The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family home is rightly called "the domestic church," a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity. (CCC, no. 1666)
My husband and I both come from big, closely-knit families, so we grew up with the sense that family is everything; however, it wasn't until we started a family of our own did we realize the awesome responsibility we had of not just raising children, but of
raising souls.
And because we are raising souls, we are very aware that we are building a "domestic church"; by making our house a
home, we try to make it reflect who we are as a Catholic family. One of the ways we accomplish this is by creating sacred spaces. Following are some of the things we do in our family to create and support these sacred spaces in our
domestic church.
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The Sign of the Cross
There is a crucifix, icon, or some image of the Holy Family in almost every room. The boys have religious statues on their nightstands, and, like
Cathy, there are small crucifixes over the light switches in some of our rooms. Besides serving as visual reminders of our faith, sometimes they even serve as an opening for conversation. There have been a few times when a visitor's comment on an icon led to a discussion on religion.
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A central prayer station
In addition to the visual reminders scattered throughout our home, I wanted a central location that would serve as the "central station", or gathering place for family prayer. For us, that would be the kitchen table. We spend most of our time at that table . . . not only during mealtimes, but with homework, boardgames, scrapbooking, etc. So when it is time for family prayer, or the rosary, or Stations of the Cross we gather around the table. I keep the boys' devotionals there so they can read them while eating breakfast, and the center of the table reflects what is going on throughout the liturgical year:
advent wreath , Easter tree, and an icon of a saint on All Saints Day are just a few examples.
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A Family Ritual
One of the easiest ways to begin family prayer time is to have a ritual, some ceremonial way in which to begin. We begin every prayer time by lighting what our boys have come to call
the Jesus candle.
Lighting a candle is one of the oldest rituals known to man, one that lends solemnity to any occasion. It's also a sign that prayer time has begun, and by dimming the lights the single flame serves to create a sacred place around an ordinary kitchen table.
the Jesus candle
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A prayer basket
As the boys started getting older, we began noticing that there was a lot of scrambling to get ready for prayers. This scrambling inevitably resulted in arguments, goofiness, or even delay tactics, so to try and avoid this last minute running around I created the prayer basket. Everything we need for our family prayer time is in that basket: rosaries, Stations of the Cross, prayer books, The Lives of the Saints for Boys, etc. Now when there is the call to prayer, all we have to do is scoop up the prayer basket and a box of matches for the Jesus candle and we're set!
our prayer basket
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Welcome Home
Finally, I hope that by creating these sacred spaces our home resonates with that sense of "coming home" you experience when walking into a church. As a stay-at-home mom, I consider it part of my job description to create an environment of peace, well-being, and comfort. When my boys come home from school and when my husband comes home from work, I want them to walk in the door and experience that sense of "coming home". One of the nicest compliments I ever received was when someone told me that coming into our home was like getting a giant hug. In my efforts to create a "domestic church" atmosphere, there are a few additional things that help nurture us physically, mentally, and spiritually.
physically: to appeal to the senses
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smell: cookies baking, bread rising, or soup cooking creates a comforting, welcoming aroma
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taste: a hearty, home-cooked meal after a long commute; iced tea after Saturday morning yard work; muffins on a rainy afternoon
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touch: plenty of pillows, throws, and comfy reading chairs
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sight: in the evening (especially in the fall and winter) turn on a small lamp in every room;
turn on the front porch light as a welcome
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sound: sometimes I have to sneak it in, but playing classical or religious music in the background
mentally: things that quiet us
-providing quiet time for the boys (they do not have to be involved in every sport or attend every party)
-being organized in an effort to counterbalance life's hectic pace
-regularly picking up clutter
-although the
pre-dinner hour is hectic, trying to have the boys settled so my husband (who works hard and has a long commute) doesn't have to walk into a messy, noisy household
spiritually:
-praying as a family
-worshiping as a family
-living your faith as a family
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