People praying in Chinese now have a new prayer resource with the launch of a daily prayer podcast by the Chinese Jesuit Province. The audio podcasts are based on Sacred Space, which was begun by the Irish Jesuits and is today the world’s leading interactive guided prayer site with the daily prayers available in more than 20 languages. The Chinese language version of Sacred Space has been available since 2014.
On May 2, the Chinese Jesuit Province launched the podcast service, which combines narration of the daily Sacred Space prayer in Mandarin with soothing music to draw the person into contemplative stillness. Each episode or prayer session has six stages and each stage is designed as a meditation on God’s presence in our lives. Since it was launched, the podcasts have been played more than 4,600 times.
“Although this kind of service is not a first in the Chinese area, it is a new attempt by the Society of Jesus,” said Zoe Hsieh, an editor in the communication office of the Chinese Province, which comprises China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Chinese Jesuit Province launches prayer podcast[/caption]
“People strain their eyes by staring at the computer or mobile phone too much. Our eyes tend to get hurt by the blue light of the screen,” Hsieh explained. It is also easy to get distracted while looking at our computer or mobile phone, she added. “We need to quiet down to fully immerse ourselves in the spiritual experience.”
An elderly follower of the Chinese Province Facebook page said that she likes the prayer podcasts because she can enjoy a quiet moment of contact with the Lord Jesus every day. In addition to the daily scripture and reflection, she also appreciates the professional narration, music and accompanying pictures.
Another user likes that she can make use of commuter time to pray and isolate the noisy environment by using her earphones. By just listening to the recording, she also gets a moment to rest her tired eyes. Even if she is busy in the office, she can still listen to the podcast and do other things with both hands.
Fr John Chih-cheng Jao SJ, Province Communication Office Director, described the venture into podcasting as “a new attempt for evangelical mission, as well as to respond to the needs of the readers”.
“The traditional way of evangelisation combined with new web technology is able to reach not only the young Internet generation, but also wider audiences around the world,” he said