Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The Gift of Prayer

This little bundle arrived from a dear friend for Easter (of course, it was much more neatly tied). I didn't know what it was, but when I opened it up ... Holy smokes! ... it is a little oratory that I can take with me wherever I go. I love taking this out to my porch with my Bible or Magnificat. I have now added some more saints and the red cloth also is a pocket for holding holy cards. We've not made a Holy Hour at home for a while but it will be nice to spread this out on the coffee table with the censer.

My friend said she got this idea from a book called The Little Oratory. It looks wonderful and I am going to invest in a copy for myself to share with the children as they grow and raise their own families. Sometimes I feel it's too late for us because it's difficult to establish new routines. There's so much resistance. Right now we gather for a morning offering and evening prayers. Michael has added the Angelus before meals. The rosary hasn't quite caught on as a family prayer unless we want to do penance (sorry Mary). We do 15 Aves for Angelic Warfare. But I shouldn't complain. We are so grateful to be able to attend a traditional Latin Mass on Sundays and be able to go to Mass during the week once or twice. And now we have Adoration right on our island once a month. We've instinctively gravitated towards filling our home with art that lifts our hearts and minds heavenward. Our little oratory is perfect as we continue our journey. Thank you my friend!
 
Your turn. Do you have a special corner where you retreat to pray? If you have children, how do you encourage praying together?


4 comments:

Unknown said...

This is beautiful!!

Mirka Breen said...

For an outsider these are fascinating, and yes, beautiful.

Yanting Gueh said...

What a gift from your friend! Our family is Taoist (and I'm leaning more towards Buddhist) so we have an altar in our living room where we go to pray every day.

Vijaya said...

I am enjoying this immensely and hope that others too will take heart.

Claudine, how lovely that you have an altar in your home for prayer. My SIL is a devout Hindu and she has a prayer room.

Blessings!