May is traditionally known in the Catholic Church as the Month of Mary. As we have noticed in his words and actions, Pope Francis has a special devotion to Mary. Take some time this month to explore a mobile app or two that can help you engage our Holy Mother in Marian devotion.
We start with the free Mary App available for Apple mobile devices.
This is a full-resource Marian app brought to you by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Our Blessed Mother is a big topic, so developers broke the subject of Our Lady into three categories: Doctrine (Church/Scriptural teachings about her and reasons for our devotion with FAQs); Devotion (rosary, chaplets, prayers, feasts, consecration to Mary, sacramentals) and Mary Plus (pilgrimage sites, images, info on apparitions, info on the Marian Fathers). As one reviewer put it, this app is comprised of three great apps rolled into one. The rosary in this app is terrific if all you want is a nice virtual bead experience with vibrations at each bead so you can have tactile cues when advancing through your prayers. The vibration does not change with the Our Father beads, so you still need to peek every now and then. There is an audio option with this rosary.
Speaking of the rosary…A Rosary app brings this powerful Marian devotion to your mobile device with just a few clicks. Choose from a great variety for most mobile formats by browsing our top picks for Rosary Apps. This devotion leads you in Scripture-based prayer reflecting on mysteries intertwined with the life of Christ and his Blessed Mother.
Want to take your prayer life and your relationship with the Lord to a whole new level? How about going on a serious, classic journey of preparing your heart for Jesus through Mary? Totally Yours (Free) iOS and Android – walks you through a 33-day retreat based on St. Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a devotion that was particularly meaningful in the life of St. Pope John Paul II. Developers explain that participating in the full retreat helps lead you to know Jesus Christ more fully. Participants “experience the joy of having a heavenly Mother on their side, who draws each one ever so gently, as only a mother can, to her beloved son, Jesus.This retreat when taken seriously draws the believer one step closer to the Mother and thereby one step closer to Jesus.” This is a time-honored retreat that takes a lot of self-discipline and reflection. It is difficult for many people to follow the daily course in their busy lives. This app breaks the process down for you in four parts on a set calendar so you can easily track your progress through the full 33-day journey. You will appreciate the journal tab to jot down your reflections. Even if you don’t want to participate in the full 33-day retreat, you can certainly benefit from the instruction, prayers and reflections offered in this app, a wonderful addition to your mobile device.
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