Home altars

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Can incense be used for personal prayer? If so I want to get an incense burner to put on mine.
 
SacredHeartFan said:
My mom says that she has the house the way she wants it decorated, adn that if they want to pray they can go in my room.
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Ah. Well, nothing wrong with turning your bedroom into a miniature chapel. I will ask Blessed Anna Maria Taigi to pray for her. My mom wasn’t too fond of setting up an altar in any main room; however, she did give in a little. She has the Sacred Heart of Jesus above the television, so we kept a candle burning on the TV in His honor. Would she be willing to do something like that? Or maybe fresh flowers underneath a religious image? Anyway, I’ll pray she changes her mind.
 
SacredHeartFan said:
Can incense be used for personal prayer? If so I want to get an incense burner to put on mine.
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ABSOLUTELY! I used to do it all the time, and want to start it up again (don’t know why I stopped:o ). Just be sure to get the incense blessed before burning it.🙂
 
SacredHeartFan said:
I like it! You ought to try to ask for more stuff for like your birthday and christmas.
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I am very particular on what I want. The crucifix there will ultimately end up in my bedroom when I find one I like. That one was my Grandmother’s

There shrine is on top of a book case, I am going to use the top shelf for statuary and the likes. The other two shelves are being used for Bibles, Prayer Books (LOTH…), spiritual books and reference materials.

I am looking for a couple more pictures around the same size though.
 
Good Evening,

I am new to using this forurm, can someone please tell me if they see this message…I look very much to participating. Thanks
 
First of all, I am very impressed with a high school student who is interested it this subject! I have an altar in my bedroom, and I have a wonderful time adding to it. First of all I have my Crucifix of course. Then I found a beautiful runner at the dollar store ( in fact sometimes you can find quite a few Catholic items at the dollar store) Then a found some nice devotional candles that were cheap at K-mart of all places (devotional candles are the tall skinny ones in glass which has a picture of a saint, or the Blessed Mother, or Christ ) I have added statues as I could, and I bought a censor at a Fransiscan monastery (which was pretty cheap) and got some great incense there too (my favorite is named Jerusalem). I have framed pictures of Christ as a boy and the Blessed Mother hanging on either side of my crucifix and a great picture of Joseph holding the Christ child. But all of the pictures were found in antique stores and junk stores, good will the threft store, and even e-bay. A little at the time. And finally, a great friend made me a wooden kneeler, which is wonderful. Make sure you have a kneeler, even if you just find a really great decorative pillow, and arrange everything on your altar while kneeling so you will have your crucifix and other things at the perfect height for your adoration. Good luck, and have fun!
 
I’m in the process of working on my Icon Corner. I hope to build a home altar from scratch and it’s going to have a cabinet like setting with doors to store incense, coal, extra candles, etc.

I’m also hoping to paint all the icons for it. There’s going to be 28 in all, and I’ve got 3 down! 😃

Here’s a link

My corner so far.

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
 
Harpazo said:
I’m in the process of working on my Icon Corner. I hope to build a home altar from scratch and it’s going to have a cabinet like setting with doors to store incense, coal, extra candles, etc.

I’m also hoping to paint all the icons for it. There’s going to be 28 in all, and I’ve got 3 down! 😃

Here’s a link

My corner so far.

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
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I think it’s beautiful!
 
The Crescat, a Catholic Blog from the Charlotte, NC area, recently inaugurated its 2008 Home Altar Tour, and so if you look there and in the combox at the bottom of the post, you’ll find lots of great ideas.

thecrescat.blogspot.com/2008/02/home-altar-tour-2008.html

Here is a link to my post on home altars, showing an altar in an on-campus apartment at our Catholic school (used to be my apartment, but I moved out because I got a job as a resident assistant).

sacred-heart-of-jesus.blogspot.com/2008/02/home-altar.html

-ACEGC
 
lambssupper said:
First of all, I am very impressed with a high school student who is interested it this subject! I have an altar in my bedroom, and I have a wonderful time adding to it. First of all I have my Crucifix of course. Then I found a beautiful runner at the dollar store ( in fact sometimes you can find quite a few Catholic items at the dollar store) Then a found some nice devotional candles that were cheap at K-mart of all places (devotional candles are the tall skinny ones in glass which has a picture of a saint, or the Blessed Mother, or Christ ) I have added statues as I could, and I bought a censor at a Fransiscan monastery (which was pretty cheap) and got some great incense there too (my favorite is named Jerusalem). I have framed pictures of Christ as a boy and the Blessed Mother hanging on either side of my crucifix and a great picture of Joseph holding the Christ child. But all of the pictures were found in antique stores and junk stores, good will the threft store, and even e-bay. A little at the time. And finally, a great friend made me a wooden kneeler, which is wonderful. Make sure you have a kneeler, even if you just find a really great decorative pillow, and arrange everything on your altar while kneeling so you will have your crucifix and other things at the perfect height for your adoration. Good luck, and have fun!
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Well actually I’m in Middle School, but I have a great intrest in my faith. I also take Shotokan Karate which helps me focus my mind. All in all I’m a pretty well-balanced person!
 
ac_claire said:
Good job sojo! I love it. What is that little figure in the front left of this picture? It looks like Jesus crucified, but w/o the cross like on a crucifix. I’ve never seen one of those before!
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My conversion experience (or the trigger event to be precise) took place in Mexico, and before I became a Christian, I was already collecting primitive and colonial Mexican religious art. That figure is a carved Christos, very old, that has long since lost his arms and the original cross. It is very old and very special to me. I have one similar, but unpainted on a small altar in our bedroom.

I’ve been attracted to crucifixes, especially the raw primitive type for a long time – predating my conversion. Being Jewish by birth (non-practicing but culturally Jewish), the Holy Spirit sorta did and end run on me by appealing to my artistic sensibilities. Gotta love Him. So much trouble, time and expense over silly ole me.

sojo
 
Cristiano said:
I am sorry to make this comment probably out of ignorance, but I think that it would address this concept of the home altar. The altar is a place where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass should be celebrated. Are you planning to have a Mass celebrated on that altar?

If so then I would say that for a Traditionalist Catholic, the individual should look for a portable altar like the ones used in the past. A portable or home altar used to be the size of a tile with the relic of a saint embedded in it, and Rome would have an list of all the portable/home altars that have been distributed.
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I’m sorry, but I think that an “Altar” can be something that we gather in front of that contains the kind of things that we need to focus our thoughts on the Lord, His Mother, etc. And I believe that is what has motivated all of us that have contributed here! I

I have found it much more meaningful to have an Altar to pray in front of, than say just remaining in a chair and praying with my eyes closed. That is NOT to say that we can’t, indeed, pray sitting in a chair; or laying in bed, as far as that goes; its just that, for me, it is much more meaningful to pray in front of what I consider, my “sacred space.” In fact, my “Altar” has a kneeler in front of it as I find it painful to kneel on the floor. Old knees often rebel at things like this as we get older! 🙂

I have only encouragement to offer “SacredHeartFan” and “JabelTulsa” and all the others that have contributed to this thread! I hope that “SacredHeartFan” goes on to become a wonderful priest and that “JabelTulsa” becomes the leader of a strong Catholic family that knows how to pray and avails themselves of the opportunity every chance they get in that wonderful dream room that God has shown him! If we all did that, how much richer our faith journeys would be!

DesertSister62
 
*I’m also hoping to paint all the icons for it. There’s going to be 28 in all, and I’ve got 3 down! *

Lovely icons Harpazo! I made one icon – writing an icon (that’s what they call it, not painting or creating, I believe) is an intense prayer experience. I stuck my icon somewhere to be safe when things got hectic around here, and now I’ll have to figure out what I did with it! I didn’t have the money to frame the piece, and I wanted to make sure it was protected until I was ready.

Keep up the good and worthy work! And be sure and post your new icons for us to see!
 
If I may suggest…home altars are often a big part of Hispanic culture, in various forms. Have you looked at books that talk about them or about Hispanic religious culture? There are quite a few.
 
Great point! When my hubbie and I traveled through Mexico, we would often peak into homes, being nosey sorts. We were frequently greeted by people as Mexicans are very friendly people, and invited into the homes. I took many pictures of home altars (all stashed away now), and sent back photos for the families.

We also visited Oaxaca during the Day of the Dead celebration (All Saints Day celebration, Mexican style). We asked many families if we could see their private in-home altars for DOTD and photographed them. Very moving. Especially the altar to children in the families who died. They get their own altar and own day of celebration.

sojo
 
These are the icons that my wife and I have collected. I don’t have a photo of them on our wall, as I’m up in San Francisco at the moment. But I thought I’d share them anyway. They’re extremely beautiful and inexpensive.

Christ:
easternchristiansupply.biz/mm/groups/8/88/8897//html/

The Blessed Virgin:
easternchristiansupply.biz/products.cgi/c82/c15152/c15558/g2854

St. Peter (I couldn’t find one of him holding the Keys, sadly):
istok.net/church-product/icon-holy-apostle-peter.html

St. Paul:
istok.net/church-product/2-icon-holy-apostle-paul.html

For Lent, the Sorrowful Mother:
cgi.ebay.com/Virgin-Mary-with-Seven-Swords-Icon-from-Russia_W0QQitemZ310003798807QQihZ021QQcategoryZ13768QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

In addition, my wife has collected all of our Holy Cards and mounted them in a movie-poster-sized frame and put them on the other side of the corner where our icons are. I think that was a brilliant idea 😃

We also have several of the Monastery Icons produced icons, but are currently treating some of them as art pending having them blessed by a priest.
 
Sacred Heart Fan,
Do you belong to the teen thread?
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=205243&goto=newpost

I hope this will take you there.

Yes, you can use incense in your home. My family got a small thurible for Christmas and now we use it every time we say a family rosary. Frankincense is the best. Don’t even bother with Myrrh (they came in a package together) Frankincense is the BEST!

My family just bought a new house and my uncle and his wife just died suddenly so we got a few beautiful items from them. So in our new house we are trying to find a place for a family altar. We don’t want it to be near a TV and we want it to be on the carpet and near a couch in case someone is sick and needs to lie down. (In a family of 8 (6 kids) there is someone sick or injured (2 boys) at least once a week.) My dad does not like us to look “too religious” you know with tons of different sized statues and lots of broken rosaries and scapulars hanging around. But my mother does not want to look to atheist so she makes sure there is a St. Benedict medal over every door and a crucifix in every room.
I am blessed to have such parents.

Yours Through Our Lady,

Margarite

PS: I am a Sacred Hear Fan also, Margarite is my confirmation name and it is after St. Margaret Mary.😃
 
Hey everyone!!! I like all your icons and stuff. I would metion people by name but I already started typing and I don’t want to go back! 😃 But I really do like all of them. I hope we get some pics of some of you guys’s home alters!
 
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