:: catholicstreet.com 

I got a new i-phone a little while ago after my last cell phone broke.  Though I have been a PC guy, I must admit that I really like my i-phone.  I specifically like it for the great Catholic apps that people have created, so here they are:

1. i-BreviaryPro - created by a priest in Italy, has the Liturgy of the Hours (aka Breviary), prayers, and now the missal so priests can pray the Mass if they are travelling without carrying a bunch of books.  And its free!
2. Divine Office - another app that contains the Liturgy of the Hours.
3. iMissal - Daily Mass readings, Bible verses, and prayers.
4. Magnificat - great app from a great subscription.  It has the daily readings, Mass prayers, and readings from the saints.
5. Mass Times - directory of Catholic churches wherever you are.
6. H2onews - Catholic video news
7. RC Calendar - Catholic calendar with Mass readings and info on the saint of the day.
8. CatholicTV - America's Catholic Television Network

Here is a quote from "Evangelii Nuntiandi" by Pope Paul VI on Evangelization that I think is inspiring for Pentecost:

#21 - "Above all the Gospel must be proclaimed by witness. Take a Christian or a handful of Christians who, in the midst of their own community, show their capacity for understanding and acceptance, their sharing of life and destiny with other people, their solidarity with the efforts of all for whatever is noble and good. Let us suppose that, in addition, they radiate in an altogether simple and unaffected way their faith in values that go beyond current values, and their hope in something that is not seen and that one would not dare to imagine. Through this wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one. Here we have an initial act of evangelization."

22.  "Nevertheless this always remains insufficient, because even the finest witness will prove ineffective in the long run if it is not explained, justified - what Peter called always having "your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have" - and made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus. The Good News proclaimed by the witness of life sooner or later has to be proclaimed by the word of life. There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed. The history of the Church, from the discourse of Peter on the morning of Pentecost onwards, has been intermingled and identified with the history of this proclamation. At every new phase of human history, the Church, constantly gripped by the desire to evangelize, has but one preoccupation: whom to send to proclaim the mystery of Jesus? In what way is this mystery to be proclaimed? How can one ensure that it will resound and reach all those who should hear it? This proclamation - kerygma, preaching or catechesis - occupies such an important place in evangelization that it has often become synonymous with it; and yet it is only one aspect of evangelization.

23. In fact the proclamation only reaches full development when it is listened to, accepted and assimilated, and when it arouses a genuine adherence in the one who has thus received it. An adherence to the truths which the Lord in His mercy has revealed; still more, an adherence to a program of life - a life henceforth transformed - which He proposes. In a word, adherence to the kingdom, that is to say, to the "new world," to the new state of things, to the new manner of being, of living, of living in community, which the Gospel inaugurates. Such an adherence, which cannot remain abstract and unincarnated, reveals itself concretely by a visible entry into a community of believers. Thus those whose life has been transformed enter a community which is itself a sign of transformation, a sign of newness of life: it is the Church, the visible sacrament of salvation.

The best skit I have ever seen...very powerful

Another well done skit...

There was a news article today on a new video on the priesthood called, "Alter Christus."  It was made by HM Television, together with the Holy See's Congregation for the Clergy, and discusses the life of St. John Vianney and the many aspects of the priesthood.  It's 30 minutes and you can watch the whole thing online. 

http://www.eukmamie.org/en/alter

Here are two more of my favorite songs...
"Everything Falls" by Fee
"Heartbeat" by Remedy Drive

After Elijah was discouraged because the queen was trying to have him killed, he fled and hid in a cave.  He wanted God to end his life, but the Lord had different plans.  He call him out of the cave to encounter the Lord who "is passing by" and hear His voice.  When we are discouraged we need two things: 1) to have a real encounter with God and 2) to hear His voice.  Whether we are discouraged because of our own failures, the failures of others, or things just not working out the way we wanted the answer is the same....to encounter the Lord and hear His voice.  For Catholics, this offer is given at every Mass with the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Returned yesterday from a 5 day retreat with the Intercessors of the Lamb, a good, faithful religious community of religious men & women.  May Christ bless them for their ministry!

One of the many things I will take with me is their distinction between petition and intercession.  In petition, we ask for things for ourselves and others.  In intercession, we ask God what graces He wants to give that person and then we ask Him on behalf of that person.  I regularly heard them say, "Lord teach me how to pray for..."

Today is Ash Wednesday and begins the holy season of Lent.  In the Mass there is a line that says, "the joyful season of Lent."  Really?  Why is 40 day of repentance and giving up stuff supposed to be joyful?  Because of what Jesus said, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." 

We turn away from sin and seek to be faithful to the Gospel because we believe that the truth sets us free and that conversion allows us to more and more filled with God's life and love, the source of true joy.

Here are some of my favorite Christian songs:
"I'm Not Alright" by SanctusReal
"Hold My Heart" by Tenth Avenue North
"Satisfy" by Tenth Avenue North
"Times" by Tenth Avenue North
"Forgiven" by Sanctus Real
"Your Love Never Fails" by Chris Quilala
"How He Loves" by David Crowder Band
"By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North
"Beloved" by Tenth Avenue North
"You Are" by Tenth Avenue North
"All Along" by Remedy Drive
"Alive Again" by Matt Maher
"Even Now" by Foolish Things

Here are some videos that I think are inspirational and foster a love for Christ and His Catholic Church.

Catholics Come Home Video (click on Epic Commercial)

World Youth Day Sydney - This Is Home

Steubenville Youth Conference (Click on Promotional Video)

The Butterfly Circus (20 minute movie on hope)

The Rift (20 minute video on hope)

"One Touch" by Nicole C. Mullen (music video - make sure you click on the H to make it high resolution) 

I heard from a holy soul today...paraphrased:
Speaking about how people get hung up on wanting to know why bad things happen she said, "knowledge is a form of control.  You think it will give you power over it.  You have to accept your powerlessness.  Pain is one of the few things that gets our attention."

Asking why bad things happened doesn't give you power over it and doesn't change the suffering at all.  A better question is, "What now Lord? What is your response to this?"  God loves us and always has a response to our situations and sufferings.