Music to Pray By: Two Sunsets

Sacred music has a large part to play in our Catholic lives. Every one of us can surely name some religious song that lifts our spirits, be it “Ave Maria” or “Here I Am, Lord.”

But even music that is not specifically religious can have a spiritual side to it. Any beautiful melody can orient our thoughts towards God, the source of all creation – and that, in itself, is a kind of prayer.

In this series, I'll highlight five pieces that, while not ostensibly “churchy,” are nonetheless very powerful at getting me into a prayerful, contemplative frame of mind. Sample them here, or make a playlist for your own quiet moments.

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“Two Sunsets” by Ludovico Einaudi (on the album Echoes: The Einaudi Collection)

This is a relatively modern composition that does what is very, very hard to do: it takes the experience of seeing the sun slip slowly below the horizon and captures it in music. Listen, and you’ll see what I mean.

https://youtu.be/MUKcmyZ2NEw

Which secular songs get you in a prayerful frame of mind? What would you add to the list?

Listen to my other Music to Pray By selections.