Or perhaps it is a porch lit by the moonlight, or one's bedroom, before anyone else in the house has woken up. We can claim the transitory quietness and privacy of these places, welcoming a fleeting moment of prayer and allowing its power to continue throughout our day. But the nature of prayer at home beckons us to welcome the transitory busyness of households, too. Kitchens are perfect places to pray, because there is always so much work to be done in them. And kitchens have, throughout history, been places where many cultures have kept their family religious icons.
Prayer can focus our hospitality at home.
An icon of the Last Supper in my dining room reminds me of what perfect hospitality is like. In my living room there is a painting of the Annunciation. Mary, in the midst of prayer in her living room, is suddenly greeted by an angel, with news that will turn her life upside-down. She made an invitation God could not resist.