Author Topic: Home Altar (Read 4705 times)

PaulLuke · « **on:** March 28, 2012, 09:57:16 PM »

I was not raised in a Traditional Catholic home, so pardon my ignorance. I am interested in creating a home altar. I was wondering if anyone can give me advice (either from experience or from some resource) on what to include, how to incorporate it into daily life, etc. While I am young and single now, I also welcome any suggestions for the future in which the altar is more of a family altar for a married couple or for a family with children. Thanks!

s2srea · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2012, 10:14:12 PM »

Hello Paul, welcome!

Perhaps this may be of interest to you:

http://www.cathinfo.com/index.php/Home-Altar-Home-Shrine-to-Our-Lady-or-a-Saint

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2012, 02:49:39 PM »

Here's a picture of my shrine:

s2srea · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2012, 03:11:10 PM »

I had to go stand back on the other side of the room to see that pic ss! lol just kidding. Its beautiful. I just had to minimize the screen a few times.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2012, 03:59:33 PM »

Thanks, s2s. Yeah, I couldn't figure out how to make the image smaller. I have a new camera, and I hear that the pics on these newer cameras are huge and apparently can't be minimized, though surely there is a way to minimize them. Anyone know how? Thanks in advance.

s2srea · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2012, 04:04:26 PM »

This is what i do when I need to re-size a picture quick from my work PC (Windows):

o resize a picture using Paint:

Open Paint by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, and then clicking Paint.

Click the Paint button , click Open, click the picture you want to resize, and then click Open.

On the Home tab, in the Image group, click Resize.

In the Resize and Skew dialog box, select the Maintain aspect ratio check box so that the resized picture will have the same aspect ratio as the original picture.

If the Maintain aspect ratio check box is selected, you only need to enter the horizontal value (width) or vertical value (height). The other box in the Resize area is updated automatically.

Do one of the following in the Resize area, and then click OK:

To resize your picture by a certain percentage, click Percentage, and then enter a percentage to reduce the width by in the Horizontal box or a percentage to reduce the height by in the Vertical box.

To resize the picture so it's a specific size, click Pixels, and then enter a new width in the Horizontal box or new height in the Vertical box.

Click the Paint button , point to Save as, and then click the picture file type for the resized image.
Type a new file name in the File name box, and then click Save.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2012, 04:09:54 PM »

Thanks s2s. I'll try that.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2012, 08:51:41 PM »

Testing.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #8 on:** April 03, 2012, 08:52:30 PM »

Thanks s2s! It worked! That one is the same picture, it should just be easier for you to see.

s2srea · « **Reply #9 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:15:18 PM »

Definately an improvement! :)

Usually I resize down a few times till it fits on a normal screen just the way I like it. FYI

Now SS- when are we getting our picture of what you look like!?!?! lol

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #10 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:24:15 PM »

I tried minimizing the pics a little more AFTER I posted that one, and it messed the pics up for some reason. So now I'm going to have to upload them again. Very odd. Oh well, it's not a huge deal. After I re-upload them and minimize them to around 50 or 40% (which is about how low it will go without messing up) I will post another pic of my shrine that includes the prayer kneeler I have in front of it.

As for when this forum will get a pic of me? Not sure, to be truthful. :) There is one pic of myself on my camera but it looks blurry.

s2srea · « **Reply #11 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:28:29 PM »

So we don't have an appropriate place for a shrine in our home, but we use the fireplace and mantle for a statue and image of Our Lady, our bible, and a small wooden Infant Child. I hope you don't mind, I sort of cheated. The Infant and Bible stay up on the mantle, and Our Lady and the image stay on the bottom, where the picture was taken.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #12 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:31:17 PM »

Pretty, s2s. How long have you had your shrine? Mine is only two weeks old.

s2srea · « **Reply #13 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:50:34 PM »

Thanks SS. Well my mom gave us the statue of our Lady of Sorrows about 6 months ago, so not too long. Its sort of a work in progress. The bible is the newest addition; the image of Mother and Child was given to me by a priest; it belonged to his deceased mother. My mom has some beautiful statues in her home of St.s Michael the Archangel, St. Pius X, and St. Gerard Majella, not to mention the beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima which greets everyone on their way into her home. This statue of Our Lady of Sorrows was up in my old bedroom (she has no more room for these things lol) and I told her, "Hey mom, I was talking to Our Lady upstairs. She said she wanted to go home with us so we can be devoted to her- I think you'd better listen!"

MyrnaM · « **Reply #14 on:** April 03, 2012, 10:37:59 PM »

I like this idea, I hope more people will post a pic of their home altar or special prayer place. I will try to take a picture tomorrow of mine.

My home altar was never planned it just evolved. A few pictures, then a statue, candles and so on. I just keep adding to it. We light the candles each time we pray the rosary, and my grandchildren enjoy blowing them out.

Funny thing is, I have this pet dog, and she has a bone I purchased for her, about a year ago, the only time she takes it out and chews on it, is when we all gather to pray the rosary. She parks herself right there in the middle of the floor and licks or gently chews her bone, till we finish, then she leaves it alone till next time. It is really sort of her way of joining in. The children love it too! We are all so used to her doing this, it no longer is a distraction to us, as it was at first.