Do you have a home shrine/prayer corner? Pictures?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mrsdizzyd
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Thank you for the explanation! I’ve seen that print several times. It always reminds me of Natalie Portman, so it has always confused me. I’m glad I know the history of it now.
 
A few years ago I made a little oratory in the corner of my dining room. Most mornings I sit at my dining room table to do my morning prayers. This little corner is full of things that have meaning for me or that I have collected over the years. An icon my mom gave me before she died. A feather I found near the grave of my spiritual director. A vintage German crucifix I found on eBay. My most cherished thing is the begonia. It came from a cutting from my grandmother’s plant. The original plant was from my great grandmother’s house over 100 years ago.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Thank you! I took the photos at night. The whole thing is brighter and more cheerful in the morning!
 
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

one of four: backlite, 1/2 size, : Ventral, dorsal, and the same in B/W negative. All from Shroud.com
 
Last edited:
There’s a lovely children’s book, hard to find, Rumer Godden’s The Kitchen Madonna about an immigrant woman who creates a corner shrine (the “good place”) in the kitchen of the wealthy home in which she is a servant, and the children who come to love it.
 
The little oratory in my bedroom is coming together. This is on the Eastern wall of the room. A St. Jude statue will eventually replace the St. Jude candle. I’m still deciding on which statue to get. 🙂

Between this spot and the one in my office, I now have two very quiet little places to retreat to for prayer time.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
I really like it! It’s elegantly simple yet beautiful. I’m not too fond of home altars that are too “busy” with statues or icons filling up every possible open space and I’d imagine I’d find it distracting to pray at. Yours is perfect!
 
That’s what I was going for. The rest of my house is also decorated simply. Less is more so far as my design aesthetic is concerned.

Having said that, I think some people do icon corners very well. There is beauty in that style, too! I also am amazed by some of the statue collections others have put together. ❤️
 
Both of my spots are up on the wall. I don’t have any surface space that is kid proof. Do you have a few feet of wall space someplace?
 
Last edited:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

This is kind of a bad photo -
But a electric heart -
Think I bought it on eBay for 20 bucks.
 
I’m personally a fan of what @mrsdizzyd has done: use wall space.

I’ve always lived in small apartments in large congested cities so the few times I’ve had dedicated spaces they’ve been wall spaces like hers. My favorite was actually a couple shelves I had in the long hallway leading to my apartment door. I effectively took the traditional Catholic church sanctuary and put it up on the wall: A shelf with 6 tall glass pillar candles analogous to the 6 candles on the reredos of a traditional Catholic altar (clear with no images on it so I could print my own on paper and wrap the paper around the candles, and then exchange them for other images depending on the season, or my intention for burning them), a crucifix above that. Two smaller shelves on each side, the left one with a small statue of our Lady and the right one with a small statue of St. Joseph. Since it took up zero floor space it was never in the way, and since it was in the hallway I was forced to pass it multiple times a day, every day. It served as a constant reminder to “pray without ceasing”.

Unfortunately I’m back to a roommate situation (thanks a lot ridiculous, San Francisco rent!) so my prayer corner is no more. My bedroom which is the only private space I have is like a shoebox and the only wall space I could do anything with would be above my bed. I don’t like the idea of shelving over my head while I sleep in a place prone to earthquakes.
 
Even a little spot on the wall can be transformed by a small crucifix and a prayer card or two. The crucifix in the wall over my computer is only 3.5 inches.

They also make small corner floating shelves, so if you have an available corner you could do something like that.

Or, there is the back of a door where you might be able to put up a small crucifix and a small icon or photo.

If you get creative I’m sure you can find a way to tuck something small in somewhere.

Good luck.
 
Cecilia_Dympna said:
Could you sit or kneel in front ot your wall space?
Click to expand...
Yes. My hallway was pretty much the width of the door. But that was plenty of space for me to stand, kneel, even do minor prostrations. It helped that I didn’t have roommates at the time so I never had to worry about someone coming home as I’m praying and needing to step over me or something. It was all my place.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top