5 Reasons to Have Sacred Art in Our Homes

The domestic church is the backbone of society. It is where children learn to pray and follow God. Our homes are spots of everyday worship. Establishing domestic churches rich in sacred art and prayer is critical to our future. St John Paul the Great once said,

“As the family goes, 

so goes the nation

 and so goes the whole world

 in which we live.”

This is why building our domestic churches is something we must take seriously. Our children are only ours for a short time. Where do you want to raise your children? In the Church or in the world? Here are 5 reasons to have sacred art in our homes.

Fill Our Homes with Beauty

Our culture is obsessed with how things look. We are glued to our social media and continually staging life so that we appear better, brighter, and happier than we are. The quest for outward beauty drives multi-million dollar industries and leads many to despair. I recently saw that millennials overwhelmingly prefer Italian food, not because they like it but because it photographs well!

This is superficial beauty. It is fleeting and lost. Those Instagram pictures of the lasagna will be buried in hours. True beauty comes from the soul and the Truth. In a quest for social beauty, we have created a very ugly world. However, when children are exposed to true beauty, to the Truth and the Light, it inspires the soul. Medieval cathedrals still captivate us because of their beautiful construction and trappings stir something within us. Our God is one who loves beauty, how else can you explain the intricate wonder of nature?

Sacred Art in Our Homes Brings Hope

Bringing the sacred home gives us hope. When we return from a long cold day, we can recharge beneath the joy of our Faith. A print of Our Lady gently cradling the infant LORD reminds us of the great hope we have in Jesus. An inspiring statue of our favorite saint inspires hope that the Church at Rest is still at work in our lives.

We find true hope in our hearts and our homes when they are filled with peace and joy. If we want more hope for our family, we must turn our thoughts often, and be inspired by the Holy Family. Sacred art is the balm to a very weary soul.

Inspire Prayer

Why do artists create works of faith? How did the art we cling to in our parishes and museums even begin? Far from graven images of the old testament, faith-filled art is meant to inspire prayer. When an artist has no words for the glories of God, he paints a piece that lifts the soul. We all should pray more. We all promise we will pray more. However, how often does that happen?

It is so easy to get distracted by the busyness of life. We rush through our days and fall into bed realizing our prayers went unsaid. Sacred art helps us in this journey. It reminds us of our true goals and home. We are prompted to think beyond our little life and contemplate the wonders of Heaven. If you want to pray more, decorate your home so you meet God and His servants face to face throughout your day.

Focus on God

Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where theives break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.

Matthew 6:19-21

What are our treasures? What do we strive to provide for our homes? The consumerism of our modern age is consuming. It is so easy to get caught up in the race to have the latest and greatest. We are no longer keeping up with the Joneses, but keeping up with the Kardashians. 

Where should our focus be? While the world seeks to distract us, our sole focus, for the health of our soul, should always be God in the Trinity. How can we serve Him? How can we listen more intently to His voice? What is He asking of us this day?

Our treasures of today will surely attract moths and rust away. All we will bring with us at the end of this life is our soul and our faith. Decorating our homes as domestic churches keep our hearts focused on our true mission. As Father Newcomb said on the Sunday before All Saints Day, "If we do not become saints, our lives are a failure."

This is not to depress us, but to inspire us. No treasure can ever outweigh what awaits us after a good and faithful life.  Let us raise our families surrounded by reminders of God's Promise and Love.

Make Our Faith Our Life

Our faith is not just something we do. It is who we are. It is the sole reason for our existence. Being Catholic should never end at the parish door. We need to bring it home with us and carry it throughout every moment of the day. Do our lives radiate the Light of Christ? Are we set apart not through isolation, but because of how and who we serve? Our homes should reflect this conviction and faith, as well.

Living in a domestic church fortifies our faith. Our homes need to look Catholic. This does not mean spending extortionate amounts of money on every Catholic toy, gadget, and piece of clothing. All of these are good, but consumerism is never justified simply because we are buying Catholic goods. Instead, it should be obvious to outsiders that ours are Catholic homes. Instead of hiding our faith beneath a bushel basket of modern decorating, we should be letting it shine for all the world to see.

Sacred art for your home and family is an investment. Perhaps you can only afford one focal piece, or maybe you can clothe every room in a religious splendor. It is not about how much, but in how intentional you are. Fill your home with beauty, truth, prayer, hope, and God---these are the true treasures we should always seek.