The new official app for the Pope’s January visit to the Philippines will help people follow the Pope’s activities and find the latest news, while letting them offer their prayers on a special prayer wall. Read more.
Showing posts with label Catholic apps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholic apps. Show all posts
Using Electronic Devices in the Liturgy
Recently, the bishops in New Zealand issued a letter stating that iPads and other electronic tablets are not to be used to replace the Roman Missal in the celebration of the Mass. Over the last couple days, it’s received some attention from blogs like Thomas McDonald’s God and the Machine and Deacon Greg Kandra’s The Deacon’s Bench.
Now, it’s very clear for those who know me or have read my blog for some time that I’m a computer geek. I make no attempt to hide this fact. I have an iPad and an Android smartphone, as well as several computers (including a classic Commodore 64). I follow trends in the tech world, and try to figure out how to use them to the Church’s advantage.
With my geek cred established, it might come as a surprise that I agree with the New Zealand bishops. Electronic devices, like iPads and smartphones have their place within the Church, and should receive wide use by people at all levels for the work of the Church, but the celebration of the Mass is one place where we should be reticent about bringing these forms of technology into play.
The written word is an important aspect of our worship, so much so that the books used for the celebration of the Mass should be high-quality, durable, and beautiful. There should be a permanence to the books used at the altar and ambo, because the words we speak at Mass are truly the Word of God. Words have power, and the Word of God spoken during the Mass have the power to make Christ present in the proclamation of the Scriptures and in His Real Presence through the Words of Institution.
The Word of God is permanent, existing for all eternity, and became incarnate through Our Lord taking on human flesh through the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, it is fitting that the texts used for the celebration of the Mass be permanent and tangible through the use of books dedicated for the celebration of the Mass, and not transitory and intangible data on an iPad screen. So, for the purposes of celebrating Mass, I agree that electronic devices should not replace the Roman Missal.
I do believe there are places for electronic devices outside of the actual celebration of the liturgy. For at least 2 years now, I have used an iPad to display my homiletic notes while I preach the weekend homilies. I’ve found this to be a good use for the iPad, especially since it is a lot less wasteful than printing up the notes on paper – I’d estimate that I’ve saved well over 100 pieces of paper in that time. It also allows me to occasionally record the homily for later publication over the blog (as I did last weekend).
I also agree with Thomas McDonald that e-ink devices could easily replace the throw-away missals that nearly every parish uses. (Catholic publishers, like Our Sunday Visitor,Word Among Us or Magnificat, are you listening?) Instead, the parish buys a dedicated “plug server” and the required number of dedicated e-ink readers (think non-Fire Kindles). The server is connected to the Internet, and communicates with the readers over a dedicated wi-fi link.
When a parishioner picks up the e-ink reader, it connects to the server and grabs the entire text of the Mass. I especially like Thomas’ idea of having the hymns right in line. No more page flipping or announcing, “Please join in hymn #XXX.” Think of a custom-made worship aid at every Mass without the hassle. Just tell the server what hymns to add for the day, and it does the rest, including downloading the daily readings directly from the publisher. It would also eliminate the confusion that comes with the necessary separation of the ordinary and propers of the Mass in current missals.
So, Catholic publishers who might be willing to take this on, I’ll take 150 e-ink readers and a couple of the servers, but I’ll keep the Roman Missal and Lectionaries in the sanctuary.
Lenten Scripture Challenge by EWTN
EWTN is launching a brand new app to help you prepare for Lent –
and it’s available now! If you download our free app and take our “Daily Lenten
Scripture Reading Challenge,” at the end of Lent, you will able to say that you
read all four Gospels! It’s easier than you think!
You can download EWTN’s free app at www.ewtnapps.com/challenge
or get it directly from iTunes, Google Play or Amazon apps for Kindle
Fire. If you already have the EWTN app, the Scripture Challenge is included with
the update.
To access the Challenge, simply open the app and click on the Bible
icon, which will take you to your free RSV-CE Bible. From inside the Bible,
click or tap on the menu (the three white bars on the top left hand corner of
the screen), and from the resulting drop down menu, choose “Playlists” and then
“The Four Gospels During Lent” to begin your Challenge.
In addition to the daily reading challenge, we’ve included a free
audio version of the Gospel of Mark, which is read by world-renowned actors and
contains realistic sound effects! (To find it, go to the menu, as above, click
on “contents,” then “New Testament,” and then “Mark”, where you will be able to
click on “download.") If you choose, you can purchase audio for the entire Bible
for $19.99. This will not only enhance your experience, but help support your
favorite Network!
Note: If this is your first time inside the EWTN app, don’t miss
all the other great features. With this one app, you will be able to watch
what’s on EWTN anywhere in the world, view all our program schedules,
enjoy video or audio on demand, and stay up-to-date with EWTN
News.
Insider secret! By the way, look for another new app featuring
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, coming soon! EWTN traveled to the New York office of
Cardinal Dolan to tape a series of one-minute reflections, which will air on the
Network every day during Lent. You do not want to miss these fabulous bits of
inspiration and encouragement – and, with our soon-to-be-released app – “EWTN
Daily Lenten Reflections with Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan” – you will be able to
get them directly on your iOS or Android device! You’ll even get a reminder to
watch them! Keep checking EWTN’s home page, www.ewtn.com, for the
announcement!
These are just two more (free!) ways EWTN is planning to help make
2014 your best Lent ever! Please spread the word!
EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 33rd year, is
available in over 230 million television households in more
than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite
television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave
radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com, electronic and print news
services, and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the
world.
Catholic Diocese App in 5 Minutes: Tell Your Pastor
Jeff Geerling describes the easy five-minute process of downloading, configuring, and building the Catholic Diocese App for iOS for your diocese or organization. In just five minutes, you can have a fully-native, easy to use app that shows your organization's locations, news, and prayers.
Visit the Catholic Diocese App website for more information, and help us make the project even better by contributing code, documentation, and information on GitHub!
Visit the Catholic Diocese App website for more information, and help us make the project even better by contributing code, documentation, and information on GitHub!
The Word Among Us App Review Plus Kindle New Releases
The Word Among Us began as a magazine in 1981 as a way for Catholics to contemplate the daily readings, even if they didn’t have access to daily Mass. Today, the magazine features not only the daily readings for Mass with meditations on them, but also articles on faith that are meant to assist us in living out the Gospel daily.
The app for The Word Among Us (available in the Newsstand app on your iPhone or iPad) is a simple way to access the magazine’s content for a mere $1.99/month. Read more at Catholic Mom.
This treasury of prayers is now available on Kindle (and readable on iPad or on your computer). You do not need a Kindle to enjoy this book. The prayers within this treasury will help you go to the Lord with courage and pray to receive God's grace.
Sometimes,
the Pope said of prayers and devotions, one goes to the Lord "to ask
something for someone;" one asks for a favor and then goes away. "But
that," he warned, "is not prayer," because if "you want the Lord to
bestow a grace, you have to go with courage and do what Abraham did,
with that sort of tenacity."
This comprehensive treasury of Catholic prayer includes everyday prayers, devotionals, how to pray the rosary, litanies, the Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic prayers, prayers to prepare for confession, prayers to the saints, Marian prayers, family prayers, and more.
The app for The Word Among Us (available in the Newsstand app on your iPhone or iPad) is a simple way to access the magazine’s content for a mere $1.99/month. Read more at Catholic Mom.
This treasury of prayers is now available on Kindle (and readable on iPad or on your computer). You do not need a Kindle to enjoy this book. The prayers within this treasury will help you go to the Lord with courage and pray to receive God's grace.
This comprehensive treasury of Catholic prayer includes everyday prayers, devotionals, how to pray the rosary, litanies, the Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic prayers, prayers to prepare for confession, prayers to the saints, Marian prayers, family prayers, and more.
Six Great Catholic Apps: iBreviary Pro, Confession, Catholic Calendar
The article suggests 6 great apps that deepen people's knowledge about God and practice their faith, including Catholic Calendar, iBreviary Pro, and Universalis. Read the full article.
Find Google Play's top Catholic app for Android here. Laudate: The #1 Fr Catholic App.
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| Top Catholic Apps on Google Play for Android. |
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