consider hosting an in-service on internet safety. Discuss how predators use the internet, how info they post can follow them into job interviews and future relationships. A quick web search will reveal stories of how social media has negatively impacted someone’s life or safety.

Discuss how simple information can provide information that may violate their privacy and compromise safety. For example, a school sport’s picture with their Jersey number can be used to locate a teen. If you have any doubts about how easy it is to gain info, ask any teenage girl how she can locate a guy she has only seen once and even when she doesn’t know his name!

Encourage kids to leave off location services on their mobile devices when using wi-fi, especially in free hotspots. These services advertise where an individual can be found and when.

5/ Discuss being connected. Kids often disconnect their real life behavior from their internet behavior, song choices or movie choices. I know great Catholic kids who listen to violent music about killing and sex. They don’t think the lyrics affect their thinking process. Other teens will go to horribly offensive movies (either highly violent or sexual in nature), still others have fantasy lives on the internet.

Spending time talking about how these things can change thinking and even personalities, may help them discern what things to allow into their own lives.
*If you watch a sadistic, violent movie for two hours, can you really be the same person when you come out of the theater that you were going in?
*If a boy respects women, can he tolerate lyrics that objectify or reflect violence against women?
Opening this type of dialogue will help young people to create an informed conscience. God bless!
Copyright 2015

Read all posts by Mary Lou Rosien Filed Under: Culture, General, Special Needs, Technology Tagged With: Catholic, family, internet safety, media, social media, special needs, Technology, teens

2014 Catholic App Roundup

By John Clem

2014 offered a number of new and updated Catholic Apps:

1) CRS Ricebowl App:  this is a wonderful app for Lent – just updated for Lent 2015 (iOS & Droid)

  • Thoughtful daily reflections
  • Easy to use tool to set and measure your Lenten sacrifices
  • Delicious meatless recipes from around the world
  • Built-in feature to share your Lenten experience

Website:  https://www.crs.org/ricebowl-app/

CRSRiceBowl

 

2) Black Friars Media App:  Dominican prayers, music, and video from the Dominicans of St. Joseph Province (iOS, Droid, Windows)

Website:  https://www.opeast.org/2014/02/06/new-dominican-app-blackfriars-media/

blackfriars-media

3) Catholic Social Teaching App:  many documents on Catholic social teachings (iOS)

Website:  https://catholicsocialteaching.eppc.org/

The_Catholic_Social_Teaching_App_logo_iPhone_Credit_File_Photo_CNA_CNA_2_7_14

4) Peace Quest App:  contemplative prayer in a 3-D World (iOS)

Website: https://peacequest.com/

PeaceQuest

 

5) Lentsanity App:  assistance in the season of Advent by FOCUS Campus Ministry (iOS & Droid)

  • Prayers
  • Reflections
  • Meat Police:  Meatless reminders
  • Videos

Website:  https://www.focus.org/lentsanity/#meatpolice

Screen grab of Lentsanity app

6)  Church of the Nativity App:  Tour virtual 3-D areas of the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem (iOS)

Website:  https://jerusalem.com/tour/nativity_church_3D

icon220x220

7) The Mass Explained App:  learn many aspects of the Mass with this interactive and educational app (iOS – iPad only) updated 2014

Website:  https://www.calltoholiness.us/2014/09/29/the-mass-explained-app/

PostImage_MassExplained

8) St. Francis App:  app about St. Francis of Assisi with daily reflections prayers, history, and Franciscan Spirituality (iOS & Droid)

Website: https://peaceandallgood.org/2014/11/new-st-francis-app/

StFrancisApp

9) Franciscan Apps:  a number of apps exploring Franciscan Spirituality

Website:  https://peaceandallgood.org/2014/04/franciscan-apps/

Screen-Shot-2014-04-14-at-9.55.31-AM

 

More Catholic Apps and also previous Catholic App Roundups available at my blog Call To Holiness

Read all posts by John Clem Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Apps, Dominican, Franciscan, Lent, Mass

Learn how to use Web 2.0 tools

By Deanna Bartalini

 

About eighteen months ago I took an online class called Digital Discipleship Boot camp or DDBC.  I wrote about it at New Evangelizers.  Now I am a presenter and coach with the program and would like to encourage you to look into the course and participate in it.  Though I was fairly savvy about social media and how to use it before the course, I enjoyed the class as it exposed me to uses of technology and new forms of media I was not familiar with or in some cases even aware existed.Print

If we are to be a part of the New Evangelization we need to use the tools of the time.  Certainly most of us would agree technology is a tool of our time.  While I do not want to see technology take the place of person to person interaction, it certainly can assist us in reaching those we catechize.  In particular, using technology to reach children and youth, as they are the generation which has grown up with electronic media and technology in unprecedented ways, is most important.

Digital Discipleship Boot Camp is an online program using a combination of live interaction, mentoring, coaching and personal assignments for people at any and all comfort levels in regard to technology.  The topics addressed range from social media, websites and digital storytelling to the International Society for Technology in Education Standards and website copyright rules.

If you are a teacher, catechist, or a religious education director, or you work or volunteer in a parish in any capacity, this course is for you.  I am not exaggerating when I say that anyone who is involved in parish ministry and uses a computer can benefit from this program.  A new group is starting in February and you can find more information at Digital Discipleship, Lifelong Learners in the New Media Age.  You can also learn more about Sr. Caroline Cerveny, who runs the program and is so enthusiastic about being a digital disciple!

If you have any questions, please ask in the comment box or email me at faithformation(at)stedwardpb(dot)com.

Copyright © 2014, Deanna Bartalini

 

Read all posts by Deanna Bartalini Filed Under: Evangelization, Technology Tagged With: catechists, online education, Technology, training, webinar

The Mass Explained App

By John Clem

The Mass Explained App

The Mass Explained is a new app for that teaches the history, traditions, symbols, art, music, and spirit of the Mass.  This app is currently only available for Apple’s iPad & iPad mini, and truly takes advantage of all the multimedia power of the iPad to bring the Mass to new light and understanding for the reader.  This app may seem expensive at $24.99, but once you realize that it took years to develop with many resources that require royalty/copyright fees, this is quite a value that will be a worthwhile reference for years to come.  Dan Gonzalez is the man behind the scenes who has assembled one of the finest Catholic Apps yet on the market.  It is an amazing app that has the potential to get more people excited about “The Mass–the Source and Summit of our Catholic Faith”, offering over 300 multimedia pages:

  • 23 Chapters offering deeper knowledge and understanding of The Mass
  • Writings from The New American Bible
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • 3-D Objects can be rotated with your finger
  • Interactive Maps
  • 360 Panoramas of Holy Sites
  • Videos to enrich content
  • Audio of music and prayers
  • Artwork with scalable images

Educational Discount

I really think that the Mass Explained App offers a new chapter in catechesis.  Schools and groups interested in learning about the Mass in RCIA, study groups, and schools should look into this opportunity for discounted app to make this more affordable.  This App offers a great experience for the reader, learner, and teacher to learn many aspects of the Mass in Gospel and Liturgy.   The app is available through Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) allowing your school, class, institution, parish or group to receive a 50% discount when purchasing the app in quantities of 20 or more. When purchased through Apple’s VPP, Mass Explained can be distributed to your students or group members through redeemable codes or installed over the air automatically without user interaction. VPP purchases may be made using purchase orders, credit cards or PayPal. For more information on Apple’s VPP, visit www.apple.com/education/it/vpp/

NOTE:  The Mass Explained App is all self-contained and does not need internet connection for its content, so it can be used in any classroom.  It is a large app and needs 299MB of memory space.

This is a nice introductory video offering a sampling of its content.

Take a look at the links below for more information, and to see the many endorsements and praises this app is receiving.  The blog also offers printable kids crafts, and book & video resources.  There is one book not mentioned that is one of the best books about The Mass:  The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Dr. Scott Hahn.  This app reminds me of this book that first sparked my awakening to the history, beauty, truth, and goodness of The Mass.

LINKS

Mass Explained App website

The Mass Explained Blog

StPadrePio

 

John Clem, O.F.S.

John ClemAmazing Catechists welcomes guest blogger John Clem, O.F.S. who will be contributing reviews of technology that can aid in catechesis. John Clem, O.F.S is the Director and Media Minister at Catholic Web Services (https://catholicws.com/). John is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and loves to share his talents in faith, technology, and journalism in service to the church.  John also writes a blog entitled Call To Holiness  (https://www.calltoholiness.us/).

Read all posts by John Clem Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Apps, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Mass, religious education, resources, teaching

iPieta App – one of the best resources for Catholics

By John Clem

iPietaBtn

iPieta is one of the best resources for Catholics, and is practically like having the Vatican Library in your pocket.  iPieta only costs $.99, but offers writings that would cost hundreds of dollars if bought in a bookstore.  Kudos to iVerbum, the company who produces this app, and they constantly offer FREE updates.  The App is constantly updated with new content and recently added the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva and St. Bridgett of Sweden.  This App offers The Douay-Rheims Bible, a Novus Ordo (Catholic) Calendar through the year 2050, a large list of prayers, and many writings of the Saints and Popes.

The Veritas section of the App has a tremendous number of books from many Catholic theologians and saints.  A sampling of some of the writings include Saint Francis DeSales “Introduction to the Devout Life”, Saint Teresa of Jesus’ “Interior Castle”, Saint Thomas Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica”, Saint John of the Cross’ “Dark Night of the Soul”, and Saint Augustine’s “City of God”.

In the section of Papal writings, there are books and encyclicals from 18 Popes.  These include Pope Benedict XVI:  Spe Salvi (Christian Hope), Deus Caritas Est (Christian Love), and Caritas In Veritate (Charity In Truth), and Blessed Pope John Paul II has 17 encyclicals including Vertatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth) and Redemptoris Mater (about the Blessed Virginia Mary and the Life of the Pilgrim  Church).  The latest writings of Pope Francis are also included in this App.

iPieta is available for the iOS and Driod and it is available in Spanish and offers adjustable sizes for text. Optional free audio is available for many prayers and novenas. The huge library of Catholic writings that are held in this one app offer a lifetime of readings that will constantly challenge and lift your spirit.  This is also a wonderful resource for catechists and RCIA students & teachers.

Note:  All content can be obtained through the app and does not require internet connection, so it can be used in any classroom, or even on camping trips.

Update July 2014:  The latest version (8.0) allows audio to be stored within the app with many new audio supports and files.

More information available at www.ipieta.com

John Clem, O.F.S.

John ClemAmazing Catechists welcomes guest blogger John Clem, O.F.S. who will be contributing reviews of technology that can aid in catechesis. John Clem, O.F.S is the Director and Media Minister at Catholic Web Services (https://catholicws.com/). John is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and loves to share his talents in faith, technology, and journalism in service to the church.  John also writes a blog entitled Call To Holiness  (https://www.calltoholiness.us/).

 

Read all posts by John Clem Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Apps, Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayer, religious education, resources, teaching

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