Digital & Divine

FALL 2019

TOO OFTEN, SMARTPHONE ALERTS ARE INVITATIONS TO DISTRACTION. At their worst, they can be pathways to salacious content or online scams. “Last chance to save 50%!” they shout, or “Congratulations! Click here for 0% interest on your credit card accounts!” (Word to the wise: Do not click there!)

In contrast, alerts from the Ora Prayer Network app, where community members can post prayer requests and respond to requests from others, are reminders of our faith life that lead us away from temptation and toward God. As often as you choose, Ora will remind you: “Cultivate a life of devotion. Take time to pray.”

It can also inform you when a member of the community responds to a prayer you have posted: “Someone is praying for you” can be a comforting piece of data during tough times.
Before he founded the prayer network, Robert Lux was a self-described Internet addict. “I wanted my heart and my mind to fly to God during the quiet moments in my day,” he says, “but instead they were flying to my profiles and news feeds.” He created Ora to help people cultivate a prayer habit. Instead of running from the digital realm, Lux says, “We can design beautiful, graceful technology systems that lead us into a deeper relationship with God.”

For now, the Ora Prayer Network app is available only for iPhone and iPad. A separate app, Ora Group, will help you set up an online prayer group using your personal contacts.

These are great ways to get started praying digitally – but don’t stop there. Search “Catholic prayer network” in your smartphone’s app marketplace, and you’ll find other options for connecting to daily prayer. Interested in praying the Angelus? Drawn to novenas? Look for specialized apps that speak to your spiritual inclinations.

We’re not saying you should swear off secular apps. Smart tech can help us deal more effectively with the world. But while saving 50% on shoes is good, salvation is better.