The Word Among Us began as a magazine in 1981 as a way for Catholics to contemplate the daily readings, even if they didn’t have access to daily Mass. Today, the magazine features not only the daily readings for Mass with meditations on them, but also articles on faith that are meant to assist us in living out the Gospel daily.

The app for The Word Among Us (available in the Newsstand app on your iPhone or iPad) is a simple way to access the magazine’s content for a mere $1.99/month. The app includes each day’s Mass readings, a meditation on those readings, and all the articles in magazine itself.

wau app heroes of faith

While I’ve used other apps for daily meditations on the readings of the day, I enjoyed the various articles available in the magazine, as well as the “Heroes of Faith” section, which held short biographies of various saints. It was easy to see why my mother has been a long-time subscriber to The Word Among Us.

The app itself is simple to use, with a settings tray that allows you to change font size (a must-have for old eyes!) and brightness settings within the app.

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When you open the app, the current issue is on top, but if you touch the icon in the upper-left of the screen, a menu appears that allows you to access previous issues, the order of the Mass (in case you’re using your iPad as a missal), and support, which allows you to keep your subscription up to date.

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From the home screen, you can select Daily Readings, Current Issue, Resources, and Order of the Mass. If you wish, you can see a list for any of these categories, scrolling through titles to select the ones you’re most interested in.

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When you select Resources, sub-categories appear: Marriage & Family, Personal Spirituality, Prayer, and Heroes of Faith, with an option to see a more complete list in any of these categories.

wau app marriage family

While you’re reading within the categories, to get from one article to the next, you simply need to swipe to see the next (or previous) article on the list. There is content available without a subscription, which is unlocked during the trial period (and, of course, when you purchase a subscription).

The app itself is free, and gives you a two-week preview of all content in the app. Past the two-week limit, a subscription is required. If you already subscribe to the print edition of The Word Among Us, you’re able to enter your subscription information and access all content automatically. Digital-only subscriptions are managed through your iTunes billing, whether it be attached to your credit card or to your stash of iTunes gift cards. Digital subscriptions automatically renew and, if desired, must be cancelled from within iTunes through your subscription content.

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I enjoyed my preview of The Word Among Us, and it would be worth the $1.99/month subscription fee for all of the features you get with it. The articles are from authors with a wide variety of life experiences and vocations.

And, naturally, being the geek I am, I loved the biographies of the saints, too! It’s definitely a good resource for Catholics who are seeking inspiration in today’s world.

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Copyright 2013 Christine Johnson