Day 161: The Liturgy of the Hours

The Liturgy of the Hours, which is like an extension of the Eucharistic celebration, does not exclude but rather in a complementary way calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration and worship of the Blessed Sacrament. CCC 1178

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the Liturgy of the Hours, "the prayer of the whole People of God" (CCC 1175). The Catechism Compendium summarizes this section:

The Liturgy of the Hours, which is the public and common prayer of the Church, is the prayer of Christ with his body, the Church. Through the Liturgy of the Hours the mystery of Christ, which we celebrate in the Eucharist, sanctifies and transforms the whole of each day. It is composed mainly of psalms, other biblical texts, and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters. (#243)

There are some good apps and websites to pray the Divine Office nowadays, which is amazing to me to see. I actually have a four-week psalter from the Liturgy of the Hours, but to be honest, this is what I find to be most useful in my personal prayer life:

It complements the Liturgy of the Hours, with daily Mass readings, morning & evening prayers, meditations, and spiritual reflections. I can follow along with this much easier than other books or apps I've seen, and together with the Rosary, have found it very rewarding! While I prefer to hold the actual monthly book, Magnificat also has a great app.

Regardless of which one prefers, I do like how the Catechism Companion, Vol II notes that:

God made time and, because of that, time can be holy. As Christians, we are called to consecrate time. No matter who we are or how big our home is, we can all set aside time that is holy to the Lord. (p. 86)