Pastor's Note

A PRAYER CORNER
February 17th, 2008

I am very blessed to have a little chapel in my house. Because we do not have a church building yet, Bishop Blair has given me permission to have a tabernacle in my house with the Blessed Sacrament. This is primarily so that I can take Communion to the sick or homebound. It also allows preservation of the Eucharist after Sunday Mass.
In front of the tabernacle I have a predieu (a kneeler, literally, ‘before God’), and a chair. I keep a Bible and a rosary on a nearby stand. This has become a favorite prayer place for me. One of the things I especially like is that almost instantly when I enter the room, I feel drawn to prayer. I don’t have to take too much time to decompress from all the other activities of the day.
A special prayer ‘corner’ can really help put people in the spirit of prayer. Although not everyone has the blessing of their own tabernacle, they can create a little prayer space. A quiet corner with a chair and perhaps a crucifix is a good place to start. Add a Bible or a book of favorite prayers.
One trick that I have learned in creating a prayer corner is to not use the same space for sitting and reading the newspaper or an interesting book. Try to save the space for prayer only, if that is at all possible. And the prayer place should be somewhat quiet, away from radio or T.V. For that reason, the prayer corner is likely not going to be in the family room or kitchen…although some people may find either one works.
During lent, we are called to more prayer, not just saying more prayers. A quiet space to pray is very helpful. Let me know of your success in this endeavor.