Within our homes, we designate places for cooking, eating, socializing, sleeping, and bathing. Do we have a special spot for God within our home? We encourage you to create a little section of your home that is designated especially for prayer.
- Designate a special prayer space in your home. You may use a small table, mantle, or bookshelf.
- Gather sacramentals or sacred objects to place in your sacred space. For instance, a piece of purple fabric, a cross or crucifix, your Bible, holy medals, holy water, and religious statues may be used for a Lenten home prayer altar. You might add natural objects such as seashells, rocks, plants and flowers to show the beauty of God’s Creation. Change your colors and sacred objects as we enter different times of the liturgical year. Get out the white cloth and lambs and Easter eggs as the Easter season arrives.
- Provide light to remind us that Jesus is our light that shines in the darkness. Use LED candles, a favorite lamp or even a flashlight.
- Children will enjoy making posters to display the Scripture verse of the day. They can decorate a prayer petition jar to contain family prayers.
- Children can color pictures of Jesus, Mary and the saints to display on their home altar. Use this link to find some appropriate color pages: https://shininglightdolls.com/collections/free-digital-downloads
- Pray to an extraordinary family saint. Research this saint to learn about his or her life. Patron saints of pandemics and illness are St. Sebastian, St. Roch, St. Rosalia, and St. Edmund the Martyr.
- Children may write their own prayers to recite at the home prayer altar. Besides petitions, they may write intercessions and say them aloud to which all respond, “Lord, hear our prayer.” Each family member may thank God for someone or something. After saying it aloud, family members respond, “Thank you, loving God.” Traditional prayers and the rosary are good ways to call upon God. Traditional prayers can be found at the following link: https://loyolapres.com/our-catholic-faith/prayer/traditional-catholic-prayers
- For ideas on celebrating Holy Week go to https://catholicicing.com/ultimate-guide-for-celebrating-holy/
- For more ideas on creating sacred space in the home, go to: https://blessedisshe.net/blog/prayer-corner/
- Lay people may bless their home altars. Please use this link: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=732
- After you have created your home prayer altar, take a picture and post it! use #SMMHomeAltar or send it to [email protected]