We all know someone like that. We’ve visited their home and a whole room is dedicated to the Green Bay Packers or Harley Davidson paraphernalia or an Elvis collection. It’s what they’re interested in. It’s what they know inside and out. It’s what rewards them. Most folks show their affinities on a smaller scale, or they sprinkle it all around their home. My mother, now in a nursing home, has boxes and boxes of framed photos of her 28 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren from when they were born, baptized, confirmed, engaged and wedded. That alone makes over 28 x 5 framed photos of special occasions! Having this stuff around us expresses what’s meaningful to us. It’s what we’re interested in. It’s what we know inside and out. It’s what rewards us.
When we pray in our home, or would like to start praying, do we help ourselves with a favorite corner that inspires us? Different places in our home serve different purposes. We cook in the kitchen, read a book in our favorite chair, sleep in our bedroom. A prayer corner is a great place to serve the purpose of talking with Jesus, our Blessed Mother, a favorite saint or even a deceased loved one who can help us get to heaven. True, we can pray anywhere, but when we really want to have a heart-to-heart talk, there’s a difference between just anywhere and a special corner. A prayer corner is an extension of our parish church or other sacred place. It’s where we would like heaven and earth to meet, right in our own home!
So what should be in a prayer corner? A crucifix and some image of the Blessed Mother make a great start. After that, add a Bible, a rosary or an image of a favorite saint. For families, a prayer corner is a great place to gather for evening prayers, or to start a family tradition like each member having a special symbol. Maybe Dad’s symbol is a holy card of St. Joseph, while Mom’s is an image of the Blessed Mother, and Michael’s is a St. Michael statue. Things brought to the prayer corner can be fluid and represent the concerns of everyday life: the teenager brings the latest school essay, the little one brings a colored picture, Dad brings the first paycheck and Mom brings an ultrasound of the little one on the way. The main thing is that the prayer corner helps us to pray. It expresses what we’re interested in, who we want to know and love and what we desire to receive as a reward: eternal life and eternal joy!
Sister Donna Krzmarzick Director of Consecrated Life