As summer gears up, and my focus shifts, I find that I’m often looking for slightly different modes of prayer or spiritual enrichment. More time for relaxation also means more time for reading a good book… most especially when that book is something that I can combine with prayer. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good movie or podcast as well. As such, I am often browsing for “new” content of some sort or the other. New to me, at least! Maybe you are like me? Here, I’ll share a few places where you can browse through a large variety of options for viewing, listening and reading for pleasure and fulfillment.
First of all, the Office of Family Ministry of the AOD has created a database of articles, videos, podcasts, books and more for parents of tweens and teens. It is called Compass. It can be found at: compassforparents.org. Topics include bullying, internet safety, pornography, prayer, substance use, vocations and many more. Every resource has been reviewed, and while some may not be explicitly Catholic, none conflict with our Catholic faith. This regularly updated catalog can be used by typing in the search bar or using the clickable tags along the side of the page. It is great to have a resource like this one at our fingertips.
Another source is the website, formed.org. This platform for streaming videos, and other types of media is easy to access. You register by going to formed.org/signup, selecting our zip code (48315), selecting St. Therese, and then entering your name and email address. St. Therese Parish provides you with a FREE subscription to FORMED, a wonderful website that has been called a “Catholic Netflix.” FORMED has inspiring movies and video based programs, audio presentations and e-books from the Church’s most compelling speakers and authors. With your free access to FORMED, 24/7 on your television, phone, laptop, iPad or Kindle, you can: prepare for Mass each week by watching an insightful five-minute video entitled Open the Word, on the Sunday Readings; enjoy movies as a family that are both inspiring and entertaining; enrich your marriage with the award winning video program “Beloved”; and
help your children grow in faith and character with engaging children’s materials.
Finally, I know that it is common sense, and hardly worth noting, but keying in the key words of “Catholic reading list;” “Catholic movie list;” or even “recent Catholic movies;” into the search engine of your computer should yield a wide variety of options. As a matter of fact, one of my first searches, using Google, gave me a list of the “top 100 Pro-Catholic movies” from National Catholic Register, and the knowledge that there is actually a website called, “Good Books for Catholic Kids.” Who knew?
Again, taking the time to browse these types of lists might be just the inspiration you need to gain a new perspective on the life of a saint, a particular social justice issue, or simply something uplifting when you might be feeling down. It might, also, give you the perfect book to carry with you to the beach, or on the airplane. I encourage you to check out any of these sources. Enjoy!