VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Returning to his weekly general audiences after a monthlong summer break, Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to embrace the Liturgy of the Hours more fully in their daily lives, saying the church's public prayer is an antidote to a world shaped by technology, consumerism and an efficiency-driven mindset.
"Every week and every day, the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours are the breath of the life of the Church, which makes the Holy Spirit circulate through her Body," he said Aug. 5.
Because of Rome's summer heat, the pope held the audience inside instead of St. Peter's Square; however, this time it was held in St. Peter's Basilica rather than in the Paul VI Hall. As he processed to the altar, he stopped to shake hands with attendees and bless babies and rosaries.
Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo reflected on 'Sacrosanctum Concilium,' the Constitution on the liturgy. He said "it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to pray," and that Christians unite themselves with Christ in offering praise and thanksgiving to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Bound to the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the rhythm of the day, the pope said, beginning with morning prayer, continuing at midday and evening, and ending with night prayer as the faithful entrust themselves to God's peace.
"Each hour is an act of hope," he said.
The Liturgy of the Hours is the church's official daily prayer, consisting of psalms, Scripture readings, hymns and prayers recited at designated times throughout the day. Pope Leo said the tradition of prayer is "no longer passed on" even in many Christian families, even though prayer is a "fundamental dimension of our humanity."
In societies "dominated by an efficiency-driven and consumerist mindset," prayer can seem "pointless and trivial," the pope said. In a world "where science and technology claim to provide all the answers," he added, prayer may appear to be a form of escapism.
"Brothers and sisters, may we find the spiritual nourishment necessary on our earthly pilgrimage by joining with the whole Church in her liturgical prayer as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," the pope said in his greeting to English-speaking pilgrims.
"Far from avoiding the world and its needs, all prayer, especially in the entire liturgy, is the essential dimension of our humanity," he added.
The pope's encouragement comes after the Vatican approved a new English-language edition of the Liturgy of the Hours in November 2025. After 13 years, the U.S. bishops produced a translation that more closely reflects the original Latin texts. The first volume is expected to be released ahead of Lent 2027.
In his greeting to French-speaking pilgrims, Pope Leo encouraged those on summer vacation to deepen their interior life by spending more time with the Lord in prayer. Even leisure and rest, he said, "belong to him" and "can be sanctified by his presence."
