I will continue to update this list as I find more resources. Here are a few of my favorite things:
The Bible in a Year podcast: This is life-changing. Fr. Mike Schmitz takes us through every single word of the Bible in 365 days – and it can be any 365 days that you choose. You don’t have to start on January 1 and end on December 31. You don’t even have to listen every day. Do it in your own time. I listen in the podcast app on my iPhone, but I also have it available in the Hallow app (which I will talk more about shortly). Click here to get to the Ascension Press website for more information.
Start watching The Chosen! It is not a strictly Catholic resource, but there is a Catholic priest who is consulted throughout the process. The Chosen is a multi-season series on the life of Jesus. Remember, it is a piece of art, like any painting or stained glass window depicting biblical events. It is like a live-action version of Ignatian lectio-divina, where you imagine yourself in a story from scripture and imagine what it would be like and what else might be happening. Also, the actor who plays Jesus, Jonathan Roumie, is a devout Catholic with a strong devotion to the Divine Mercy message. Click here to learn more about it, including how to find it and watch it.
Hallow is a Catholic prayer and meditation app. Not only is it a possible source for the Bible in a Year, it also has lots of audio content. Pray with the reading from the daily Gospel each morning in just 5, 10, or 15 minutes; fall asleep with sleep Bible stories from Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jonathan Roumie, or Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours; meditate with the daily Rosary on your way to work, with your morning coffee, or as you go about your day; hear weekly homilies from Fr. Mike Schmitz and Bishop Robert Baron. I use it several times a day. It’s so convenient. A lot of features are free, but you can pay a little bit for the full app. Click here for more information.
Here is a list of amazing YouTube videos:
- The Hour that will Change Your Life (Fr. Mike Schmitz) …it really will!
- Someone asked about a Catholic response to some of the sexual identity trends in our modern culture. This video features Matt Fradd (who also has a great podcast) interviewing Fr. Mike Schmitz. It is a longer interview, but if you want to get just to the sexual identity discussion, fast forward to about time, 2:02:17
There are several other podcasts that I enjoy. These are all released once a week. One of the best is Abiding Together. Sr. Miriam James Heidland, Heather Khym, and Michelle Benzinger discuss the faith and share their journeys to deeper faith. It’s a highlight of every Monday for me. Click here to see their website and learn more about the podcast, including how to find it.
Another great podcast is They That Hope, with Fr. Dave Pivonka and Dr. Bob Rice of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Their approach is to “see humor and hope in a crazy world.” They have a great message each week, but they also manage to make me chuckle on a regular basis. Click here to get to their website.