Since the advent of the new millennium, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has made the Liturgy of the Hours central to his plan to revitalize the Church. We see this in his document Novo Millenio Inuente, his General Audience from March 28, 2001, and the General Audiences thereafter, which are catecheses on the Psalms from the Liturgy of the Hours.

He has made it clear that there is a place for the laity to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and that they are "warmly invited" to do so. This emphasis on the Liturgy of the Hours has recently been taken an even higher step by dispensing plenary indulgences to those who pray it before the Blessed Sacrament.

Why has he placed such importance on the Liturgy of the Hours? Being a man of the Council, he is simply fulfilling the wishes of the fathers of the Second Vatican Council that the Liturgy of the Hours be the prayer of the "whole People of God."

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours, especially Morning and Evening Prayer, are simply what Catholics do. The record of history of the Church in the first millennium testifies to this. In the second millennium, praying the Liturgy of the Hours was primarily the practice of the clergy. Now, in this third millennium, is the time to restore this essential Catholic practice.