In need of a spiritually refreshing break today? Like you will be again tomorrow? And the day after that . . . ? Many busy and over-scheduled catechists, and others in ministry, use podcasts to help them pray right at their work computers, on a home PC, on an i-Pod player in the car, at the grocery, or during periods of exercise.
Many persons new to this idea ask, What is a podcast?
The word podcast first appeared around 2004. It is a blend of the term iPod (Apple's very popular, portable media player) and the word broadcast. Podcast has fast become a term more widely used than its fore-runner, 'webcast.' A podcast is a digital media file (or several files), featuring audio or video, or both. Podcasts can be one episode long, or stretched over several parts. A computer-user (like you) "catches" -- or "grabs" -- a podcast by accessing its file(s) over the internet. If you have the right computer hardware and software, the podcast is 'grabbed' from the webpage of the person or company, such as Loyola Press below, that innovated the program. After the download, the podcast appears on your PC monitor, on your iPod, or can be saved and stored for use some other time.
Some good news. Certain podcasts can help busy people, in modern ministries, to take a spiritually-refreshing pause at any time -- especially during a complicated work day.
Here are a few podcasts to sample. Note: if you happen upon a spiritually-helpful podcast not mentioned, post information about it in Comments below. Let's pray on. And keep this conversation going.
The Divine Office http://divineoffice.org/
The SaintCast http://web.mac.com/pcamarata/SaintCast/Home.html
Daily Inspirations www.LoyolaPress.com/daily-inspirations.htm
The Other 6 http://www.other6.com/
(The Other 6 is actually a virtual community -- and a standing invitation, to you, extended by Loyola Press -- that is dedicated to finding God during the other 6 days of the week besides Sunday.)
3-Minute Retreats http://www.loyolapress.com/online-community-3-minute-retreats.htm
Online Retreat (Ignatian Spirituality)http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/cmo-retreat.html
On another final note, if you'd like to follow a thoughtful and practical faith formation blog (besides this one, of course) -- take a look at Catechist's Journey, by author and 8th grade catechist, Joe Paprocki. Joe always seems to have something interesting to say.
(You can also get Catechist's Journey by e-mail) -- http://catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com/
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