Fr. Hans&#039; Pair o&#039; Dimes

October 10, 2020

Fr. Dave is back this weekend, which means I will be relegated to page 682 of the bulletin after this. It’s been fun while it lasted!

A question came up recently about what are some really useful and helpful Catholic apps. This seems especially important when we have so much less access to things in general. We have no missals in the pews, we’re not able to come to Church every weekend, we are seeing a greater emphasis and need for knowing how to pray well at home, and to grow in our faith in other ways. And our world runs on apps. What are some of the best?

The app I use the most is called iBreviary. It is specifically meant for praying the Liturgy of the Hours, and if enough of you ask me, “What is the Liturgy of the Hours?”, a future bulletin column may ensue. iBreviary also includes all of the readings and prayers for mass each day, as well as the texts of most of the Catholic Ritual Books, including blessings, baptisms, funerals, and weddings. I haven’t used my phone for most of these, but the one I have used is Anointing of the Sick, when someone asks for it on very short notice.

Universalis is similar to iBreviary, including the Liturgy of the Hours and the Daily Mass readings. Universalis also offers a lot more material for personal reflection, including daily spiritual readings and lives of the Saints, Lectio Divina, the Angelus, and the Rosary. It will also remind you when it’s time to pray!

Another fantastic app for both study and prayer is Laudate. Laudate has just about everything you could possibly want to support your faith life: the Liturgy of the Hours, a daily prayer and bible verse, the complete Order of Mass, how to pray the Rosary, various chaplets, the Stations of the Cross, a variety of other prayers (some in Latin), multiple translations of the bible, the Catechism, and links to other Catholic media.

A quick search online gave me even more apps:

FORMED includes a ton of audio and video for adults and children, and is a great way to change your media consumption to be more upbuilding.
Magnificat is an electronic version of the physical monthly subscription booklet, and they’ve been offering a discount to subscribe due to COVID-19.
Relevant Radio is the go-to app for Catholic radio.
The Catholic Calendar app gives you the liturgical calendar, information and meditation on the saints and feast days, the daily Order of Mass, and more.

There are many, many, MANY more Catholic apps out there, so I encourage you to do some searches of your own. Find what will help you to both learn and pray in whatever circumstances you are. I use iBreviary most because it includes what I want and need in my prayer life, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everybody. Find an app which will help you personally to grow closer to Jesus, and use it!

Blessings to Lionel Griffin and Wilfred Mendez, who were baptized this weekend!