Is it just me or does anyone else think it odd that Apple uses for its logo the bitten apple, a symbol of humanity’s Fall? Such weighty questions are more the ken of saintlier minds than mine but, regardless of the answer, I won’t be giving up my iPhone any time soon. I don’t revere the memory of Steve Jobs and I’ve never owned an Apple product in my life before my iPhone purchase, writes Angelo Stagnaro in The Catholic Herald.

I am decidedly and unapologetically a PC man but like any red-blooded man I love electronics. Portability and accessibility are my mantras. I’ve always have been very anti-Luddite in my approach to life and that spills over into my faith.

Fr Benedict Groeschel was proud to tell me he had never once used a computer in his life but Sister Mary Gregory, my first teacher, who is now 100 years old, was annoyed whenever she encountered younger people (ie, people in their 50s) who still didn’t have email accounts.

“What are they waiting for?” she once asked me. “They won’t need them after the eschaton!”

With the introduction of the iPhone has come a flood of apps (short for software applications). These are tiny programmes that run on a smartphone allowing you to keep your grocery shopping straight, schedule your appointments and settle pub bets before a donnybrook erupts.

Among this explosion of apps are a surprising number made for the discerning Catholic and those discerning whether to become Catholic. Many of them are free while most of the others cost a pound or less.

The free ones often have a sponsor’s banner popping up every now and again but that’s what keeps the app free for users. It’s easy to ignore considering what you’re getting for free. Many of the apps listed below are also available for the Android and Windows system and other platforms as well but iPhone controls the most possibilities. Here are some apps you might consider downloading.

You Version Bible (free)

This app offers many different versions of the Bible, most of which are not canonically approved. But it does offer three Catholic versions including the Good News Version (my favourite), the more traditional Douay-Rheims Version and the Vulgate, for the “Latin-gifted”.

FULL STORY How your mobile phone can help you pray (Catholic Herald)