15 Useful Ideas in Basic and Small Catholic Web Development

Get ideas for content development, site enhancements from third-party applications, and new social networking techniques

This page contains the items of our site feed. The page is regularly updated so you can find useful ideas and discover ways to better and improve your Catholic web site and blog. The 15 ideas on this page are simple but can be effective ideas for developing your own web site and blog content. Occasionally, there is an article published on the use of social networking techniques and other third-party applications to enhance your site and blog. Also, there are a few tips on learning more about PHP to make the site interactive for its visitors. Sometimes, there may be an advanced article published, but the page will always and regularly lead you back to the basics and fundamentals needed so that your Catholic web site, blog and social network can gain a more lasting presence on the Web.

18th Sunday of the Year (C) - Aug 1

Jesus teaches about the parable of the rich fool. Through this parable, we can learn two very important counsels in the Christian life: to "avoid greed in all its forms" and to "grow rich in the sight of God". Both point to a good moral direction in life - the former only phrased in a negative context, while the latter in a positive one.

Important Matters to Realize Before Building a Web Site

Although knowledge and experience of small web site development depends on the uniqueness of each developer's talent and wisdom, there is one basic reality that all web developers will have to eventually realize and acknowledge: that the web space (or marketspace) in which all blogs, sites and networks operate, is really just supplementary to actual data, operations, and transactions in the physical world (or marketplace). Interpersonal communication is still primary over electronic communication or virtual experience. This article will seek to establish this conservative truth, based on knowledge and experience obtained over a span of eight years.

Revised Format: Enkindle in Them the Fire of Your Love

Enkindle in Them the Fire of Your Love gospel reflections page has a revised format. The left column will have a quotation on the sacrament of Eucharist, while the right column will list saints honored on the same date as the Sunday Mass. The first list are saints from the Roman liturgical calendar, while the second list is from the Byzantine calendar (roots of the Christian faith in the Eastern tradition). The liturgical calendar of the Western Church has reserved Sundays primarily for the solemnities and feasts of the Lord. This will always have precedence over other feasts, obligatory memorials, and optional memorials - especially those prepared in honor of the saints. The list of saints given on the right column are supplementary information on saints honored in the Western and Eastern traditions. The feasts of saints honored in Western tradition are observed only when their feast day does not occur on a Sunday.

Retreat Cut Short - Back Online Again

I have cut short my retreat. Thank you for your prayers. I was able to refocus and reroot the objectives and mission of the web site and its network back to its original sources. I am back online again for publishing the regular Sunday Gospel Reflections, and updates on basic Catholic web development, blogging and social networking.

Inculturating Christian Values in Corporate Cultures

This reflective-analytical study is meant to be a light perception of how Christian virtues can abound between corporate cultures - even when they clash as a result of pursuing the completion of their end-services or products. For example, if a corporate developer were to deal with a financial institution, one of the possible clashes in corporate cultures would be in the speed at which they process their end-products or services. Corporate developers would plan slowly and very carefully so that the end-product (which usually takes years to complete) is constructed according to what is planned. In this corporate structure, workers tend to move slow (with the exception probably of their finance department).

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 4

The Jerusalem Bible subtitles the gospel for July 4 "The mission of the seventy-two disciples". This is the first part of Sunday's gospel passage. The second part is subtitled in the Jerusalem Bible as "True cause for the apostles to rejoice". The theme for the first part of Sunday's gospel is mission. Here, Jesus gives various instructions to seventy-two disciples how they are to conduct themselves among the people. In the second part of the gospel, Jesus emphasizes to His disciples the true source of success in missionary life: "your names are written in heaven".

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 27

The gospel for Sunday, June 27, continues from last Sunday and is also from the 9th chapter of Luke. The setting of the passage is the journey of Jesus and His apostles to Jerusalem - a journey that would lead them to see Christ's passion, death and resurrection. In this journey to Jerusalem, Jesus and His companions had to pass through a Samaritan town. But since Jews and Samaritans were not in accord with each other, they had to pass through another town. As they moved on, Jesus met some people along the way who expressed their desire to follow Him. Jesus however made them aware of the cost of discipleship: itinerancy, placing primacy of the Kingdom above family, urgency, and moving forward without turning back.

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 20

Sunday's gospel for June 20, 2010, is Luke's version of Peter's profession of faith (Matthew and Mark have their own versions). Luke's version begins after the story of the multiplication of the loaves. Jesus was with His disciples and He put this first question to them: "who do the crowds say that I am?" The disciples answered that people perceive Him as one of the prophets. Then Jesus directed the same question to His own disciples. And Peter was the one who answered: "the Messiah of God". After this profession of faith, Jesus taught His disciples that His being Messiah would mean facing great suffering, rejection and death.

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 13

In the Jerusalem Bible translation, the passage for Sunday Mass, June 13, is presented in two parts: first part is subtitled "The woman who was a sinner", and the second part is subtitled "The women accompanying Jesus". The first part tells the story of a sinful woman who weeps for her sins at Jesus' feet, then wipes these with her hair, kisses the feet of Christ, and finally anointing them with ointment. Even when the Pharisees saw this action in a bad light, Jesus instead saw the woman's sincere repentance and forgave her so that she would be freed from her bondage from sin. The second part of Sunday's gospel simply reports that some women provided from their own means what Jesus and His companions needed in their mission.

Web Security Measures for the Catholic Networker (Update!)

This article was published in this site a week ago. There were four security measures suggested for a safer and less stressful online work and networking on the Web. A fifth suggestion is given in relation to receiving email notifications which do not notify as they should, but lead you to a page which reports the message "attack site". This fifth update gives suggestions on how to address this security problem with simple security fixes within your email account, your favorite site account, and your favorite browser.

Solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 6

The bible passage for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is from the gospel of Luke. It tells the story of crowds following Jesus, who Himself welcomed them, talked to them about God's Kingdom, and cured those who were in need of healing. As the time passed, Jesus and His disciples suddenly became aware that this vast crowd would need to eat. And there were about 5,000 men - not counting women and children. So, the apostles went about and reported to Jesus that there was on hand five loaves and two fish. Jesus ordered the apostles to have the people sit in groups of fifty. Then Jesus performed what we often see in movies which depict Him performing this miracle - the multiplication of the loaves. After everyone had their fill, the remaining scraps filled up twelve baskets.

Wednesday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time, May 26

May 25's gospel made us aware of the requirements of following the Lord - whether it be radical like the religious and the clergy, or simple like the lay faithful. May 26's gospel is a continuation from yesterday's passage, focusing this time on the story of James and John's request to Jesus. As we read this story in Mark, we will see the two brothers go to Jesus and ask Him to reserve seats (one on His left and one of His right) for each of them (when Jesus enters into His glory). When the other ten apostles noticed this, they became indignant at the two brothers. So, to settle the dispute, Jesus taught emphatically the important virtues of humility, service, and self-sacrifice.

Tuesday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time, May 25

This passage from Mark has Peter speaking with Jesus and indirectly wanting some kind of confirmation in their decision to follow Him. Jesus responded that anyone who has given up home, family, and lands for His sake, will receive a hundred times more now in the present age, with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come. This concise message of Jesus in this passage from Mark, is part of a story which begins with a rich man asking Jesus what he must do to attain eternal life. (Mark 10:17-31). The themes embedded in these verses revolve on the theme of discipleship, poverty for the sake of preaching the gospel, mission, and service.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (C), May 30

The gospel for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is taken from a discourse in the 16th chapter of John's gospel. The passage covers the same themes that were developed in chapter 14, but with different emphases. If we will read more closely the gospel for this Sunday, May 30, we will discover that the three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned several times (including references to them through pronouns) throughout the passage: Jesus (5 times), Spirit (11 times), and Father (2 times). There are many other passages in the gospels in which all three Persons of the Holy Trinity are mentioned. This is just one of them and it is in connection to the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the apostolic community.

Solemnity of Pentecost (C) - May 23

The gospel for the Solemnity of Pentecost is taken from the 14th chapter of John. The immediate context of this gospel passage is the Last Discourse of Jesus, which He had given to His apostles after washing their feet (chapter 13). Within this Last Discourse, Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. The verses in which He speaks about the sending of the Holy Spirit contains words that occur several times over: love (occuring 4 times), Father (occuring 4 times), and the Holy Spirit (occuring 3 times). The message Jesus wants His apostles to understand is the importance of love and obeying His commands, and how He will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to instruct them in everything - everything they need to remember of what He had taught them.