Frequently Asked Questions

On Every Word Scripture Journal is a 365-Day Scripture Journal that includes the Gospel passage from Mass each day and lined space to journal.

Entries from January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026.

Introductions on how to pray with Scripture from Dr. Brant Pitre and Fr. Mark Toups are included in the front of the journal.

• Smyth Sewn pages
• Brown Color Ribbon 
• Brown Color endpages
• Matching Head and tail bands
• 50# Cream Paper
• 800 pages
• Hickory brown hardcover made from a polycotton blend fabric and acrylic coating to serve tear and abrasion resistance.  Cover is stamped with the journal's title, as is the spine.
• Approx size: 5.8" x 8.8" x 1.9"
• Approx weight: 2.3 lbs

GOSPELS
We chose the Gospels because we wanted to help put people in touch with the Person of Jesus Christ - what he did, how he did it - what he said, how he said it. 

”The Gospels are the heart of all the Scriptures ‘because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior.’”  - CCC 125

SIMPLE
We wanted this journal to be simple.  So many of us when we want to start praying with Scripture don’t know where to start.
‘Start with the Gospels’… how much do I read at one time?  ‘Start at the beginning of the Bible’… that’s overwhelming.  ‘Pray with the Scriptures from Mass’… which ones?… All of them?  Where do I find that?  Now I need to buy a missal or get a subscription to something.  
We wanted this to be simple.  So, we chose the Gospel reading from Mass.  It’s usually short.  And it’s just the Gospel.  It’s all chosen for us.  Many of us out there will appreciate that. 

ENCOUNTER
We also wanted a space where we can engage with the text itself, and thus encounter and dialogue with GOD who is speaking.  Since this journal is for 2026 and not a missal that we would use year after year, we could engage with the text more freely by underlining, circling, writing notes.  And then instead of having a separate journal (which can certainly be a great thing), we included a space to journal for each day next to the Gospel passage.  So we could see this journal like your bible and journal in one.

“In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them.” - CCC 104

ACCOUNTABILITY
I think that many of us who start praying with Scripture everyday start out strong.  Then comes that first day we skip (for various reasons).  Then we may skip again.  Then when we try to begin again, we can often get discouraged.  
The way that this journal is designed is that there is a Gospel passage for everyday.  And it’s from the Mass that day - the same Mass celebrated around the world.  There is a certain solidarity in reading and praying with the same Scripture that millions of Christians are praying with around the world.  We’re not alone in praying with these Scriptures.  We’re all praying together!  And when the day comes that we’re tempted to skip, our journal will call to us to pray and write because if we don’t, that page will be left blank.  The date and the liturgical celebration’s name is also at the top of every page.  Often, when we’re journaling and we skip prayer for a day or days (or weeks) and then return to our journal, there is not much on those pages that is holding us accountable to writing everyday.  We just begin again where we left off.  This Scripture Journal is designed in a way that has small built-in accountability.  We surely appreciate that and hope that some of you will too.

We chose the Gospel reading for Mass each day and followed the Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America 2026 from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

As you may know, there are often specific readings for Memorials and Optional Memorials. These readings are optional. There are a few memorials that have a 'proper' Gospel, which means that whether or not a pastor chooses all of the optional readings for that day, the Gospel for that Memorial must be proclaimed.
Whenever there is a proper Gospel for a memorial, following the liturgical calendar, we chose that Gospel for the journal that day. That said, while a pastor can certainly chose the particular optional readings for a memorial or optional memorial for his particular congregation, we decided to stick with the Scripture for the ferial or seasonal weekday in this journal for a number of reasons.
If all that is a little confusing, we totally understand lol. Simply speaking, we follow the liturgical calendar for the United States put out by the USCCB and only choose the Gospel reading for memorials when the Church states it must be proclaimed. If you have more questions about this, feel free to reach out to us.

Some of us love to journal.  Some of us would like to, but may not know where to begin.  Here are a few options to consider:

•  Write what stood out to you from the passage... a word, words, or theme that captured your attention or affection.  

•  Jot down your strongest thought, feeling, or desire that came up in your prayer.

•  Write down what happened in your prayer time, even if it’s just a few words.

•  Write a short letter or note to God.  Maybe address the letter, “Dear LORD” or “Dear Father” or “Dear Jesus” or “Dear Friend,” etc. and share your heart with him who is listening.

Writing down the word(s) from Scripture that captured our attention or affection during our prayer can help us hold on to it throughout the day and remind us of what God may have been speaking to us.

It can also be fruitful to regularly look back on our journal entries - possibly once a week or once a month - and review the content of our prayer.  We may be able to recognize a theme or consistant word from the LORD.

For a free digital copy of the 2025-2026 Liturgical Calendar used in this Scripture Journal, visit:
usccb.org/committees/divine-worship/liturgical-calendar

For more information about the liturgical year and calendar, visit: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year

For the full text of readings at Mass each day, including readings for Memorials and Optional Memorials, visit: 
bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs # 101-141 refer to the Church's teaching on Sacred Scripture.

Below are a few quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church that highlight the gift of Scripture and the encouragement to pray with God’s Word.  We hope that these favorite quotes of ours bless you as much as they do us.

-------------------

"In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, “but as what it really is, the word of God.” “In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them.”
- CCC 104

“And such is the force and power of the Word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigor and the children of the Church as strength for their faith, food for the soul, and a pure and lasting font of spiritual life.”  Hence “access to Sacred Scripture ought to be open wide to the Christian faithful.”
- CCC 131

“The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures as she venerated the Body of the Lord”: both nourish and govern the whole Christian life. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”
- CCC 141

"The Gospels are the heart of all the Scriptures “because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior.”  
- CCC 125

"The fourfold Gospel holds a unique place in the Church, as is evident both in the veneration which the liturgy accords it and in the surpassing attraction it has exercised on the saints at all times:
 . . .

'But above all it’s the Gospels that occupy my mind when I’m at prayer; my poor soul has so many needs, and yet this is the one thing needful. I’m always finding fresh lights there, hidden and enthralling meanings.' (St Therese)
- CCC 127

"The Church “… specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful . . . to learn ‘the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,’ by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. ‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.’”
- CCC 133

At the end of the day, we believe that the choice of pen really comes down to personal preference. Some pens write more or less smooth than others. Some write with more or less ink. Some write with more or less bleed. Some write with more or less smear.

That said, the paper used in our journal is a 50# 500ppi natural paper. It is thin and lightweight. While it is thin, it is significantly thicker than Bible paper.

We are currently testing a number of different brands and types of pens on the paper. We will share our findings and suggestions with you in November 2025.

Until then, a simple search for 'bible pens' will bring you more info than you may have thought out there.