The business apostolate His Way at Work (HWAW) has bestowed an award for the project “Según tu Palabra” (“According to Your Word”), an initiative by a young Spaniard, Yael Moreno, that aims to facilitate Bible study among Catholics.
Developed through the EROI Incubator at the Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV, by its Spanish acronym), “Según tu Palabra” took first prize at the 10th annual HWAW event held in Cancún, Mexico, in October.
‘Making reading the Bible trendy again’
Moreno, who holds a degree in translation and interpreting from the University of Granada and specializes in the Syriac language, won the award with her proposal to create a “Bible with notes” (laid out to provide space for annotations) along with a mobile phone app that through a few simple questions offers a personalized study tailored to the user.
In an interview with EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Moreno explained that the proposal aims to “make reading the Bible trendy again” and to help Catholics “overcome their fear of reading the Bible,” because they think it is “an encrypted book that must be deciphered.”
This aspiration took shape during her childhood. Her parents were part of Bible study groups and initiatives to create biblical musical theater, both initiatives promoted by Juan Bautista Arroyo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Granada who passed away in 2020 and whom Cardinal Antonio Cañizares had appointed as director of performing arts for that ecclesiastical region.
For Moreno, Bible study was part of her daily routine. Upon reaching adolescence, she discovered that “it’s not all that common in the Catholic Church to know the Bible beyond hearing the Gospel at Mass and having the priest explain it during the homily.”
At the age of 15 or 16, she began looking for Bible studies: “I wanted to delve deeper, to have the Bible be a part of my prayer life, and to encounter God and his word. But there weren’t many Catholic options available.”
‘Lord, are you calling me to be an entrepreneur?’
With a desire to address this situation, she completed her university studies but was still uncertain about what to do next. At that time, she recalled, “I wasn’t sure which path to take, nor could I quite see how my gifts might take concrete form, what my professional vocation was.”
Prototype of the “Según tu Palabra” (“According to Your Word”) app designed by Yael Moreno with the support of His Way At Work and Francisco de Vitoria University. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Yael Moreno
Following a friend’s recommendation, she joined the EROI Incubator — a Catholic business entrepreneurship program with the personal goal of answering one question: “Lord, are you calling me to be an entrepreneur?”
Having won the HWAW competition, she joined Growth Lab, another UFV initiative where students are currently putting together their business venture. For Moreno, this presents a challenge, given her background in the humanities; however, with this support, she hopes to soon launch the first prototype of the app and determine whether the concept is truly a viable business idea.
The young, up-and-coming entrepreneur is convinced of the need for a project of this nature: “We live in a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish what is true from what is not, especially with AI. I believe it is important that, when it comes to faith, that there be no distortion of what Jesus said.”
Understanding the context of each book, recognizing the original meaning of the words “in the language in which they were conceived,” being able to apply this to concrete, everyday life, and sharing it with others — these are some of the project’s main objectives.
For Moreno, “According to Your Word” is more than just the name of a project. “It constantly reminds me what my prayer should be” regarding this endeavor: namely, she said, “that it may be done according to his word.”
This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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