Daily Readings for Catholics

Reading the Mass readings before Sunday, or on a weekday when you can't get to church, is one of the simplest ways to let Scripture shape your day. The Church has already chosen the passages; all we need to do is open them. The question is often just finding a few quiet minutes to read.

What it does

Daily Readings for Catholics puts the daily Mass readings on your phone, so you can follow along at Mass or pray with them at home. Now and then the readings come with comments from well-known Catholic voices, which can help you see how a passage applies to everyday life. Its most useful extra is a read-aloud option: you can have your phone read the readings to you, so you can listen while getting ready in the morning, cooking dinner or driving to work.

That makes it a good fit for people who would rather listen than read, or who simply don't have time to sit down with a screen.

The catch

The app is free and tiny, at under 10 MB, and it remains popular, with a 4.5 rating from more than 5,000 ratings. The concern is age. It hasn't been updated since September 2017, which is a long time for an app that has to deliver fresh content every day. Older apps can look out of place on newer phones and may stop working after future iOS updates. Before you build a daily habit around it, check that today's readings load properly on your device.

It is also a fairly simple app. There are no prayer collections, no Liturgy of the Hours and no full missal, so if you want more, a larger readings app may serve you better.

For someone who wants the day's readings, read aloud, with as little fuss as possible, Daily Readings for Catholics still has real appeal. It suits commuters, busy parents and anyone who prays best with their ears. Try it, confirm it works well for you, and enjoy starting the day with the Word of God.