Prayer: There's an App for That

I'm not sure why, but I've thought for a long time that my Catholic brothers and sisters seem to have some of the best blogs in the blogosphere. But that's not all. They are also creating some of the best iPhone and iPad applications, especially when it comes to prayer.

The Ministry of Divine Office, a nonprofit group that offers the “Liturgy of the Hours” collection of Roman Catholic prayers online and via the iPhone and iPod Touch, in partnership with Surgeworks, Inc., has released the latest version of its “Prayer” app with two new features and iPad compatibility.

The “Prayer” app is the most complete prayer database available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It works without an Internet connection, providing users with access to more than a thousand prayers in English (plus more than a hundred prayers in Italian, Latin, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese.

The “Prayer” app includes all the official Common Prayers, Daily Prayers (including morning offering and prayer before meals), Blessings, and more. While the Rosary and Marian prayers would not necessarily fit an evangelical's practice of prayer, some would. And, at $1.99, it is worth checking out.

The Ministry of Divine Office also offers other applications to encourage and facilitate prayer:

• Morning Prayer (Lauds) – audio Liturgy of the Hours
• Evening Prayer (Vespers) – audio Liturgy of the Hours
• Night Prayer (Compline) – audio Liturgy of the Hours
• Liturgy of the Hours – audio and text Liturgy of the Hours

To find out more, search the iTunes store for the "Prayer" app, and look for the graphic that accompanies this review.