"Pray without ceasing..." says St. Paul. Indeed frail as we are, we are all called to pray. In many ways the Church has found a way to fuflfill this mandate through the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours. What other forms of devotional prayer could be more Biblical than the Liturgy of the Hours or the Divine Office? Those in the Sacred Orders and the professed religious are bound by Law to recite the office. But since Vatican II the council has encouraged the faithful to recite the Divine Office in their own circumstances and as time permits. One thing that differentiate the religious life from the laity is that the religious have more time to devote to prayer, not like the laity who are burdened with the daily chores of making a living and supporting their families. But as I am reminded of a Hymn that goes this way..."Sweet Hour of Prayer... sweet hour of prayer...that calls me from a world of care..." Indeed prayer is a refuge... it is not the mere murmuring of words but the act of the mind that ascend to God by meditation and inspiration. Reciting the Liturgy of the Hours wether in private or in community setting is indeed more beneficial that our privately composed prayers because it is the prayer of the whole Church. When we meditate on these psalms, readings and prayers, we elevate our minds to God together with the members of Christ's Body. When I was younger in age and in spirituality, I though that prayer was more of recitation of words. When I reached puberty I began to question the rationale for memorization and recitation of prayers. But when I became older I realized that printed and recited prayers were aid or tools designed to help us set our mind attune to the mind of the Lord. Even if we recite the same words daily, yet if our hearts and minds are open to the Lord, He will always give us new insights that will revitalize our prayer life.
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