We're one full week into Lent, but it's not too late to reassess our Lenten practices or add some additional time to daily prayer. Prayer is our communication with God - If we don't make time to pray every single day, we're ignoring the most important part of our lives.
These days, there are a number of apps that can help us to pray. Here are three that I use frequently and recommend:
Hallow is, by far, the prayer app that I use and enjoy the most. Hallow, which is available on the App Store and on Google Play, offers a wide variety of audio prayers and meditations, including the Rosary, the Daily Gospel, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Stations of the Cross, homilies, the Bible in a Year, and many more. Although a paid subscription is required for some of the recordings, I've gotten many hours of use out of the free version. I especially enjoy using the app to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy on my drive home from work. Hallow offers a sleek, professional, easy-to-use interface that distinguishes it from many other Catholic apps.
If you're looking for the daily Mass readings or the Liturgy of the Hours, iBreviary (available on the App Store and on Google Play) is the app you need. Because parishes aren't keeping printed missalettes in the pews these days, I've noticed a number of people using iBreviary to follow along at Mass. Because I pray Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours each day, I more often use iBreviary when, for whatever reason, I don't have my printed breviary handy. Many Catholics are unfamiliar with the Liturgy of the Hours, but it's an excellent way to immerse yourself in the Psalms, to follow the Church's liturgical calendar, and to punctuate the day with prayer. The iBreviary app is simple and easy-to-use, without any unnecessary bells and whistles.
Catholify (available on the App Store and on Google Play) is relatively new in my arsenal of apps, but I've found it to be quite helpful as our parish prepares for consecration to St. Joseph on March 19. The book Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald Calloway has been in very high demand, but Catholify is offering the book for FREE in its app from February 15 to March 19. If you're interested in joining our parish in its Consecration to St. Joseph, it's not too late to start using the book - or the Catholify app - to join us! Catholify also offers an in-app Bible and an assortment of Catholic prayers that you may find useful.
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