Mindfulness can be defined as intentionally bringing awareness to the present moment in a non-judgmental way. In a Christian context, the acts of prayer and meditation are in of themselves acts of mindfulness, bringing our mind back to our Creator in the present moment in a spiritual sense.
In today’s world, people listen to digital media many times a day on their smart phones, tablets and computers. Here we provide pathways for Christians worldwide to connect with the many excellent media sources that can facilitate mindful prayer at any time.
There are many ways to mindfully pray and meditate in the Christian prayer tradition. Lectio Divina and Meditation are Contemplative Prayers that bear many spiritual fruits and they have a long tradition going back to the Early Church. These prayers are practiced daily by Christian lay people, Priests, Nuns and Monks in Churches, Monasteries and Abbey’s throughout the world.
Holy Mass is the central liturgical ritual in the Catholic Church where the liturgy of the Eucharist is celebrated. The Liturgy of the Hours is the richest single prayer resource of the Christian Church, with prayers, psalms and readings for each of the Hours, changing each day and through the seasons. The Rosary Reflection is another Contemplative Prayer that is a devotion to Jesus and his mother Mary.
There are great resources online to enable Christians to pray and meditate. For those who wish to harvest the fruits of prayer and meditation, a key element is to set aside a short time of Solitude and Silence. The digital resources highlighted below can be accessed at any time of the day and prayers can be selected individually for short prayer times or combined for longer time periods.
Your location can vary from sitting in a quiet room in your own home to being with a group in your local church. It is very suitable for people in Hospital or Care facilities who wish to pray in silence. You can also listen outdoors, while sitting in a quiet place in nature or maybe while you are taking a break from walking on a Pilgrim Path.
Mindful prayer is possible by combining a mindfulness exercise with Contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition. Mindfulness has been medically proven to provide healing to the mind and body. There are many varieties of mindfulness practiced, both in a secular context and a christian context. Mindfulness exercises are excellent to bring awareness to the body and mind and are recommended but optional.
“But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Mindful Contemplative Prayer
To pray in silence with mindful awareness in the Christian Contemplative tradition click on the blue links below:
- Listen to a mindfulness breathing exercise (mindfulness)
Contemplative Prayer (Lectio Divina)
- Listen to a Sacred reading and reflect on its meaning (lectio)
- Meditate in silence using a method from the Christian tradition (meditatio)
- Listen or recite the Lord’s Prayer in your chosen language (oratio)
Holy Mass and Liturgy of the Hours
The Catholic Church describes the Holy Mass as “the source and summit of the Christian life”. Daily Mass is celebrated and is available via video stream from Knock Shrine Ireland’s National Marian Shrine where over 1.5 million pilgrims visit each year. The Knock Annual Novena takes place each August and ceremonies are also streamed live.
There is another live video stream to Glenstal Abbey where you can join the Benedictine Monks in celebrating the Liturgy of the Hours and Holy Mass. The monks gather in the Abbey Church several times each day. When they pray, much of their prayer is sung. Chant, in both English and Latin, is the medium through which all the psalms and canticles of the daily offices and the parts of the Mass are sung.
Alternatively, there is a link to Mass recordings from the Vatican where Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass in Casa San Marta most mornings, this is streamed worldwide.
His Holiness Pope Francis visited Knock Shrine in August 2018 when he said “As a remembrance of my visit, I have presented the shrine with a rosary. I know how important the tradition of the family rosary has been in this country. I warmly encourage you to continue this tradition. “ The Rosary Reflection is a prayer where one reflects on the important events in the life of Jesus and Mary.
Select One for the relevant day:
Daily Prayer Times
Prayer and meditation can be done individually or in a group. There is a daily prayer schedule for each day listed here Daily Prayer Times with links to prayers, meditation, liturgy of the hours and mass for those who wish to follow a full day of prayer. It is also ideal for those who wish to select individual forms of prayer for shorter periods on any given day. Here they can link with the prayer of their choice.
The New Testament – Who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus and how do we get to know him? In the New Testament of the Bible, there are five major accounts of the life of Jesus in the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. These five books have been made into full feature films and are a great resource to get a visual experience of who Jesus is and what are his teachings. Who is Jesus ? provides links to five full length films of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. It also has a short overview on each of these Books of the Bible.
This website is primarily a crossroads that provides pathway links to other websites like Pray As You Go Contemplative Outreach and WCCM that are an excellent resource and are 100% free to use. There is an option to make a voluntary donation to their running costs if you wish to do so in the Resources section.
There are also links to information on three Holy Abbeys and Knock Marian Shrine in Places to Visit with additional information on Ireland’s Pilgrim Paths and medieval monastic sites. These locations are spiritual treasures and are very worthy of a visit for Prayer and Pilgrimage. To facilitate the many visitors we get, at the top of this page you can select to view the content of this website in your native language, including our native language as Gaeilge.
Go to Digital Media Products where you can buy Books, Audio Books and Music that will assist you with your spiritual learning. For those who wish to learn more about Christian Meditation, MBSR mindfulness or Christian Spirituality the Learning Courses section has recommended audio books and online courses to choose from. We hope all this website proves helpful to all who visit. God Bless.
“Reading seeks, meditation finds, prayer asks, contemplation feels.”
Blessed Guigo the Carthusian (year 1175)
RECOMMENDED BOOKS – AUDIO BOOKS – ONLINE COURSES – MUSIC