PRAYER CORNER REVAMP

Dec. 2018

Living Room Prayer "Corner"

Every so often I write a post about my prayer corners. I change them around as often as I reorganize the living room, which is a very small space that is ruined with doors, windows and walkways. No matter where I put my recliner, it is in the way of a door, window or walkway. The present configuration is no different, and I think I have finally given up. As long as I live in this odd little apartment, I will just live with the set-up as it is and stop trying to find a better organization. The space is so awkward, it will never be comfortable or spacious.

When you enter my apartment, you will have to scoot around my recliner and the table I must have next to it. We will pray that your hips are more narrow than mine and you won't end up knocking everything off the little tables and onto the floor. Welcome to my world!

Now that I have resigned myself to this odd little piece of air, I decided to reorganize for the LAST time, and look forward to the day when I can leave here, hopefully to a house that I will buy from the proceeds of my writing. I have never had the money to buy any sort of home, but the dream still lives.

Whenever I buy a lottery ticket or think of what I might like to accomplish if I were to sell my book and/or paintings, I immediately think about a Catholic ashram where I might host several other senior religious women like me. It would be be an Indian style house of prayer that would rely upon the sale of art works for its income, and regular times of quiet and meditation in a quasi-monastic schedule. [We will have to be relatively flexible with all of this because of the vagaries of the human body as it breaks down with age.]

Because of my disabilities, I am physically unable to adapt myself to someone else's routine and premises, nor would I want to, as I tend to take charge under most circumstances, and religious institutions typically don't want that. I am alpha. It is my natural posture in relation to the world, and as far as I can ascertain, God has made me this way, and therefore it is good.

 

My Shrine table

In the Catholic Byzantine tradition, having at least one prayer corner in one's home is highly stressed as very necessary to the corporate spiritual life of the family that lives there. You can have dozens of icons or just a few, a big shrine table or just 10 inches square, as I have here. The point is to create a sacred space conducive to regular prayer.

I try to create sacred space throughout the entire apartment, but my joints have disintegrated to such an extent that I am not able to even keep it tidy. It is hard to feel all holy and elevated when the dust bunnies are the size of small cats. Especially important, to that end, is getting a special vacuum cleaner that will address my asthma as well as those dust bunnies and the peculiar requirements of cleaning a linoleum floor that is manufactured to look and feel like wood. Dirt and dust become wedged into the "grain." This apartment is so dusty that the walls around the heater vents are black with it. [After much research, I found an excellent vacuum that will both clean AND help me BREATH. My Amazon wish list is HERE ]

Invite the Lord into your home in a more visible way. Having a prayer corner creates a remarkable environment that encourages prayer. The visual reminders of the Lord and His saints leads you into it. You'll find that it is easier to find time to sit and meditate if you have a beautiful space in which to do it. I happen to have a lot of beautiful icons and statues that people have given me and that I have collected over the years, but you don't need all that. One picture, a candle, a set of prayer beads, set on a small table with a chair nearby: these are all you really need.

Try to remember that God is everywhere, including most especially in your home. There are many advantages to having at least one prayer corner in your home, but I won't tell you all of them. Discover for yourself.

God bless you all.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOMESTIC CHURCH

The statue of our Blessed Mother Mary that looks down upon me

when I am seated in my customary chair in the living room

For the last two weeks or so, I have been ill with a stomach bug, and I have spent more time in my recliner chair.  Being disabled, I spend quite a bit of time in it anyway, but I sort of poured myself into it a couple weeks ago when I first came down with the stomach flu and haven't budged much ever since.  In fact, one night I slept the whole night here.  On many other nights, I spent at least 3 hours sleeping in it.

When I awake from one of these naps, or when I look up from my crochet project, my computer, or my reading, my living room shrine, with its candles and icons and statue, are immediately in my line of sight and invites my contemplation.

The prayer corner in my living room

Drawing inspiration and encouragement from Jesus, Mary and the Saints, I often respond with a short prayer before I move on to my next task.  Having the Lord always in my line of sight is a reminder that He is always with me.  My guardian angel is always with me.  The saints are available to me and are ready to intercede for me.  I am not alone.

Speaking as a woman who has lived "alone" for more than a dozen years, it means a lot to be able to say that I am not actually alone, and this is part of what my Catholic faith has done for me.  The awareness that I am part of the body of Christ and that there is an awesome host of beings accompanying me through life is both stunning and soothing at the same time.  I have only to remind myself of this by gazing at the numerous signs placed around my apartment hermitage.

My living room prayer corner

Despite my numerous discomforts, I feel a welling up of joyful gratitude for everything the Lord has given and has promised me and every other Christian who follows Him.  Contemplating the icons, crosses and crucifixes throughout the house gives me fresh incentive every day to praise Him and glorify Him in all my thoughts, words and deeds.  As my eye falls upon the picture of Him, I tune into the feeling of His presence within me.  When I am washing dishes or cleaning the bathroom, I am doing it for Him.  I feel that, having mentally consecrated this house to him and his worship, everything I do, I do for Him.

Little picture of Jesus on the bedside table

On those mornings when I wake in my bed instead of my recliner, I am likewise greeted by a host of icons, and I am moved to say, "Glory to Jesus Christ!"

Part of my bedroom prayer corner

Just as in the living room, my eyes rest upon Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, saints and angels, wherever I look in this room.

The other wall of the prayer corner

Images of the Blessed Mother on another

bedroom wall

In addition, I keep Holy Water available in two fonts; one at the front door and one in my bedroom.  I used to have a third, but I gave it to a visiting Catholic who didn't have one at home and whom I thought would like it for himself and his family.

Holy Water font in the living room by

the front door

Holy Water font in the bedroom

I try to encourage people in their efforts to spiritualize the atmosphere of their homes because it is especially important to remember that, although our churches are treasured places where Jesus comes to us in a special way through the mass and through his body and blood in the Eucharist, we must carry our faith and the awareness of His presence with us throughout our lives.  Visual cues help us to do this.  They also help us to bear witness to our faith.

Whereas our secular culture is now trying to limit our religious freedom to a mere freedom of worship, which quarantines our faith within the 4 walls of our churches, we need to break out of that prison in which the culture is trying to retain us and bring our faith into the world in a visible way. We know that faith without works is dead and that all the visible signs of faith are pointless without following Christ in every thought, word and deed, but I am suggesting that, while the habit of a nun, monk or priest is a powerful visible signal, our homes can also be a silent witness to every neighbor, relative and friend who visits us while at the same time giving us strength and continual reminders of our companions who travel with us, mostly unseen.

Angels in the bedroom

What I value is not in the slightest bit in question, once someone comes to my home.  I am not advocating that everyone adopt my style of decor, however.  It would be too colorful and busy for many people.  I only suggest that evidence of one's faith be prominently displayed, for all the reasons previously mentioned, and that there be at least one corner devoted to prayer.

Icon of our blessed Mother

at the back door

It goes without saying that, having constant reminders of God scattered about one's house is a good incentive to prayer and contemplation.  Personally, I like to make liberal use of candles and genuine church incense, in honor of the Divine Person to whom I pray.  The fragrance tends to persist for some time after my prayers are finished, reminding me of the constant presence of the Lord.

Give some thought as to whether your home speaks to you and to others about your faith and your values.  Did you decorate with God in mind, or do you take your cues entirely from some style of design one might find in a secular magazine such as Better Homes & Gardens?

My front door

The wall of my foyer

I would be interested in seeing pictures of your home and prayer corners from any of you that care to send one.

In the meantime, I pray for you, as I hope you pray for me.

God bless us all,

Silver Rose Parnell
(c) 2015