There are those who would say our homes are always sacred because, as children of God, we live there. Perhaps then, it would be better to say that our homes are now "intentionally" sacred. As Deacon Joe pointed out in his homily this past Sunday, "Each of us has brought God into our homes and into our families....We recognize that our kitchen tables, our bedrooms and the floors of our living rooms have now become sacred spaces....And it's in these holy lands that we're called to begin praying with our families, to start reading scripture and start to make good the promises we made on Ash Wednesday."
Fr. Michael Fish, a Camaldolese monk whom some of you know, has offered "A Monastic Guide" for these strange times we are sharing. He suggests that with the coronavirus and enforced isolation, we "now have an opportunity to live the teachings" of the "Monk in the World." That would be Ora et Labora (prayer and work), Lectio (sacred reading), hospitality, solitude, rhythm and routine.... Here is his first suggestion for walking this path:
Have a daily plan, a routine or discipline. From my early Redemptorist novice days we had to make our beds and keep our rooms well ordered. This was re-enforced by the Camaldolese tradition of the sacredness of the cell as a place of, not only prayer, but of beauty and harmony. Pay attention to your living space, a vase of flowers, a lit lamp, a work of art.
Many parishioners do have small spaces in their homes where they have made an altar. It's a reminder for them to pause and pray, to remember and be still. They might meditate there, say a rosary or write in a journal. In a busy family something like a branch of a flowering tree brought inside and placed on a table can provide some moments of calm and intention. Children can be invited to place something precious there .... a stone, a flower, a treasured toy, a picture they've drawn.
As you look at the photos below, shared by some of our parishioners, let them be a simple guide and source of inspiration for creating a place of grace in your own homes.
An icon-writer's altar.
A pilgrim's altar.
A poet's altar, with a reflection:
Morning prayer
Midday prayer
Evening prayer
For many years, I have created a sacred space In a corner of my studio. Here is where I sit in meditation/contemplative prayer, where I chant the psalms and read passages from the day’s reading or other universal wisdom. Always a candle is lit. Often a stick of incense.
So grateful for this refuge.
A mother's altar, described by Emily as
"Taking the boys to Mass, at-home edition."
A Grandmother's Altar.
If anyone reading this would like to add a photo of their own sacred space for our "Altar Album," please send it to bannerdays16@gmail.com
For Fr. Michael Fish's complete Monastic Guide, go to:
For Holy Cross Church Santa Cruz, on YouTube with Sunday Masses:
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