When the News is A Call to Action: Top Catholic Tweets for 3/27/15

As always, the news of the week leads me into prayer. There is something about these waning days of Lent which has my heart aligned so fully with those who are suffering and in pain.

I recall as a young girl that at our Catholic school we used a Stations of the Cross booklet which shared pictures and stories of children in challenging situations around the world. One particular photo showed a young Mexican orphan girl, standing amidst the rubble caused by an earthquake, mourning the loss of her family. I remember many times praying that particular Station with tears streaming down my young face. I wanted somehow to help that girl, to wipe the tears from her face and to bring her home to my family. I wanted to ease her pain.

I have that same reaction today when I ponder the loved ones of those who lost loved ones in the Germanwings air tragedy. But I also have it when my own state takes a step closer to legalizing euthanasia or a nearby state approves execution by firing squad.

We have so very many reasons as Catholics to not only read the news, but also to have it galvanize our call to action. If we are to truly call ourselves Christians, we must become–as Pope Francis tweeted—a leaven of Christian living within society.

The laity are called to become a leaven of Christian living within society.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 26, 2015

“Leaven” is an active substance. Leaven, when added to dough, prepares its host and causes action. As “leaven”, we Christians are called to do more than simply read the news. We are called to rise up, and make something happen.

I’m grateful to my friend John Clem, O.F.S. for this week’s Top Catholic Tweets:

• Papal Tweet:  “The laity are called to become a leaven of Christian living within society.” (Pope Francis March 26th)
• Pope Francis: no crime ever deserves the death penalty (News.va) ow.ly/KAiif
• Francis thunders against abuse of workers, corruption in Naples (National Catholic Reporter) ow.ly/KCxYN
• The blood of St. Januarius was liquified while the Pope visited Naples (Rome Reports) ow.ly/KD3Q7
• World Down Syndrome Day: Being Different, It’s Normal (Jérôme Lejeune Foundation USA) ow.ly/KDhwn
• Pope condemns lack of welcome in society for former inmates (News.va) ow.ly/KD4xU
• Why are we so afraid to talk about Ida? – CNA Blog ow.ly/KDkBT
• What’s your Myers-Briggs saint? (Billy Kangas – Patheos) ow.ly/KE08q
• Pope calls on Christians to express their faith in action – 300 homeless pass out 50K Gospels (Vatican Radio) ow.ly/KE2c0
• Pope: Earth’s water must be protected, available to everyone (The Washington Post) ow.ly/KEeux
• March 22 was World Water Day: Every Day Is World Water Day (Catholic Relief Services) ow.ly/KECjx
• Tech Tip: Most Popular Malware Threats and How to Avoid Them | CatholicMom.com  ow.ly/KFJsZ
• What is Temptation, why does God permit it, and what are its sources? « Archdiocese of Washington ow.ly/KFJZN
• MUST SEE TV: 60 Minutes Segment On Iraqi Christians Persecuted By ISIS (Frank Weathers) ow.ly/KGD2d
• Archbishop Oscar Romero, El Salvador’s most trusted news source | National Catholic Reporter ow.ly/KGIFH
• The final hours of Monsignor Romero (Rome Reports) ow.ly/KJka6
• Report from Haiti: Nuns Serving Sick and Poor, Beaten and Robbed – Aleteia ow.ly/KHtgh
• Pope Francis erects diocese of Nogales, Mexico, just south of U.S. | National Catholic Reporter ow.ly/KHyHr
• First Episode – The Pope Francis Minute: “No Day Goes by Without Forgiveness in the Harris Family” | Catholic Link ow.ly/KJjOs
• Reclaiming the human figure – art exhibit uses body, form to evangelize :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) ow.ly/KJkOi
• The ‘African moment’ in global Catholicism gathers steam (John Allen – Crux) ow.ly/KJl5G
• Pope calls for renewed prayers for Synod on the Family (News.va) ow.ly/KMrUR
• The Annunciation and the One Ring | Dominicana Blog ow.ly/KMzWG
• Vatican Invites 150 Homeless People for Dinner and a Sistine Chapel Tour | Daily News | (NCR) ow.ly/KMCck
• St. Boniface Church In San Francisco Lets Homeless People Sleep In Pews (Huff Post) ow.ly/KMOvu
• Best Lent Ever: 10 Great Reasons to Be Catholic (Dynamic Catholic) ow.ly/KMQnh
• What Catholics Should Know About Islam (Catholic365.com) ow.ly/KMRE7
• 500 Priests in England and Wales Just Signed A Letter That Everyone Should Read | CatholicVote.org ow.ly/KMS4R
• Welcome Pope Francis to America-Catholic Extension launches ‪#‎FlatFrancis‬ social media campaign.http://www.flatfrancis.org/
• Catholics in England gather to pray for King Richard III, one of their own :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) ow.ly/KNQba
• Franciscan Media Announces TWO Jean Vanier 2015 Book Debuts | American Catholic ow.ly/KNQWN
• Kudos to Bishop Christopher Coyne -How many bishops get on the floor to play with kids? Truly a humble servant of Christ ow.ly/i/a5Y2c
• Donna Douglas played Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. Amazing prayer she gave shortly before she died. ow.ly/KOkRh
• Palestinian president may visit Vatican a second time for canonization Mass :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) ow.ly/KPjeB
• Pope leads worldwide prayer for peace as part of 500 Anniv. of St. Teresa of Avila (News.va) ow.ly/KPkxv
• Notre Dame Bioethicist Foresees Manufactured Sperm and Eggs–Soon (Aleteia) ow.ly/KPkKT
• Sacred Heart parishioners killed in French Alps plane crash (The Arlington Catholic Herald) ow.ly/KPwD6
• In Pittsburgh, leftover parish fish fry oil recycled into alternative fuel | National Catholic Reporter ow.ly/KPLRq
• President, first lady to welcome Pope Francis to White House Sept. 23 (CNS) ow.ly/KPU60
• Tataouine, town in Tunisia that inspired Star Wars, becomes Isis waypoint (The Guardian) ow.ly/KQKel
• Canadian Patrons Help Restore Pinturicchio’s Borgia Apartments | The Patrons of the Arts ow.ly/KQLvw
• A guide to parenting at the table (Boys Town) (tip from the Catholic Foodie) ow.ly/KQPF9
• Papal ecology: Protecting all God’s creatures, respecting God’s plan (CNS) ow.ly/KQQzU
• California Catholic Conference: Approval of assisted suicide is ‘sad and disappointing’ (NCR) ow.ly/KQSWS
• When People Ask If It’s Fair to Expect My Children to Take Care Of Their Brother (The Mighty) ow.ly/KRnd0
• A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac (Maria Morera Johnson – another cup of coffee) ow.ly/KRosK
• Baseball and prayer: A spring training story (CNS) ow.ly/KSxa7

Holy Week 2015

• Video: Holy Week in Two Minutes (Busted Halo) ow.ly/KNsMI
• Catholic Cuisine: Fig Bibles and Palm Sundaes ow.ly/KENKx
• Killing Jesus – Premiers March 29th at 8pm ET (National Geographic Channel ow.ly/KNWGF
• Great idea for an Easter basket (La Bioguia) ow.ly/i/a6sp3
• Video: Holy Week 2015 (Fr. Jim Gardiner, OFM – Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America) ow.ly/KPUWG
• A.D. The Bible Continues – Series Premier Easter Sunday April 5th at 9pm ET (NBC) ow.ly/KQP2m
• Father Peter Vasko, OFM on Good Friday Collection (Holy Land Franciscans) ow.ly/KRdOc
• Video: Fr. Robert Barron on Palm Sunday | Word On Fire ow.ly/KSuJ3
• Every Sunday Is Palm Sunday (Peter J. Leithart – First Things) ow.ly/KSwvN

John Clem, O.F.S is the Director and Media Minister at Catholic Web Services (http://catholicws.com/). John is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and loves to share his talents in faith, technology, and journalism in service to the church. John also writes a blog entitled Call To Holiness (http://www.calltoholiness.us/). Follow John on Twitter at @Catholicwebs, on Facebook and at Google+.