Everyone uses Netflix because there is so much to watch (both good and bad stuff). But what about content for Catholics? There isn’t much there to begin with and some of the stuff that is there is just plain wrong about our faith. But there is another place you can go that has content tailor made by Catholics for Catholics of all ages. Enter Formed.org
Formed.org is a great resource for information on the Catholic faith. It has everything! From movies on the saints, to a full explanation on how the new pope will be selected, to in depth bible studies for the nerds out there (me included). Whether you are a complete beginner in the church, or if you want to go deeper into your faith, it has something for you. It also has amazing content for kids and a whole section of material in Spanish.
There is A LOT of content on the site and, to be fair, their search feature isn’t the best. But here are my recommendations on where to get started. But before I go on I do need to tell you that, just like Netflix, this is a paid site. But no worries there, I will tell you a way of getting full access to Formed.org for free at the end of this post. Something else I need to mention, in order for the links to the studies below to work properly you must first be logged in to Formed.
What to Watch
So once you log in for the first time, where do you start? If you want this just for entertainment, then check out the movie selection and have a look around at everything. But if you want something more, especially if you want to learn about your faith, that is where it gets a bit overwhelming. This is where this post will help you out!
If you want to learn what the Catholic faith is all about, there are two series that I recommend. The first is called The Search. I think everyone should get started with this one. It takes you on a journey that asks, what are you really looking for in life and how do you ultimately get it? If you don’t watch anything else on the site, watch the fifth episode of this series called “Who is Jesus?”. In my opinion that is the single best video on this site!
Once you are done with that series, I would recommend one called Symbolon: The Catholic Faith Explained. This series covers an overview of the Catholic faith as a whole. This is perfect for anyone that wants to know what the Church actually teaches. There is a lot of information in this study so take it slow, but if you get through all of it you will know more about the Catholic faith than 95% of anyone you know.
Now for my favorite part of Formed, the Bible studies. I have seen a lot of bible studies over the last few years and some of them can be very boring. The ones I have listed below are amazing in my opinion. In general the Lectio group of lectures is a goldmine of information and the instructors are engaging and thorough. In no particular order, here are my favorites from the ones I have completed:
As I mentioned earlier, there is also an entire section for kids. What I would point to there is a series called Brother Francis. At our church we use these videos to explain or reinforce concepts to our kids in our First Holy Communion classrooms.
To be honest, I really haven’t gone through the stuff in Spanish but it is jam packed with stuff there too, so if you are a Spanish speaker check it out.
And just like Netflix there is always something more to watch, so as of the publication of this post, this is the stuff on my “To Watch” list:
- Lectio: Confirmation – I am four videos in and this is a great study.
- Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls – I read the book and now I want to check out this study.
- Lectio: Mary
- Lectio: Mark
How to Get Free Access
In order to get free access Formed.org, go to the website from a desktop or a laptop, you will not see the stuff I am talking about on your phone or tablet. Don’t worry, you only have to use a computer the first time you register (I usually watch stuff on my phone or tablet). At the very top of the page you will see a header that says “FIND YOUR PARISH SUBSCRIPTION” and click there. The search feature on this isn’t the best, but try searching for your parish by address. If you find it, you are in. If it is not in there, ask your parish priest to get a parish membership for your congregation, it is a great investment in your parishioners. My parish has a parish subscription and we have hundreds of users.
But if you don’t find your parish there and if you really want access to the site or if you live in another country, the membership as an individual is totally worth it. And no, I do not make any money on this at all, I just really love their work. In any case, try it out for a month and tell me what you think!
