9 Catholic Resources to Strengthen and Build Faith
There are times in our lives that our faith becomes a job that we attend one hour once a week, but it can be SO MUCH MORE than that! Lately I have been really trying to dive into prayer and learn more about my Catholic faith. Of course, it’s impossible to do on my own. So, I have found some Catholic resources that are a HUGE help to me and I want to share them with you!
It is also almost impossible to find the time with two kids. But, that seems to be our excuse for everything these days!
“I don’t have the time!”
Yes, attending bible studies and speakers takes more time. So, I use ten minutes here and there throughout my day with the resources I have. And really, it doesn’t take an hour long study session to learn something new. I have found that with faith, I do better when I am able to take in a piece at a time and then have some time to digest and apply it.
These resources are perfect with chunking up the information and they give me plenty of options to choose from depending on the mood I am in.
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Laudate
This app offers SO MANY resources in one spot. It is my go-to for about everything. First off, it’s free! It provides quick access to the daily readings and the saint of the day. These are great for a quick read in the evenings.
There’s also a bunch of rosary podcasts to pick from, an interactive rosary, the divine mercy chaplet, daily bible verse, stations of the cross, and all sorts of prayers. There are literally so many different resources I cannot describe them all. If you’re interested, just go download it. Again, it’s free.
Instagram @manyhailmarysatatime
While the Laudate app has a bunch of rosary podcasts to listen to, there is something special about praying with people. That’s where Instagram comes in. If you have the app, be sure to check out @manyhailmarysatatime. I originally heard about this account through my cousin, but then they were also featured in the Leaven, our Archdiocesan newspaper.
Every day they pray the rosary live at 6:45am central time. Over 400 accounts tune in at the same time to pray the rosary together with 2 people leading it live. Many people leave prayer intentions in the comments and it’s both amazing and comforting to experience the unity of the Catholic community praying for each other. If you miss the live rosary session, you can go back and watch it for 24 hours.
Pray As You Go App
Okay, this last app I use, Pray as You Go, is kind of like a podcast. Every day, the day’s readings are read aloud with a reflection to consider and music. It is only about 10 minutes a day and fits perfectly into the time I get ready in the mornings.
Bullet Journal
I do not keep a separate prayer journal, instead I started a bullet journal a couple of months ago. Everything that goes on in my life is all kind of mashed into it together, but one aspect of it that I love is the room to list out my prayers. I also reflect on what I have been reading or listening to. It is so much easier for me to arrange my thoughts on paper so I can remember them better and understand more. Some sections that I focus on when journaling are prayers for other people, gratitude, and thoughts on specific bible passages.
If you search Pinterest, there are hundreds of beautiful journal spreads for bullet and bible journaling, but yours doesn’t have to be perfect. The focus of journaling is to grow yourself, not make something to display. My journal is a notebook that was a freebie and I covered it in scrapbooking paper. I write with pens I have collected and I finally invested in some new pens and stencils from Amazon. I enjoy them, but I am by no means an artist. It is just fun to spend time with my own thoughts and some paper.
Youtube
Believe it or not, there are plenty of Catholic videos on YouTube that you can take in information to your heart’s content! Fr. Mike Schmitz is one that I enjoy watching that would be for all Catholics. The last video I watched of his was called Pray the Mass Like Never Before and he talked all about the sacrifice of the Mass. It was very eye opening and Mass ever after has had deeper meaning.
Then there are channels like A Catholic Mom’s Life. Heather has videos for every Catholic mom and I am sure you can find something on her channel to watch. Sometimes as moms we just have to see how someone else is managing this life with faith!
Books to Read
I can’t say I have read a lot of Catholic books, but there are a few that I have picked up over the years that I have found inspirational and helpful to my faith journey. Here are my four favorites:
Youcat – Short for youth catechism, this book isn’t really a sit and read from cover to cover. It is actually a series of questions pertaining to What We Believe, How We Celebrate the Christian Mysteries, How we are to Live in Christ, and How We Should Pray. The answers are written for youth today, but they are easy to understand and get to the point. If I want to know more, each question references the actual Catechism of the Catholic Church by number.
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, by Immaculee Ilibagiza – I read this book years ago and I still remember it being such a testament to faith in the midst of mass genocide and fear. Sometimes in life we just need an example of the strong faith of others, and this one definitely does that. We see how prayer came through for Immaculee and the others she was with. Even with all their struggles, she was able to live out God’s plan while hiding in a bathroom.
Joy to the World: How Christ’s Coming Changed Everything by Scott Hahn – This book was given to us around Christmas time a few years ago from our parish and it is a wonderful addition to anyone’s Advent journey. Hahn writes in a way that is easy to understand and he really helps the people of today connect with the historical importance of Jesus’ birth. Even though I felt like I knew the story of Christmas, this book taught me something new in every chapter. It is an easy and quick read.
Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly – This is one more book that was given to us by our parish and I wish I didn’t put off reading it as long as I did. God created us to be happy. Our whole life we are searching for happiness, but often we don’t go about the right way of finding it. This book falls more under the self-help category, but it routes it through our faith in Christ. Even now after reading it a long time ago, I still catch myself when I am “resisting” the happiness in my life.
Christian Music
I think I am actually on point 10 now, and I hope music is a given, so we won’t count this one. 🙂 After all, singing is like praying twice. I mostly use Amazon Music for free through my Amazon Prime account. They have some great Christian stations and albums to pick from. K-Love is a very popular Christian station that also offers online listening as well as a free app. Music is such a mood booster and fixer that tuning in can really turn my day around!
Suggestions
And now, it’s your turn! What resources do you use that have helped you connect with your faith?? Share them with me in the comments box below! I do not use all of these resources at one time and I am always switching it up depending on the mood I am in. Maybe you have one that will fit one of my future moods!
