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To discover ideas for web content development or for blog posts, you may visit St. Blog's Parish Directory of Blogs and gather insights to write your web content and blog posts.

15 updated leads and ideas in writing Catholic articles and blog posts:

Pope Benedict XVI's 46th WCD Message
Word and silence: learning to communicate is learning to listen and contemplate as well as speak. This is especially important for those engaged in the task of evangelization: both silence and word are essential elements, integral to the work of communication for the sake of a renewed proclamation of Christ in the world. To Mary, whose silence listens to the Word and causes it to blossom (Private Prayer at the Holy House, Loreto, 1 September 2007), I entrust all the work of evangelization which the Church undertakes through the means of social communication. learn more

Pope's Message for the 20th World Day for the Sick
Dear Brothers and Sisters, On the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, which we will celebrate on 11 February 2012, the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, I wish to renew my spiritual closeness to all sick people who are in places of care or are looked after in their families, expressing to each one of them the solicitude and the affection of the whole Church. learn more

Epiphany (B), January 8, 2012
In many Catholic homes, the traditional Nativity decor would be complete if it included also small figurines of the three wise men, the shepherds, some stable animals, and an angel atop the baby Jesus, the Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph. All those little statues around the Holy Family were mentioned in the gospels: the shepherds in Luke 2:8ff; the wise men in Matthew 2:1ff; and the angels in Luke 2:13ff. The stable animals were made part of the manger scene in the traditional Nativity set as additional symbols to help the family cultivate that atmosphere of simplicity, familiarity, and tranquillity experienced in many villages of old - especially during the Christmas season. learn more

Urbi et Orbi Message of the Holy Father
Christ is born for us! Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to the men and women whom he loves. May all people hear an echo of the message of Bethlehem which the Catholic Church repeats in every continent, beyond the confines of every nation, language and culture. The Son of the Virgin Mary is born for everyone; he is the Saviour of all. learn more

Christmas (B), December 25, 2011
In a sermon for Christmas, St. Bernard, a Cistercian abbot in the beginning of the second millenium, describes the Christmas mystery as follows - a little child has been given to us, but in Him dwells all the fullness of a divine nature; the smaller He became through His human nature the greater was His goodness; the more He lowered Himself for us, the dearer He is to us. What may humble our proud human minds, is the challenge to have faith in this little Child, who has this fullness of divinity, this fullness of God's Wisdom on both the known and unknown universe, encompassed in the very lowliness of a human baby, born of a simple maiden from Nazareth. learn more

4th Sunday of Advent (B), December 18, 2011
Faith and obedience to God is a virtue we need to practice more in our present times. Even with all the advancements in science and technology, the human heart has basically remained the same (still in need of redemption from God). We inherited a heart from Adam and Eve - one that disobeyed God and chose to do what is against His will. But God did not give up on us. He chose Mary (conceived without sin - the Immaculate Conception and the Immaculate Heart), to bring back into the world the virtues of obedience, purity, faith and confidence in God. This simple maiden, this humble virgin from Nazareth, became the instrument by which God will place back in the heart of humanity His Word - a Word that speaks the golden rule, to lead us back to a Life in union with God. learn more

3rd Sunday of Advent (B), December 11, 2011
The 3rd Sunday of Advent lights the rose-colored candle in the liturgical wreath found in the Mass. The candle is colored rose to signify the spirit of joyful anticipation, for Christmas would just be two weeks away. After two Sundays of dark purple shaded candles lit in the Mass, we now have a lighter shade in the color rose. Three Advent candles are now lit; more "light" is approaching with the last candle on December 18. learn more

2nd Sunday of Advent (B), December 4, 2011
The first reading from the book of Isaiah refers us to the first coming of our Lord Jesus, with a prefigurement to the person of John the Baptist. The second reading from the second letter of Peter reminds us of Christ coming again - a second Advent, which the reading describes in cataclysmic terms: "the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire". Finally, the gospel describes how the prophet John prepared the way for Jesus - baptizing the people of Israel and leading them to repent and seek God's forgiveness for their infidelity. learn more

1st Sunday of Advent (B), November 27, 2011
The prophets of Israel, up to the last prophet before Christ (John the Baptist), all shared a common theme in their preaching: repentance and conversion of heart. Jesus, in the gospel of Mark (Mark 1:15) repeats this same message of the prophets, and adds the call to His people to have faith that God's kingdom is already in their midst. If we reflect on these messages of the prophets and of Jesus, we can see and evaluate how much we have responded to their call to a change of heart - from one that is too engrossed in temporal and secular concerns, to one that is directed towards the one thing necessary. learn more

34th Sunday of the Year (A), November 20, 2011
It is not easy to make Jesus the King of our Hearts. But it is possible if we resolve not to make a day pass without at least saying a short prayer or making a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. We must be careful not to be "drowned in the world" as the holy monks and fathers of Eastern Christianity teach. We know that we are "drowned in the world" when our hearts are only occupied with secular and temporal concerns. But if we take time to listen to God with an open heart and practice works of mercy, then we will be more assured of the Father's blessing. learn more

33rd Sunday of the Year (A), November 13, 2011
Each of us has been given gifts and talents by the Lord. The majority have them in their personality or character; some have them in artistic, musical or sports abilities; and others apply their gifts by how they live their Catholic vocation. As we read the parable more closely, we will learn the lesson to really make good use of all God's gifts to us: making them yield for His glory, and for the benefit of others. When we read the last part of the parable, we will understand the seriousness of not placing our gifts in God's service: wasting our time and misusing our freedom to engage in pursuits that do not please the Lord and give joy to others. learn more

32nd Sunday of the Year (A), November 6, 2011
The NRSV bible uses the terms "bridesmaids", "foolish", and "wise" in this Sunday's gospel. The Jerusalem Bible uses the same words, except for the term "sensible" for the term "wise". The New American Bible uses the same terms as the NRSV, but subtitles the parable as the "Parable of the Ten Virgins" and uses the term "virgins" once in the parable. The Good News Bible has simpler terminology: it uses the word "girls", instead of bridesmaids. But the crux of this parable lies in the wide difference between "foolish" and "sensible". learn more

31st Sunday of the Year (A), October 30, 2011
Chapter 23 of the gospel of Matthew describes Jesus being at loggerheads with the scribes and the Pharisees of His time. Verses 1-12 tells of His attacking the Pharisees' hypocrisy and vanity; verses 13-32 has Him speak of a sevenfold indictment against them; and in verses 33-36 He tells of their crimes and of the impending punishment awaiting them. Jesus came into conflict with the scribes and Pharisees of His time, because He wanted to teach His people the virtue of humility - an advocacy He exemplified very well by His entire life. learn more

30th Sunday of the Year (A), October 23, 2011
What Jesus was presenting to His people is not something totally different from what they had always known. Since the religious laws of the people of His time were so numerous that they found it difficult to fulfill, Jesus just simplifies it. With just two commandments, Jesus was able to teach the spirit of the Law and all the teachings of the prophets. These two commandments are stated as: "Love God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself." learn more

29th Sunday of the Year (A), October 16, 2011
Jesus teaches God's way to His people with a hierarchy of values different from the Pharisees of His time. For the Pharisees, it was their Hebraic Law above all that matters; but for Jesus, the Father's love and mercy is greater than this Law. This Hebraic Law (all the laws given by God through Moses and others handed down from generation to generation) emphasizes the importance of rituals and liturgical legalities. When the Pharisees tell Jesus that He does not follow this Law, Jesus defends Himself by saying that He came to fulfill the Law - meaning, to make the Spirit and the heart of man a matter of importance also. learn more

How to Write Unique Catholic Articles on the Web

Introduction

To prevent search engines with the oversupply of content often copied from other sources, writing unique content will help ease this problem. To write unique Catholic blog posts and articles, one direction for a solution is to write with originality. The "catholic" internet niche is unique in itself, as there are only a few sites dedicated to this niche. But even if this internet niche is not big, those who make an effort to write unique content and material, can greatly contribute to the common good - serving an internet audience that seeks more in-depth knowledge of the Catholic Church and its classic traditions of spirituality, and serving the internet industry which seeks to improve its technology by delivering unique and original content.

To write with your own personal style

To write with one's personal style that is distinct and identifiable, is one direction for uniqueness and originality of content and writing. The style and manner of writing depends on the author's preference in conveying the gospel and Catholic tradition - usually within the context of a specific school of spirituality. This takes a lot of practice, but it can be done. The best way to practice writing in a personal and unique style, is to make your mind and heart close to the computer's keyboard, so that your insights will naturally flow to your writing. In this way, you do need not necessarily depend on the writing of others; your blog and your web site will always be provided with unique content and material.

Writing unique Catholic articles in the super-fresh Web

In the super-fresh Web, Catholic bloggers and site owners are challenged to make their writing also up-to-date. They can do this if they connect what they write, to the current news items of their local Church and the Vatican. They can integrate whatever current news item or any message from the Pope to the:

1. writing of reflections on Scripture passages
2. editing of classic Catholic literary sources
3. writing of poems and articles expressing constructive ideas for the common good
4. writing of Church history and a personal analysis of it

1. Writing reflections on the Scriptures

Writing reflections on Scriptures is unique, since this involves personal reflections and insights from meditations. Though your reflections are personal, they can however have a universal meaning, when it touches the core values of every reader's conscience. Take for example the personal stamp that John Paul II did with the papacy. He had a unique personal approach to his papacy, but his message was universal. You can do the same with your reflections on Scripture passages. By using pronouns such as "we", "some of us", "most of us" or "everyone", you can invite readers to enter the scene of the gospel and let them make see the gospel as a mirror by which they can evaluate their Christian lives, and grow from the insights obtained from it. And to make your reflection relevant and up-to-date, then all you need is to update from such sources as the Vatican on YouTube and the Vatican Information Service.

2. Editing classic Catholic literary sources

Another way of producing unique Catholic content is by editing classic Catholic literary sources. With a topic in mind, you can source your content from a few classic books, and edit them in a way that presents a message you want your readers to know. It would be good not to lift out complete sentences or paragraphs, but rather edit them so that they would reflect also your own style of writing. Aside from using these classic Catholic literary sources, you can also add insights of your own. Perhaps an excerpt you obtained from a classic writing reminds you of your own spiritual experience or insight. As long as your insight is in line with the thinking and practice of the Church, then you can write it as a Catholic article or blog post.

3. Writing original content like poems and opinion articles

This is perhaps the most unique content any Catholic blogger or site owner can write about. Poems are personal, and so are opinion articles. But like the reflections on Scripture passages, you can make your personal poems and opinion articles have a universal value - touching the universal conscience, mind and hearts of your readers. So that your poems or opinion articles may be connected to real-time information, you can write them within the context of the Church's liturgical calendar. This would make your Catholic article or blog post in step with the practice of the Church.

4. Connecting a news item with historical information

Another direction in writing unique content is to link current news and information with historical places of the Church, places of pilgrimages, allusions to the life of a saint and the spirituality which he influenced the Church with. The Pope often teaches the example of a saint's life in some of his messages. With the Pope's message, you can then give ample space for reflection and a deeper understanding of the faith through a certain important era in Church history or through the life and teaching of a saint. With this form of writing unique content, plus good timing, adequate literary resources, and a system of publishing, you can make your Catholic blog, site and network give a good service to real-time searchers.

Where to get resources for writing unique Catholic articles and blog posts

The Catholic Church is in Twitter. There are many Catholics who use Twitter as a platform for Catholic evangelization. You may wish to follow them there. For formal Catholic news sites, you can check on EWTN and Zenit News. These sites can help you obtain the most recent news items on the universal Church. With these resources, you just need to make the "connection" between a current news item, and how it can be rooted to classic literary sources that inform about the Church's history, spirituality, and traditions. If in your writing, you can strike a good balance between relevancy, and that space needed so your readers will pause to give more time for some reflection, then you can create high-quality web pages that are not only relevant, but also give a unique method of introducing the readers to the classics of the Catholic faith. To accomplish this, you can follow three Catholic news sites:

EWTN (www.ewtn.com/vnews/headlines.asp)
Zenit (www.zenit.org/index.php?l=english)
Vatican (www.youtube.com/user/vatican)

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Discover updated ideas on basic and small Catholic web site development, blogging, social networking, and web applications. Click on the search button and get ideas for your own Catholic blog, site and network. This page leads you to a Catholic network built on Blogger.com, Webring.com, and C-web-developer.net.