Sacred Spaces

Do you have favorite places to pray? I know I’ve got several, and depending on what’s going on at the time, I will seek out my little locations and get connected with God.

Since I’m a morning person, one of my favorite places to pray is my little patio right outside my kitchen. I’ve equipped this patio with comfortable chairs, a table, and a beautiful little terra cotta image of the Madonna and Child. Coffee in hand, I can sit and watch the sun come up, giving thanks to God for all he has done for me, and I lay before God my thoughts and prayers for the day. It’s a wonderful way to start my morning.

We’re blessed to have Perpetual Adoration at my parish, and I frequently visit the Lord throughout my day. I do a lot of intercessory prayer in our little chapel, asking God to help particular people I know are going through a tough time. I pray daily for the children God has entrusted us with in our programs, and I ask God to bless all our volunteers.

When I’m dealing with a difficult situation, there’s one place I go that always brings clarity and peace. The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is in Emmitsburg, Maryland, about 20 miles from my house. From the first time I visited many years ago, I feel especially close to God and his Mother here. Long before there was an actual grotto, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton used to come here to pray. It is truly “holy ground.”

Lastly, I love to pray while I’m out for my daily walks. As the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins reminds us, God’s grandeur is all around us, if we only pay attention. Just seeing the beauty of nature always clears my head of the sometimes petty issues that I’m dealing with.

I’m sure you have your own sacred spaces. I think some remain the same, but then there are others all around us, waiting to be found. Let’s pray that we might help others find their own sacred spaces, where they will encounter God in a deeper, richer way.

Where are your sacred spaces for prayer?

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