This is the first in a series of podcast reviews and suggestions for those who teach in Catholic schools or religious education programs. Podcasts can be a powerful tool for educators, both in the classroom and for personal and professional development. Now on to our first review, Pray As You Go, Daily Prayer for Your MP3 Prayer:
What Is It?
Pray as You Go is a daily meditation based on the scripture readings of the day, and is published by Jesuit Media Initiatives. Each day, Pray as You Go begins with the chiming of bells and a beautiful song, which ranges from Gregorian chant to contemporary worship music to international spiritual hymns. After the opening music prepares your heart for prayer, the scripture passage is read, followed by questions for meditation, a repeating of the scripture reading, and some closing comments. The entire podcast is never longer than thirteen minutes.
Why Catholic Educators Should Listen to It
As faith leaders, we need to have healthy, active prayer lives, and Pray as You Go is a sound, fruitful tool for personal prayer. It’s a beautiful way to incorporate scripture meditation into your day. If you’ve fallen out of the habit of daily prayer, or if you’re looking for a way to meditate on scripture, Pray as You Go is an excellent way to start. At less than thirteen minutes, it’s great for early morning prayer or daily commutes. It’s also a great way to prepare for daily mass, since the meditations flow from the liturgical readings of the day.
How It Can Be Used in Your Classroom
Teachers and catechists can use an episode of Pray As You Go as a weekly meditation for the whole class to participate in, or as an example of Christian meditation. After playing a few episodes to the class, have your students make their own meditations and record them as podcasts, using the Pray As You Go structure.
Any Downsides?
The only drawback to the Pray as You Go Podcast is that it’s only published Monday through Friday. I would love to listen to it on the weekends as well. However, one of the hallmarks of Jesuit prayer is the repetition of significant meditations, so the weekends could be used to repeat any meditation that moved you during the week.
Where Can I Find It?
Download audio files or listen to episodes directly from the Pray as You Go website, or have them delivered directly to iTunes using this link (will open up iTunes on your computer).
I love Pray As You Go. I use it during my commute to or from work. Do you see it as a resource for just high school kids, or for younger ones as well?
What I would love is something that couples the readings with an understanding of the context, or the importance of the passage in the Catholic faith. (It is used to defend purgatory, priesthood, the Trinity . . .)