Fountain of Piety or Devotion

Number 19 of the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours speaks of the Office as a “source of devotion” or piety, a means of gaining God’s many graces and deepening one’s personal life of prayer. Hence, the Opus Dei becomes an important activity for those who pray the Office, ever calling one’s attention back to God, the center of our existence. As God’s creatures and saved by God, we have a special duty to praise God and deepen our communion with the Holy Trinity. The psalms and other scripture as well as non-biblical texts of the Divine Office are excellent help in this work. Regarding the psalms, the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours states: “The origin of these verses [of the psalms] gives them great power to raise the mind to God, to inspire devotion, to evoke gratitude in times of favor, and to bring consolation and courage in times of trial” (#100).