Sweet Tweets for 3/07/14 — Walking with Christ Joyfully

Even though it’s only been two days, a Friday seems not only the perfect day for Sweet Tweets, but also a perfect day to reflect back upon how our Lent has been going so far. Perhaps, like me, you’ve already played the mental game of “I don’t really need to fast from xyz after all this year…” or “I said I’d to abc daily, but once a week is really a better idea.” How quickly someone like me can go from the euphoria of Ash Wednesday to the same old song and dance of justification and loss of focus. But this year, I’m not falling into my personal trap of “Oh well, I’ll try better next year.” This year, I’m keeping one word — the word we keep hearing from Pope Francis — in my heart:

Joy.

Joy is what I felt on Wednesday went I went forward at my parish to receive my ashes. Joy is what I want to continue to focus on as I endeavor this Lent to walk more closely with Jesus. Joy is what I want to exude this Lent when I share my faith with those around me. I will most definitely trip up with my chosen fast, fall short of my desired prayer routines, and be less generous than desired with my almsgiving. But I am striving not to let this human nature of mine keep me from that JOY I desire, the one I’ve felt so deeply and tangibly that I crave it always, for myself and for my loved ones. I hope this Lenten season finds you experiencing it as well!

Thank you to John Clem for making this weekly feature possible!

• Papal Tweet: “Our deepest joy comes from Christ: remaining with him, walking with him, being his disciples.” (Pope Francis March 7th)
• Help spread Pope Francis’ Twitter postings by installing this app on your Facebook: The Pope Tweets http://ow.ly/u7wK4 
• Cardinal Wuerl of Washington aids in production of movie “Son of God” (CNS) http://youtu.be/ABeMSC3H7nU 
• 40 Bags in 40 Days 2014 Decluttering Lent Challenge – white house black shutters http://ow.ly/u8zMM 
• USCCB Lenten Calendar 2014 http://ow.ly/u9aHG 
• Pope Angelus: Appeal for Ukraine and Christian fraternity (Vatican Radio) http://ow.ly/u9aT1 
• Jesuits offering Lenten Program of Ignatian Spirituality — Moved to Greater Love http://ow.ly/u9iSN 
• Computers, Candy, and Distractions | American Catholic Blog http://ow.ly/uaTzL 
• All Things Catholic: A new way of doing Vatican’s business, & other topics – (John Allen) The Boston Globe http://ow.ly/uaUjx 
• God’s Beauty in Yosemite National Park http://vimeo.com/87701971 
• Pope’s prayer intentions for March: the rights of women and the consecration of youth (Rome Reports) http://ow.ly/ubaAA 
• John Paul II and John XXIII depicted in gold, silver and bronze coins & medallions (Rome Reports) http://ow.ly/ubcqy 
• Meet one of the oldest living nun in the world (Rome Reports) http://ow.ly/ubd3W 
• NEW Website for Catholic Young Adults: Reverb Culture http://ow.ly/uboMM 
• Holy f***! Pope Francis drops the F-Bomb during mass in St Peter’s Square – http://BelfastTelegraph.co.uk  http://ow.ly/ubQ3J 
• Satire: Pope Francis Gets Last F-Bomb Out Of System before Giving Up Cussing For Lent | Eye of the Tiber http://ow.ly/uewsp 
• Pope Francis makes Castel Gandolfo papal gardens open to the public http://ow.ly/ubUgi 
• Video: FOCUS on campus Catholicism at George Mason University (CNS) http://youtu.be/H2hHAXs4FGM 
• Virtual Chapel by Catholic Releif Service – Request a Prayer http://ow.ly/ubZOB 
• European publisher launches new Pope Francis weekly magazine :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) http://ow.ly/ucJaL 
• LENT 2014: A Lenten message from Pope Francis | Tony Magliano – PAX CHRISTI USA http://ow.ly/udFd2 
• Ancient Lenten pilgrimage comes to life through new book by George Weigel :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) http://ow.ly/ueb7J 
• NEW Lentsanity App- Fellowship of Catholic University Students http://ow.ly/ueMVU 
• Documentary: Catholicism and the challenge of liberty (CNS) – worth watching! http://youtu.be/Q67NdnYMC8c 
• Pope Francis: Lent helps fight the indifference to “violence, poverty and social decay” (Rome Reports) http://ow.ly/ufYkQ 
• Good Confession – a new website from http://CatholicsComeHome.org  http://ow.ly/ugtBr 
• Video: Advice from Fr. James Martin, SJ, for Lent — “Be Kind” with 3 simple ways http://youtu.be/90g8fVNkPPU 
• The Biggest Myth About Pornography – Bought with a Price (Bishop Paul Loverde) | http://BrandonVogt.com  http://ow.ly/ugGPL 
• Fasting from Technology: A Lenten Discipline and Much Harder than Giving Up Cheeseburgers! Faith and Safety http://ow.ly/ugHUV 
• Can an Atheist Scientist Believe in Miracles? | Strange Notions http://ow.ly/ugIpF 
• Selfies Bring Ashtags to Lent – http://WSJ.com  http://ow.ly/ujgfS 
• Christians Mark Ash Wednesday With #Ashtag Selfies (Buzzfeed) http://ow.ly/uhx9z 
• Video: Ukranian-Russian tensions discussed by both ethnic communities in New York City hoping for peace (CNS) http://ow.ly/uhDm0 
• Higher Power: Cardinal Donald Wuerl’s New Vatican Job | People & Politics | Washingtonian http://ow.ly/uiSHK 
• BREAKING: Fulton Sheen miracle approved! | http://BrandonVogt.com  http://ow.ly/uiZ6O 
• Four Apps to Deepen Your Lent | Sarah ReinhardBlogs | http://NCRegister.com  http://ow.ly/uiZEP 
• Lenten Resources: Apps, Links, Music and More (Elizabeth Scalia – Patheos) http://ow.ly/uj269 
• Help The Eastern Rite Nuns In Ukraine. Here’s How… (Frank Weathers – Patheos) http://ow.ly/uj3U4 
• First Sunday of Lent | Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America http://ow.ly/uj4cJ 
• Full Transcript of Pope Francis’ March 5 Interview With ‘Corriere della Sera’ | Daily News | http://NCRegister.com  http://ow.ly/ujfwU 
• Pope Francis reveals he took his late confessor’s cross (The Associated Press) http://ow.ly/uk4Xn 
• Tech Tip: Getty Images Now Allows the Embedding of Photos for Free (Laughing Squid) http://ow.ly/uk5FC 
• Nazareth: Mary’s ‘Yes’ | American Catholic Blog http://ow.ly/uk73R 
• New Video: Made for Each Other — current questions about the meaning of marriage and answers them. (USCCB) http://youtu.be/Ustw1Ys-J2U 
• The Season of Making Pitches | American Catholic Blog http://ow.ly/ul73u 
• Music Video: Daylight’s Ending (Lenten theme based on Liturgy of the Hours) Steve Angisano – Spirit Juice Films http://youtu.be/NU5Yh4Xe9pw 
• The Joy of Gazpacho | Soup & Stories | The Practicing Catholic http://ow.ly/ulka8 
• The Roman Station Liturgy // The Pontifical North American College http://ow.ly/ulfGB 
• Reminder to Spring your clocks forward this Sunday: Daylight Saving Time 2014: When Does It Begin? And Why? http://ow.ly/ullsf 
• Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful on Lifetime Sat. 8pm EST http://youtu.be/A_nMgXjvwvU 
• Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI remembers Bl. John Paul II (Vatican Radio) http://ow.ly/ulw3G 
• Care for Creation: Whole Earth Summit — FREE and online March 11-13 http://ow.ly/ulRTs 
• Prayers for Cardinal George as his cancer has returned — Catholic New World – Lent: Taking stock of our lives http://ow.ly/ulRyU 
• nunblog: Share a Nun Story for National Catholic Sisters Week March 8-14! (Sr. Anne Flanagan, DSP) http://ow.ly/umfOp 
• The Martyrs’ Rose: Félicité-Perpétue (Kathy Schiffer – Patheos) http://ow.ly/umeGA 

John Clem is the Director and Media Minister at Catholic Web Services (http://catholicws.com/). John is currently in formation to join 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+.