Magnificat English Editions

Magnificat is the monthly Catholic prayer companion many parishes carry in their pews — the small paperback with daily Mass readings, Morning and Evening Prayer, meditations, and the lives of the saints. The Magnificat app is the same content, on a phone, with the months unlocked as you subscribe.

Each day you get Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the readings for that day's Mass. There are short meditations on the Gospel, a brief life of the day's saint, and sacred art with notes. The American English edition follows the US lectionary; an international edition follows the universal calendar. Everything is properly formatted, with the propers and Marian antiphons in their right places.

I've subscribed to the paper edition off and on for years. The app is the same editorial standard — faithful, traditional, well-written. The meditations are by good Catholic writers, the saint lives are short and substantive, and the art reproductions are thoughtful. It's not flashy, but it's the kind of content you can pray with for years.

Good for daily Mass-goers, anyone praying Morning or Evening Prayer who doesn't yet have a full Liturgy of the Hours, and parishes that want to point parishioners to a single trustworthy daily companion. Also a fine way to introduce someone to Catholic prayer life — the structure carries you.

It's a paid subscription. The annual cost is comparable to the paper edition, so it's a real expense; you're paying for content, not just a download. If you already get the paper Magnificat, you may not need the app on top of it unless you travel.

Subscription-based, by Magnificat. Available on the App Store: Magnificat English Editions. One of the best Catholic prayer companions you can put on a phone.