PRAYER: A personal and private act of focusing and raising our hearts and minds to God to acknowledge Him, for blessings and adoration, petitions, intercession, thanksgiving and in praise. Blessings and adoration are both out outward and inward expressions of Love for all that God was, is and shall be forever. In petitioning we do not instruct or direct God, as He needs no direction from us. But our petitions appeal to God's goodness and mercy and help us further form our consciences through careful examination before God of what we truly desire and what is truly in our hearts. In giving Him thanks and praise we acknowledge God's goodness and we also acknowledge our neediness and dependence upon Him. To receive what He has already prepared for us according to our merits, but we must first ask through prayer. Knock and the door shall be opened.
But wait! Now along comes the PUBLIC PRAYER BOOTH! (Does it take quarters?)
This article and the booth in question are so completely wrong on so many levels, it's hard to decide where to begin.
First, this "Prayer Booth" was intended as a form of art to get people talking about prayer, not to actually get people praying. Considering the state of the world today, I think we need to be doing more actual praying and less talking about prayer.
Second, I think the booth itself is an insult not only to prayer, but to the faithful who do not take prayer lightly. It mocks the sincere and humble act of prayer and all those things that prayer is intended for as mentioned above.
Third, atheists are now screaming that tax dollars have gone into not only this "public display of religion", but into the publicly funded NPR that reported on it....by a Wiccan no less!
Lastly and most important of all, personal prayer should be in private. If you do something in public to be seen by men, then you shall have your reward here on earth, not in heaven. What part of Matthew 6:5 do you not understand? "And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward."
The designer Dylan Mortimer hoped to get people talking because religion is "just one of those topics you don't bring up at the dinner table". Perhaps that's the problem. Just as rich people do talk about money at the dinner table, the faithful do talk about God and their faith at the dinner table. The table is the place for all to come together as a family, if but just once a day. What better time to discuss the Lord!
Does it get us talking? Yes, about things we should already be talking about around the dinner table instead of articles and blogs. But in a very real sense it makes a mockery of prayer. And as for Ken Bronstein, the president of the New York City Athiests who is an opponent of public religions displays? Well, if I ever meet him on the street, I'll be sure to not only make the sign of the cross blessing myself in his presence, but to bless him as well! Howdja like THAT public display of religion?
This is not public prayer as we all proclaim during mass or as when His Holiness prays the Angelus in St. Peter's Square, this is a mockery of personal and private prayerbetween and individual and God. My opinion is that this should be seen by the Catholic Church as scandalous and certainly NOT supported by Father Morriss a Catholic Priest and a FOX news commentator. The public comments on a google search for "Public Prayer Booth" are horrible with many profaning the Catholic Church and her Priests.
Those wishing to express their concerns to the Archdiocese of New York please write to;
His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan
1011 First Ave
New York, 10022
What do YOU think?
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