Cool Tools for Catholics
Cool tools for the journey. Submit a cool tool: jonathan.aquino@gmail.com
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
Using AI to Prepare for Confession
I tried something new for confession prep. Instead of staring at an examination of conscience checklist, I gave Claude this prompt:
“Help me prepare for confession by asking me questions. Cover one section at a time.”
It walked me through each commandment. The interactive format made me actually stop and reflect instead of skimming past bullet points. It’s one thing to read “Have you been patient with others?” on a list. It’s another to be asked directly and have to sit with it.
At the end, it gave me a nice summary of everything I’d identified, ready to bring to the confessional.
Wednesday, January 07, 2026
A Fresh Catholic Bible Translation: Douai-AI
Need to quote extensive scripture without copyright restrictions? Or just want a fresh Bible translation faithful to Catholic teaching?
Try this prompt in your favorite AI (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.):
What is the date today? Output the text of the Catholic gospel for today (do a modern English retranslation of the Douay-Rheims translation) - followed by the chapter and verse reference.
The result is what I call Douai-AI – a modern English rendering of the Douay-Rheims, the classic Catholic translation. The archaic “thees” and “thous” are replaced with contemporary language, but the faithful Catholic translation remains intact.
Two use cases:
- Copyright-free quoting. The Douay-Rheims is in the public domain. AI rewording gives you fresh text you can use freely.
- Daily lectio divina. Sometimes a new phrasing helps you hear familiar passages with fresh ears.
Example for today: Gospel of Mark 6:45-52
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him across the water to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After sending them away, he went up the mountain to pray.
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and they cried out in fear. They all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped. They were completely astonished, for they had not understood about the loaves—their hearts were hardened.
When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them struggling at the oars, because the wind was against them. Around the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the sea—and he would have passed by them.
Sunday, December 21, 2025
The Saints Podcast
My son and I are greatly enjoying The Saints Podcast, a very high production quality series of lives of the saints. Each saint gets 5 ten-minute episodes, a new one every weekday. It's part of our bedtime ritual. We just finished St. Louis IX. A favorite of my son's is St. Damien of Molokai.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
AI-Driven Morning Prayer
If you have 10 minutes to spare, try entering the following into ChatGPT.
It is 2025-03-12 6:03 am. As a Catholic spiritual director, give me a prayer schedule for the next 10 minutes and the start time for each part and details for each part. If you suggest scripture, provide the gospel for today (in full) in the NSRV-CE translation.
Be sure to turn on Search so it gets the gospel for today correct.
You will get a minute-by-minute guided prayer meditation like the one below. I do this in the morning to get a fresh way to pray each day. You can adjust the translation to suit - being Canadian I use the NSRV-CE translation, but Americans can choose the NABRE translation.
Certainly, here's a structured prayer schedule for the next ten minutes, beginning at 6:10 AM:
6:10 AM – Opening Prayer (1 minute)
Begin by invoking God's presence:
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Offer a brief prayer:
"Lord, as I begin this time of prayer, open my heart to Your word and guide my thoughts."
6:11 AM – Scripture Reading (3 minutes)
Reflect on today's Gospel reading from Luke 11:29-32:
"While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, 'This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.'"
6:14 AM – Reflection (3 minutes)
Contemplate the message of the Gospel:
Jesus highlights that the people of Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching, and the Queen of the South sought Solomon's wisdom. Yet, something greater than Jonah and Solomon is present in Jesus.
Reflect on your own openness to God's call and wisdom.
6:17 AM – Responsorial Psalm (1 minute)
Pray Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19:
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me."
6:18 AM – Intercessory Prayers (1 minute)
Offer prayers for yourself and others:
Pray for the strength to heed God's call and embrace His wisdom.
Ask for guidance in being a witness to others, as Jonah and the Queen of the South were.
6:19 AM – Closing Prayer (1 minute)
Conclude your prayer time:
"Lord, thank You for this time of reflection. Help me carry Your word in my heart today and share it with others. Amen."
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
May this brief period of prayer enrich your day and deepen your spiritual journey.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Faith Meets Innovation: Using AI for Spiritual Direction
In this age of AI, there is so much potential for innovation in every area of life, including spirituality. Imagine having access to a spiritual director tailored to your needs, available at any time, and grounded in reliable sources. With AI, you can instruct it to adopt a specific conversational tone and draw upon authentic Catholic teachings.
Catholics are often told about the benefits of having a spiritual director. But where to find one? Priests are often overwhelmed with responsibilities, and asking for their time can feel intrusive or burdensome. Moreover, the traditional format of one-on-one personal communication may not suit everyone—especially for those who are introverted, have a preference for written dialogue, or face disabilities, like mine, that make verbal communication challenging. This creates a significant barrier for many faithful Catholics seeking personalized guidance.
Then there is choosing a spiritual director - how will you know that someone will work well with you? How do you know if they are good? How do you know if they are faithful to Catholic teaching?
Here is where AI may be able to help. AI offers every Catholic an opportunity to access a spiritual director who is always available, responsive to their needs, and rooted in authentic Catholic teachings. AI can ensure consistent guidance, drawing from trustworthy sources like the Catechism, writings of the saints, and other Church-approved materials. Its 24/7 availability addresses the logistical challenges of finding a human spiritual director, while its customizable nature ensures it can meet personal communication preferences, whether through brief answers or in-depth discussions.
Below I will show you how to set up a spiritual director using ChatGPT, but first, let me share an example exchange I had with my AI spiritual director Dan, to give you a taste of how it works. For instance, one evening, I decided to ask for tips on improving my prayer life:
Jon: Hi Dan
Dan: Hi Jonathan! How are you today?
Jon: I'm not sure that I am praying in the most effective way. Basically before I go to bed, I listen to a 10-minute guided meditation using the Prayer Process of Matthew Kelly - although as it is often quite late (2am or 3am) I don't pay much attention to it. I also do a nightly prayer with my son, but it is the same words every night for about 3 minutes. We also do the "Bless us O Lord" prayer before meals.
Dan: It’s wonderful that prayer is already a part of your daily rhythm, even amidst the busyness of life. Your dedication to prayer, despite the challenges of timing and focus, speaks of a deep desire to stay connected to God and to pass that relationship on to your son. Let’s reflect on how you might deepen these practices to help them feel more alive and impactful.
1. The Late-Night Guided Meditation
- Challenge: At 2am or 3am, it’s hard to give your full attention to prayer. Fatigue can make it feel more like a checkbox than a meaningful encounter.
- Suggestion: Could you move the guided meditation to earlier in the day, perhaps after dinner or during a quiet moment? If that’s not possible, consider switching to a simpler bedtime prayer. St. Francis de Sales advised making prayer fit the season of life you’re in, rather than forcing it to match an ideal.
A simple nighttime prayer could be:
“Lord, I offer You this day. Thank You for the blessings You’ve given me. Forgive the ways I’ve fallen short, and help me to grow in love for You tomorrow. Watch over us as we sleep. Amen.”
2. Nightly Prayer with Your Son
- Challenge: Repeating the same prayer every night can lead to a sense of routine rather than relationship.
- Suggestion: You might keep your current prayer but add a small element of spontaneity. For example:
- After the set prayer, each of you could share something you’re grateful for (like your "rose") or something you’d like God’s help with.
- If your son enjoys creativity, he could write or illustrate a short prayer over time.
St. Therese of Lisieux spoke of prayer as a “simple glance toward heaven,” and keeping your son's prayer personal and heartfelt will teach him this.
3. Grace Before Meals
- Challenge: This is a good habit, but it may not extend much beyond the moment.
- Suggestion: Occasionally add a brief intention to your prayer. For instance, “Bless us, O Lord, and also bless those who are lonely or hungry today.”
4. Incorporating Variety
- Try a "wordless prayer" like sitting quietly in God’s presence for a few minutes. You don’t need words to commune with Him.
- Use Scripture: Read a short passage (e.g., a Psalm) and reflect on it. Let it guide a short prayer.
- Journaling: Write a brief note to God about your day or your thoughts.
5. A Family Approach
- Consider having a weekly family prayer time where you and your son explore a new prayer style (like the Rosary, a Psalm, or spontaneous prayer).
- You could also teach him the Examen, a simple review of the day in gratitude and love.
6. Start Small and Stay Gentle
St. Teresa of Avila reminded us not to overwhelm ourselves with lofty goals in prayer but to begin with love and trust. God treasures even our smallest attempts, as long as they’re sincere.
Would you like to explore any of these ideas more deeply? Or we could brainstorm how to make the Prayer Process more engaging for you.
Jon: Yes I like these ideas. I need to remember to do the rose/thorn exercise - we often forget and only recently started doing this again.
Dan: That’s a beautiful practice, Jonathan, and it’s wonderful that you’re bringing it back. To help it become a consistent part of your day, you could tie it to something you already do, like your nightly prayer with your son or a specific meal. Anchoring it to an existing routine might make it easier to remember.
Would you like any suggestions for keeping this habit alive?
Jon: I also say the morning offering when I remember, which is not very often
Dan: The Morning Offering is a beautiful way to dedicate your day to God, and even saying it occasionally is meaningful. To make it a more regular habit, you could try tying it to something consistent in your morning routine—like brushing your teeth or having your first cup of coffee.
Another idea is to set a reminder on your phone or write it on a small card and place it where you’ll see it in the morning. Would you like a simple version of the Morning Offering or advice on integrating it into your day?
I love how Dan offers so many suggestions that are applicable to me. I love how the AI remembered that I have a ritual with my son where we go over the "rose and thorn" of the day. I love how I can ask the AI spiritual director questions big and small at any time of the day. And I love how the sources are doctors of the Church and other saints and good Catholic authors.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started:
Sign up for ChatGPT: Visit the ChatGPT website and create an account if you don’t already have one.
Subscribe to ChatGPT Plus: Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus to access Projects with customizable instructions. ChatGPT Plus costs $20 USD/month; however, the company plans to make Projects available on the free tier in the future.
Create a ChatGPT Project: Navigate to the Projects section and set up a new Project titled “Spiritual Director.”
Define Instructions: In the Instructions section, specify the conversational tone and content sources, like this: Converse with me as though you are my Catholic spiritual director named Dan. Draw from the wisdom of St. Francis de Sales, Robert Barron, St. Teresa of Avila, Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Dubay, St. Therese of Lisieux, Mother Teresa, St. Augustine, Peter Kreeft, Thomas Howard, and the early Church Fathers.
Begin Interaction: Start your spiritual journey by engaging with your AI spiritual director and asking your questions.
With that, you should have your own AI spiritual director, available on demand, backed by great Catholic saints!
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Bible In A Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmidt
The Bible In A Year Podcast with Fr. Mike Schmidt is a wonderful way to read the entire Bible in a year over audio. This is a free podcast with 365 20-minute episodes in which Fr. Mike reads a number of chapters, offers a short prayer followed by some commentary. My wife and I have been listening to it for 2 weeks and it's hard to believe we're already up to Genesis 30 and Job 20.
Father Mike reads chapters from the key narrative books of the Bible and adds in chapters from other books of the Bible to keep it interesting.
Monday, April 12, 2021
Super-detailed examination of conscience by Fr. Robert Atelier
If you're like me and have trouble recalling your past sins for confession using only the Ten Commandments, check out Fr. Robert Atelier's Examination of Conscience (pdf, website). It's a 4 page checklist of mortal sins and a 4 page checklist of venial sins. It's very helpful to me to be able to scan through these lists to remember my sins to confess.
Sunday, January 03, 2021
Steven Greydanus top movie picks
I came across this site summarizing all of the movie reviews of Catholic movie reviewer Steven Greydanus. Click Rating to sort by rating to get his top movie picks of all time:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/steven-d-greydanus/movies
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Short books of the Bible
Friday, August 15, 2014
Books of the Bible ordered by length
It is in CSV format (title, number of verses). The data is from Fr. Felix Just.
2 John,13
3 John,15
Obadiah,21
Phlm,25
Jude,25
Haggai,38
Titus,46
2Thess,47
Nahum,47
Jonah,48
Zephaniah,53
Malachi,55
Habakkuk,56
2 Peter,61
Joel,73
2 Tim,83
Ruth,85
1Thess,89
Col,95
Phil,104
1 Peter,105
1 John,105
Micah,105
James,108
1 Tim,113
Song of Solomon,117
Amos,146
Gal,149
Lamentations,154
Eph,155
Hosea,197
Zechariah,211
Baruch,213
Ecclesiastes,222
Tobit,245
2 Cor,256
Esther,272
Ezra,280
Heb,303
Judith,340
Rev,404
Nehemiah,405
Rom,433
Wisdom of Solomon,436
1 Cor,437
Daniel,530
2 Maccabees,556
Judges,618
Joshua,658
Mark,678
2 Samuel,695
2 Kings,719
1 Samuel,810
1 Kings,817
2 Chronicles,821
Leviticus,859
John,879
Proverbs,915
1 Maccabees,922
1 Chronicles,943
Deuteronomy,959
Acts,1006
Job,1068
Matt,1071
Luke,1151
Exodus,1213
Ezekiel,1271
Numbers,1289
Isaiah,1291
Jeremiah,1364
Sirach/Ecclesiasticus,1372
Genesis,1533
Psalms,2526
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Friday, May 09, 2014
Top 100 Proudly Catholic Films
Knox Bible Online
It will set you back $55 if you buy it new. But you can also find it online at New Advent. You may want to try it online for a few months before deciding to buy it.
If you have a Mac, you can even create a Fluid app to turn the website into a Mac app. (If you want it to remember the last page when you close it, go to Preferences > Behavior > Closing the last browser window only hides the window).
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Routine for Morning and Evening Prayers from the Baltimore Catechism
Morning
Evening
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Baltimore Catechism for Kindle (including iPhone)
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Chime (mobile-phone app)
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Cardinal Mercier's Prayer to the Holy Spirit
O, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do. Give me your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that you permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your will.Try praying it each morning for the rest of your life!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Vatican Top 45 Film List (with descriptions)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Morning Catholic Must-Reads
Monday, February 06, 2012
Multiple choice quizzes on the Catechism
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Prayer-Style Checklist
___ A. Auditory (You are alert when listening to lectures, speakers, homilies)
___ B. Auditory [Music] (You are alert when listening to music, CDs, choirs)
___ C. Reading (You are alert when reading books, magazines, the Bible)
___ D. Reading [Aloud] (You are alert when reading books and articles aloud)
___ E. Visual (You are alert when looking at paintings, sculptures, photos)
___ F. Audio/Visual (You are alert when watching TV, movies, and plays)
___ G. Writing (You are alert when typing, journalling, drawing)
___ H. Speaking (You are alert when speaking your thoughts aloud)
___ I. Moving [Postures] (You are alert when prostrating yourself, kneeling, standing with arms raised)
___ J. Moving [Walking] (You are alert when pacing the room, going for a walk)
Knowing your preferred modes of giving/receiving information can give you ideas for ways to pray that work for you:
A. Listen to Scripture/homilies through online video or audiobooks. Or listen in silence for God's still, small voice.
B. Put on some Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony, or other sacred music in the background.
C. Read Scripture, or the writings of the Saints, or the Catechism.
D. Same as C, but reading aloud.
E. Pray before a home altar with a crucifix and candles. Place before you some holy cards, or images of sacred paintings, or statues of biblical figures.
F. Watch a few minutes from a movie like The Nativity Story or a documentary like Catholicism, to put you into a prayerful mood.
G. Pull out your journal and write (or type) your prayers. Or if you like to draw, draw.
H. Speak to God aloud. Recite a traditional prayer, or make up your own. Speak to Him as to a friend, or as to a king.
I. Kneel, or stand, or check out St. Dominic's 9 prayer postures.
J. Go for a prayerful walk. Or pace around the room, praying aloud or reading a few lines from Scripture and pondering them.
Hopefully that gives you some interesting new ideas that will help you to remain alert during your prayer time.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Where to find the daily Collect online
Today's Collect is:
O God, who gave the Martyr Saint Thomas Becket the courage to give up his life for the sake of justice, grant, through his intercession, that, renouncing our life for the sake of Christ in this world, we may find it in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monte Carlo prayer-request management system
Here is a simple way to manage your prayer requests. Simply write down each prayer request on a separate index card. Then shuffle the index cards. Then just pray the top 3 or 4 cards in the deck.
It doesn't matter if you have 20 requests or 200 - you just need to do 3 or 4 at a time. And because you are only praying a few, you can really concentrate on them and give them your all, striving to move God's heart.
You can also do this electronically with a flash card app that does shuffling, such as Flashcardlet:
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Some suggestions for spiritual reading
Monday, November 28, 2011
Summary of the 7 Teresian Mansions of Prayer
Most people stop at the third mansion, but there's no reason why people can't go on to the seventh.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Which Temperament Are You?
Here are a couple of great Catholic resources:
- The Temperament God Gave You has an appendix with a quiz that will tell you your primary and secondary temperaments.
- Fr. Conrad Hock's The Four Temperaments will give you insights into you're temperament's weaknesses and how to overcome them.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
TLM Propers
Saturday, August 20, 2011
How to deal with WYD hecklers
When this happens, I think a good way to fight back would be for someone to lead everybody in shouting down the hecklers with a good ol' Litany of the Saints. We should be praying this prayer more anyway.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Collect (opening prayer) for daily Mass
The Collect is packed with profound theology. Fr. Z often analyzes the Collect of the day. It will get even better with the corrected translation coming out in Advent 2011. If you are praying the breviary, you can refer to the above site to get the new collects from the corrected translation (at least I hope that the site will be showing the corrected translation).
Update: This webpage is actually pretty neat. It contains brief commentary on the readings from the ordinary and extraordinary forms of Mass, and information on the saint of the day. Sort of like Magnificat.
Thursday, August 04, 2011
How to pay attention when saying the Our Father
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Catholic Poets
- 1926 James K. Baxter
- 1923 Denise Levertov
- 1912 William Everson
- 1899 Allen Tate
- 1867 Ernest Dowson
- 1844 Gerard Manley Hopkins
- 1688 Alexander Pope
- 1649 Richard Crashaw
- 1631 John Dryden
- 1596 James Shirley
- 1561 Robert Southwell
- 1558 Chidiock Tichborne
- 1558 Thomas Lodge
- 1550 Alexander Montgomerie
How to Obtain a Plenary Indulgence Through 30 Minutes of Reading Scripture
There are four plenary indulgences that can be obtained at any time and any place:
- "with the veneration due the divine word [, making] a spiritual reading from Sacred Scripture...for at least one half an hour" [3]
- recitation of the rosary "in a church or public oratory or in a family group, a religious Community or pious Association" [4] (see additional norms)
- "make the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross" [5] (see additional norms)
- "visit the Most Blessed Sacrament to adore it...for at least one half an hour" [6]
- "Sacramental confession. A single sacramental confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences; but Communion must be received and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff must be recited for the gaining of each plenary indulgence.
- "Eucharistic Communion.
- "Prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff. The condition of praying for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff is fully satisfied by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary; nevertheless, each one is free to recite any other prayer according to his piety and devotion.
- "It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent. If the latter disposition is in any way less than perfect or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be partial only, saving the provisions given in Norms 34 and 35." [7]
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Twelve Latin Chants Every Catholic Should Know
Until now. Using the fabulous and free Parish Book of Chant, I have assembled the music for the Twelve Chants into a single pdf. Enjoy!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Apologies for not responding to blog comments
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Examen Conscientiae on an Index Card
Sunday, June 26, 2011
CD: The Essential Tallis Scholars
For more Palestrina, this writer recommends this CD as his favorite. And it is indeed lovely.
A Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan
Saturday, June 25, 2011
World History on an Index Card
They are taken from Richard Overy's The 50 key dates of world history and Diane Moczar's Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Best Catholic RSS Feed: New Advent
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Godparent Book
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Timeline of Dominican History
http://jonathanaquino.com/DominicanTimeline.pdf
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Dryness and the Rosary
Being human, we easily become tired and slipshod, but the devil makes these difficulties worse when we are saying the Rosary. Before we even begin, he makes us feel bored, distracted, or exhausted; and when we have started praying, he oppresses us from all sides, and when after much difficulty and many distractions, we have finished, he whispers to us, "What you have just said is worthless. It is useless for you to say the Rosary...
Read the rest.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Catholic Answers' Voter's Guide
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Two Good Books for Apologetics, Freely Available Online
- Maisie Ward's Catholic Evidence Training Outlines
- J. Tixeront's History of Dogmas, Vol. 1. My Kindle wouldn't open this PDF, so I had to use my Mac's Print To PDF feature to skip a couple of bad pages (67 and 437).
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The 21 Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church
Saturday, March 26, 2011
A Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture
[1] which I also like
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Gestures and Postures of the Congregation at Mass
Ones I need to start doing are:
- Bow your head when you say “Lord, have mercy” during the Kyrie.
- Make the sign of the Cross at the conclusion of the Creed at the words “I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
- Reverently fold your hands and bow your head as you pray the Lord’s Prayer.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
The Spiritual Combat
CHAPTER FOUR: HOW TO DISCOVER WHETHER WE DISTRUST OURSELVES AND PLACE OUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD
THE PRESUMPTUOUS MAN is convinced that he has acquired a distrust of himself and confidence in God, but his mistake is never more apparent than when some fault is committed. For, if he yields to anger and despairs of advancing in the way of virtue, it is evident that he has placed his confidence in himself and not in God. The greater the anxiety and despondence, the greater is the certainty of his guilt.The man who has a deep distrust of himself and places great confidence in God is not at all surprised if he commits a fault. He does not abandon himself to confused despair; he correctly attributes what has happened to his own weakness and lack of confidence in God. Thus he learns to distrust himself more, and he places all his hopes in the assistance of the Almighty. He detests beyond all things the sin into which he has fallen; he condemns the passion or criminal habit that occasioned his fall; he conceives a deep sorrow for his offense against God. But his sorrow, accompanied by peace of mind, does not interrupt the method he has laid down, nor does it prevent the pursuit of his enemies to their final destruction.
I sincerely wish that what has been proposed here would be attentively considered by many who think they are very devout. yet from the moment they commit a fault they will not be pacified, but hurry away to their director, more to rid themselves of the distress arising from self-love than from any other motive. Their principal care should be to wash away the guilt of sin in the Sacrament of Penance and to fortify themselves with the Eucharist against a relapse.
Friday, February 11, 2011
For the Liturgy of the Hours: National Liturgical Calendar
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Ignatius books on Kindle
Update: Other Catholic publishers on Kindle:
Servant Books has 11 books.
St. Anthony Messenger Press has 7 books.
Emmaus Road Publishing has 46 books.
Ascension Press has 25 books.
Catholic Answers has 1 book.
Catholic Book Publishing has 4 books.
IHS Press has 32 books.
Scepter Publishers has 26 books.
Tan Books has 31 books.
Saint Benedict Press has 12 books.
Paulist Press has 2 books.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Relative lengths of the Bible, the Summa, and the Catechism
Number of words in Aquinas’ Summa Theologica: 2,569,567 (2.4x Bible)
Number of words in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 227,929 (0.2x Bible)
Altar Server Schematic
The first part of the Mass (the Mass of the Catechumens) contains the Introit and the Collect prayers, said by the priest. For the altar server, the main action to remember is to transfer the Missal from the Epistle side to the Gospel side.
The next part of the Mass is the Offertory. The altar server will present the wine and the water to the priest. Then he will give the water and the finger towel for the Lavabo. The priest says the Preface and the Sanctus.
The next part is the Consecration. When the priest spreads his hands over the offerings and says “Hanc igitur...”, the altar server rings the bell, genuflects in the middle, and goes up the steps. During the consecration of the Host and the chalice, the bell is rung a number of times as indicated.
The last part is the Communion. After the priest receives the Host and removes the pall from the chalice, the altar server gets the Communion paten, genuflects in the middle, and goes up the steps to receive Communion.
At the end of the Communion, the ablutions are done. Then the altar server transfers the Missal from the Gospel side to the Epistle side.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
A Good Book: Pope Benedict XVI's "Light of the World"
It's also available for Kindle. Kindle has a great text-to-speech feature, so I enjoyed listening to the book on the ferry today.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
What's on my Kindle
THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY:
* Aquinas 101 (Selman) ($10)
* A Shorter Summa (Aquinas, Kreeft) ($10)
* The Ignatius Bible ($10)
* The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Yes, you can download the CCC as a plain-text file, but the website making it available does not seem to have obtained permission from the USCCB to make it available)
DEVOTIONAL:
* Missal (Extraordinary Form) http://www.allsaintsrichford.org/Latin-English%20Missal.pdf
* Missal (Ordinary Form, old) (Copy and paste into a text file) http://www.stjosephsdarlaston.co.uk/order_of_mass.htm
* Missal (Ordinary Form, new) http://paulo123.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/English_translation_of_The_Order_of_Mass_I_-_formatted.34683410.pdf
* Examination of Conscience http://www.catholicparents.org/oxcart/Examination%20of%20Conscience.pdf
* Introduction to the Devout Life (St. Francis de Sales) http://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life.txt
* The Interior Castle (St. Teresa of Avila) http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/tic/tic.txt.gz
* Baltimore Catechism http://sacred-texts.com/chr/balt/balt.txt.gz
Butler's Lives of the Saints (text file)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sample pages from F.C. Bauerschmidt's Holy Teaching: Introducing the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas
Also see the Table of Contents for the book.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Recommended Books
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
PDF of the Missa de Angelis and other Gregorian chants for Mass
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tools for approaching the Summa Theologica
Step 1: Adler's Aristotle for Everybody
Step 2: Kreeft's Shorter Summa (5% of the Summa Theologica, with footnotes)
Step 3: Kreeft's Summa of the Summa (18% of the Summa Theologica, with footnotes)
Step 4: Summa Theologica (all 3011 pages of it!)
I am currently in the middle of Step 1.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
A comparison of two TLM altar-server manuals
The Britt is a good overview. I've only started the O'Brien, but it seems more detailed. I would recommend starting with Britt and moving on to O'Brien afterwards. There are also some TLM altar-server manuals online.
UPDATE: Also see Fr. Z's review of "The General Principles of the Roman Rite: For Inferior Ministers". I have this book as well. It's more about the finer points of certain actions (like how to bow, how to strike your breast, how to turn, etc.), so is less critical than the above books but a useful supplement to know how to do things properly. It uses terms like "in plano" (on the floor of the sanctuary), "in actu functionis" (in the act of a function), and "ex actu functionis" (outside the act of a function), which are defined on the last two pages of the book.
Here are pics from "The General Principles of the Roman Rite: For Inferior Ministers". Note that most pages don't have pictures/diagrams, but these ones do.
It seems that a lengthy section from this book is online.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Dowling's Wheel: Tool for Learning Latin
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Not only for priests: Books for Catholic spiritual formation
Fr. Coulter's site has a bunch of other interesting lists, like good novels by Catholic authors.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Textbook: Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma
This textbook can be dull at times, but also quite informative. I just read the section on dogmas about Angels, and found it fascinating. I try to read a little bit each day.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Flannery O'Connor quotes
“You don't serve God by saying: the Church is ineffective, I'll have none of it. Your pain at its lack of effectiveness is a sign of your nearness to God. We help overcome this lack of effectiveness simply by suffering on account of it.”
“I don't want to discourage you from reading St. Thomas but don't read him with the notion that he is going to clear anything up for you. That is done by study but more by prayer.”
On the priesthood: “a man, in spite of his intellectual limitations, his neuroticism, his own lack of strength, give up his life to the service of God’s people, however bumblingly he may go about it…”
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Vocation Match (Discernment Tool)
Vocation Match is a website that asks you to answer some questions, then it matches your answers to various groups representing possibilities for your vocation.
Note: Some pages don't work on Safari. Firefox (and probably Internet Explorer) are OK.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Significant Catholic Poets
1550-1598 (48) Alexander Montgomerie
1558-1586 (28) Chidiock Tichborne
1558-1625 (67) Thomas Lodge
1561-1595 (34) Robert Southwell
1596-1666 (70) James Shirley
1613-1649 (36) Richard Crashaw
1631-1700 (69) John Dryden
1688-1744 (56) Alexander Pope
1844-1889 (45) Gerard Manley Hopkins
1867-1900 (33) Ernest Dowson
1899-1979 (80) Allen Tate
1912-1994 (82) William Everson
1923-1997 (74) Denise Levertov
1926-1972 (46) James K. Baxter
Saturday, July 31, 2010
PDF of Latin-English Missal for Traditional Latin Mass
Update: I have annotated the Latin-English Missal with "turn to proper" wherever the propers should be referenced.
A Catholic in Politics: Lord Chris Patten on the Relation between Church and State
Interviewer: How can we define the relation between Church and State in your country?
Lord Chris Patten: It's important to recognize that they're separate. I've been in politics - I am no longer - but I've been a Catholic in politics. I've always voted my conscience, and that has sometimes meant that I've voted against governments, or opposed what governments are doing, both of the left and the right. I think it's very important when there are issues of morality arising about which the Church feels strongly for the Church to make its views very strongly, and it's perfectly reasonable for governments to engage in a debate about them - we don't want and we don't live in a theocracy. So there's an important if sometimes tense and stretched relationship between Church and State. I think that it's part of our liberal tradition that that should be so.
Let me give you an example of that, which doesn't directly relate to the Catholic Church. There's just been a discussion in France about the wearing of the burka, trying to ban it. Most of us in Britain, when we consider this question, think that's an intolerable infringement by the state of people's religious views. Similarly, if an Islamicized country, if people were trying to do the reverse, we'd feel very strongly about it. Now, it does sometimes produce arguments, but I think those are the sort of arguments that you are accustomed to in a free society.
I don't think that the British government and the Catholic Church see eye to eye on everything. I don't see eye to eye on everything with the British government. But I hope that it's possible for us to focus on the biggest issues where we see eye to eye: global equity, education, sustainable environmental issues, sensible disarmament, the role of faith groups like the Catholic Church in promoting social solidarity and a stronger sense of community - those are the big issues on which we see eye to eye; and occasional disagreements about this or that aspect of legislation, I'm sure, not in my view be dominating the agenda. So I don't think - I have to repeat myself - that everything the Church and a conservative government - a conservative liberal government - in Britain do will be on all fours, but by and large I think we're both trying to shape the world in a more civilized way.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Daily online TLM broadcast from Christ the King (FSSP) in Venice, Florida
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Yet More Conversion Stories (from Coming Home Network)
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Which Church Father are you?
You’re St. Melito of Sardis! You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers! |
Sunday, June 27, 2010
More Catholic Conversion Stories
http://a-book-of-days.blogspot.com/2009/12/introduction.html
http://CortneyDavis.blogspot.com/2007/09/call-to-conversion-take-one.html
http://a-star-of-hope.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-conversion-story.html
http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/triumph.htm
http://SemperJase.com/?page_id=441
http://AnsweringMyRomanCall.blogspot.com/2007/11/all-roads-lead-to-romeeventually.html
http://blackieschurchmilitant-apocalypsis.blogspot.com/2007/07/my-testimony.html
http://BeatvsVir.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-i-became-catholic-i-wasnt-part-1.html
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9705conv.asp
http://authorette-nouveau.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-would-56-year-old-protestant-decide.html
http://contemplatingchristian.blogspot.com/2005/11/wrench-in-works-part-ii.html
http://www.ConversionDiary.com/2007/10/why-im-catholic.html
http://www.conversionforlife.com/topics/conversion/
http://www.ConvertJournal.com/2010/01/how-in-world-did-i-end-up-here.html
http://convert-man.blogspot.com/2005/09/my-reasoning-this-was-document-i.html
http://Crossed-the-Tiber.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html
http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/?id=251
http://DebrasRandomThoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/my%20conversion%20story
http://eutychusfell.blogspot.com/
http://faithofaconvert.blogspot.com/2009/05/catholic-beliefs.html
http://firstcomeslove.wordpress.com/my-story/
http://EarlyChurchFathers.org/fullcircle/static.php?page=static050216-235737
http://KarenElissa.blogspot.com/search/label/conversion
http://HappyCatholic.blogspot.com/2005/01/my-conversion-story.html
http://www.HistoricalChristian.com/my_weblog/2007/03/why_i_became_a_.html
http://SpiritualExercises.wordpress.com/about-this-blog-its-author/authors-conversion-story/
http://JustAnotherCatholicMom.blogspot.com/2008/05/my-conversion-part-1.html
http://snoringscholar.com/2007/03/my-witness-talk-special-celebrations-of-the-eucharist/
http://LittleToe.wordpress.com/category/conversion/
http://drawntocatholicism.com/luminousmiseries/?tag=conversion
http://carlbetts.blogspot.com/2009/10/fundamental-baptist-crosses-tiber-part.html
http://MeanderingHome.blogspot.com/2007/01/rushing-rapids-and-comforting-stream-my.html
http://joeconvert.blogspot.com/2003/04/what-me-catholic-part-2.html
http://www.mycatholicconversion.com/
http://myeverydaylifewithgod.blogspot.com/p/my-catholic-journey.html
http://aCatholicJourney.blogspot.com/2005/09/some-background.html
http://mysilentjourney.wordpress.com/my-faith-journey/
http://mystified-musings.blogspot.com/2010/03/love-story-of-sorts.html
http://newchristendom.blogspot.com/2010/06/letter-to-gspcpca.html
http://RunningMom.wordpress.com/category/conversion/
http://PostcardsFromHome-les.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-conversion-story.html
http://PurifyYourBride.stblogs.com/conversion-story/
http://revertconvert.blogspot.com/2006/05/welcome-revertsconverts-to-catholic.html
http://psalm402.blogspot.com/2009/09/although-i-am-convert-to-catholic-faith.html
http://SewardFolly.blogspot.com/search/label/Conversion%20story
http://laviecatholique.blogspot.com/2006/08/my-conversion-story.html
http://ericsammons.com/article/Ignorance_Bliss
http://hallcottage.blogspot.com/2009/05/this-is-birds-eye-view-of-beautiful-way.html
http://KidSister.wordpress.com/about/
http://thetrailhome.blogspot.com/2008/02/trail-home.html
http://ThisCatholicJourney.com/2006/08/about-me.html
http://catholicconvert.wordpress.com/2004/07/16/why-i-converted-in-brief/
http://UnaSancta.wordpress.com/my-journey-to-the-catholic-church/
http://ThreeNails.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-i-am-catholic.html
http://michaelgabrielraphael.blogspot.com/2008/01/story-of-my-soul.html
http://YearOfGrace.blogspot.com/2009/08/post-post-script-aftermath-and.html
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Meditation timer for Mac OS X
Opus Dei's "The Way" as a daily RSS feed
Example:
2. How I wish your bearing and conversation were such that, on seeing or hearing you, people would say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Catholic conversion stories (audio)
Ten Commandments for the Scrupulous
Saturday, June 12, 2010
4 plenary indulgences that can be obtained on any day
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Book for men discerning a vocation to the priesthood: To Save A Thousand Souls
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Daily RSS Feed: Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Daily Mass on the Web
Schedules and the broadcast are on ewtn.com (American) and saltandlighttv.org (Canadian).
I've recently started doing this every night at 11:30pm. It's awesome to be able to participate in the highest prayer of the Church, on a daily basis.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Father Turner's articles on the Eucharistic Prayers
Father Barron on the Jesus Prayer
I like to say this prayer whenever I have some time on my hands - walking to my destination, or waiting in line.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Padre Pio's 5 rules for spiritual growth
Monday, April 19, 2010
Favorite 5 quotes from Spe Salvi
Pope Benedict's 2007 encyclical Spe Salvi (on the virtue of Hope) resonates with me.
It starts off rather slowly, but I found the second half quite interesting.
Here are 5 of my favorite quotes from it:
- "[Eternal life] would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time—the before and after—no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy."
- "Let us say it once again: the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity. Yet this capacity to suffer depends on the type and extent of the hope that we bear within us and build upon."
- "What does it mean to offer something up? Those who did so were convinced that they could insert these little annoyances into Christ's great “com-passion” so that they somehow became part of the treasury of compassion so greatly needed by the human race."
- "As Christians we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well."
- "Human life is a journey. Towards what destination? How do we find the way? Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route. The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives."
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Comparison of the Structure of the Novus Ordo Mass and the Usus Antiquior Mass
| Ordinary Form | Extraordinary Form |
|---|---|
| INTRODUCTORY RITES | |
| Entrance Song, Greeting, Penitential Rite, Kyrie, Gloria, Opening Prayer | Asperges, Judica Me, Confiteor, Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Collect |
| LITURGY OF THE WORD | |
| First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel Acclamation, Gospel, Homily, Creed, Prayer of the Faithful | Epistle, Gradual, Gospel, Homily, Nicene Creed |
| OFFERTORY | |
| Preparation of the Gifts, Prayer Over the Gifts, Preface, Sanctus | Offering of the Bread and Wine, Washing of the Hands, Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity, Orate Fratres, Secret, Preface, Sanctus |
| CONSECRATION | |
| Epiclesis, Institution Narrative, Memorial Acclamation, Anamnesis, Intercessions, Doxology, Great Amen | Prayers Before the Consecration, Prayers at the Consecration, Prayers After the Consecration |
| COMMUNION | |
| Lord's Prayer, Sign of Peace, Breaking of the Bread, Agnus Dei, Communion, Prayer After Communion | Libera Nos and the Division of the Host, Mixture of the Body and Blood, Agnus Dei, Prayers for Holy Communion, Prayers During the Ablutions, Communion Verse, Postcommunion Prayers |
| CONCLUDING RITE | |
| Blessing, Dismissal | Dismissal, Blessing, Last Gospel |
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Book: Surprised By Truth 2
Novena card for Pope Benedict XVI
It fits perfectly on an index card.

