Lent is the perfect time of year Catholics and Christians observe the 40 days before Easter. It’s a time of sacrifice and preparation, a time to perhaps reset or restore your faith, your prayer, or your journey with Jesus. Many observe the giving up of something valuable to them, and many give up their phone for Lent. We have a great excuse for you not to give up your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. These apps that will help, encourage, motivate, and of course inspire you to deeper prayer.
This year I have a few recommendations. The first isn’t an app at all but a site. I have used this in the past and really enjoyed it, I hope that you do to:
Dynamic Catholic presents Best Lent Ever (Free Email Sign Up for Lent)
ABOUT BEST LENT EVER 2017
It’s a free email program that will guide you on an incredible journey toward the-best-version-of-yourself. From Ash Wednesday to Easter, you’ll discover ways to transform your life in forty days.
Sign up for Best Lent Ever, a FREE, video-based email program featuring internationally acclaimed speaker and New York Times bestselling author Matthew Kelly. From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Matthew will help you identify what stands between you and happiness … and what to do about it. Are you ready for your best Lent ever?
And now on to a few apps that can boost your lent journey to new heights, and help you get the most out of this preparation for Easter.
Lenten Magnificat Companion 2019 $1.99
This Lenten Companion App designed to help you live all the graces of Lent.
Prepare your heart during the precious days leading up to Easter.
A Companion for the Forty Days of Lent (from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday)
Presented in a day-by-day format, the Magnificat Lenten App includes:
- Inspiring daily Lenten reflections by gifted Catholic writers
- Morning and evening prayers, inspired by the Liturgy of the Hours
- Readings and prayers of each daily Mass
- Faith-filled essays
- Prayers, poetry, and devotions
- Lenten Penance Service
- Meditations for the Way of the Cross
- A treasury of spiritual insights
- A selection of audio Hymns to enjoy
This one-of-a-kind application has been developed with the needs of your prayer life in mind. Use it to grow in love and knowledge of Christ and the Church this Lenten season.
Liturgical source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops & ICEL.
Catholic Meditations for Lent by St. Thomas Aquinas $3.99
Helping you to meditate during Lent season with these meditations by St. Thomas Aquinas.
There are meditations for 63 days starting from Septuagesima Sunday until Holy Saturday with the following topics:
- The Work of the Vineyard
- On Doing Good
- The Prayer of Our Lord in the Garden
- Good Works
- The Reward
- The Need for Caution
- On Reforming Ourselves
- The Seed
- The Goodness of God
- The Remembrance of Our Lord’s Passion
- The Need to be Watchful
- And many more …
$3.99 – Download it here.
CRS Rice Bowl (Android Version) FREE
Updated in 2019, It’s a great app for families
Make your family’s daily Lenten practice a digital journey around the world. Through the CRS Rice Bowl app, encounter the stories of men, women and children who are served by Catholic Relief Services—and who benefit from your Lenten sacrifices.
Take your family’s experience of CRS Rice Bowl to the next level by pairing the CRS Rice Bowl app with the Lenten Calendar found in every cardboard CRS Rice Bowl.
Features include:
- Reflections for each day of Lent
- Exclusive story content from CRS’ work around the world
- Customizable tool to set Lenten sacrifice goal and track progress towards its achievement
- Meatless recipes for Fridays during Lent
- Stories and videos of people who benefit from prayers and almsgiving to CRS Rice Bowl
- Available in English and Spanish
CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program. Participants pray, fast, and give alms following Jesus’ call to serve the poor and vulnerable. Twenty-five percent of the Lenten alms are directed to programs fighting poverty in the United States and seventy-five percent support CRS’ humanitarian and emergency relief programs in 93 countries overseas.
Xt3 Lent Calendar (Android)
The theme for 2019 is ‘Embraced & Transformed’ from Pope Francis’ “Only what is embraced can be transformed.”
The Xt3 Lent Calendar will provide daily inspiration through the daily Gospel reading and a special feature (videos, podcasts and reflections) to accompany you through Lent.
The content for each day is hidden until you reach that particular day of Lent. The first feature will be available on Ash Wednesday, 06 March 2019.
It is a TERRIFIC app, and our children enjoy it as well.
Formed.org (iTunes, Google Play)
Often referred to as the “Netflix for Catholics”
AMAZING!!! Often referred to as the “Netflix for Catholics”, the FORMED iOS App by the Augustine Institute provides convenient mobile access to any FORMED subscriber. Just login with your existing FORMED credentials and access thousands of video-based study programs, movies, documentaries, audio talks, audiobooks and even eBooks onDemand.
Let these materials facilitate your spiritual journey as you try to more fully understand, live and share your Catholic Faith.
Don’t have a FORMED account yet? Visit the website to create an account.
Our Parish has an account, and we use it for Lent, In fact we gave up NETFLIX for lent, in order to go through more Formed.org content.
Movies and Videos to watch during lent.
The Prince of Egypt (iTunes, Google Play) and Joseph King of Dreams (iTunes, Google Play)
For those with children at home, this is your ticket to a great Holy Week. Both of these movies are absolutely thrilling musicals, (Check if they are on Netflix right now) and get your kids some snacks. They will love them both. And you will as well. It’s not “Catholic” however, it does bring the historical faith into kids minds, and you can use it as a great starting point for Holy Week, or even just to begin talking about faith.
Passion of the Christ(iTunes, Google Play, Amazon)
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life. The film begins in the Garden of Olives where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.
Paul, Apostle of Christ (iTunes, Android, Amazon)
Paul, who goes from the most infamous persecutor of Christians to Christ’s most influential apostle, spends his last days awaiting execution by Emperor Nero in Rome. Paul is under the watchful eye of Mauritius, Mamertine Prison’s ambitious prefect, who seeks to understand how this broken old man can pose such a threat. As Paul’s days grow shorter, he feverishly works from prison to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and embolden his followers to stand strong in their faith against Roman persecution far greater than has ever been seen.
Son of God (iTunes, Google Play)
From producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey comes Son of God — the most important chapter of the Greatest Story Ever Told. Acclaimed Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado delivers a spectacular portrayal of Jesus as this powerful and inspirational feature film depicts the life of Christ, from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.