The Power of Prayer and Iconography
As I help my son prepare for receiving the Catholic Sacraments of Reconciliation (Confession) and Eucharist (Communion), I am taken back to my own experiences, questions, and awe during my faith formation. One of the major aspects that worries my son (as it has worried me and many a young persons during this time of self discovery) is learning the prayers. To help him, we printed “The Lord’s Prayer” and “The Hail Mary” and hung them on his wall.
Why on earth is a guy who owns a printing business talking about prayer? Answer: first, prayer is changing my life for the better each day. Secondly, we’ve recently discovered a way to keep prayer in our hearts and in our minds each day through that most sacred and traditional method of remembering who we are and who He is—through art!
The Power of Prayer
What is prayer? To many it’s a personal conversation with God. With others it’s a communal shared experience where the divine gift of our humanity and divinity are celebrated. Still others, frankly, hold it as a way to gripe.
To me, prayer means many things. Now that I’ve rediscovered it, I consider it a way to speak with my best friend, my Father, and my partner. More than that, though, when I do it correctly… focusing on God in praise and worship, prayer is that positive energy that I put out there in the world and makes things happen for others and myself whatever the intention.
Recently, I was introduced to the book “The Secret” and it’s companion DVD. At length, the mindset of positivity as it relates to the Law of Attraction was described as being the absolute secret to success—we must think it and believe it to achieve it! Prayer is a way to, through God’s will, positively focus and channel our thoughts to attract that which we need and desire while being humble and remembering where we come from.
It’s striking really that, even with the scandal and the crap that has happened in recent past—atrocities that shook my personal faith in the Church and Christianity altogether, I have found solace in the forgiveness process. I have personally found through this process that prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have to thrive and survive in today’s society.
Iconography
One of the things I love about the Catholic Church is its nature of being rooted in tradition and, through that tradition, its ability to unequivocally use icons and art to illustrate deep faith, hope, and love and its history and traditions. There are unmistakable symbols and artistic representations that make a piece stand out as being wholly Catholic.
However, this art does more than just brand the Church. This art inspires prayerfulness in the beholder. It moves us spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically to again reaffirm our relationship with God.
Going through this rediscovery of prayer, while taking the journey of faith with my eldest child, has truly inspired me to do something artistic and helpful to my fellow Christians. We are offering in our line of decor and apparel the opportunity for you to receive and give the gift of prayer and inspiration.
At no additional cost, we will place your favorite prayer, Psalm, Bible passage, or blessing on your inspirational canvas print. Your prayer can either be traditional, or it can be what the Holy Spirit moves your heart to say.
Keep Moving Forward, and God bless you!
