Antique bishop urges faithful to put up family altars, pray rosary
MACEDA (FB)
A Catholic prelate urged the faithful to bring back the putting up of altars in their homes and continue to pray the rosary.
San Jose de Antique Bishop Marvyn Maceda issued the appeal to strengthen their homes as centers of prayer and faith amid what he called increasing spiritual threats.
He said many households have gradually set aside traditional signs of devotion, including home altars that once served as focal points for prayer and were replaced by entertainment and digital distractions.
“Put it (the altar) back to signify that Jesus is the King of the house,” Maceda said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news website.
“A big television set is now at the center of the living room, while the images of faith have been relegated to the sidelines,” he added.
The bishop of San Jose de Antique also raised concerns about whether families still gather regularly to pray the rosary together.
“Lolo and lola are the only ones praying the rosary now. The children and grandchildren are no longer there,” Maceda said.
He also asked Catholics to return to basic devotional practices and to deepen their relationship with Jesus, noting that the holiness remains the central goal of Christian life even amid modern pressures and distractions. (PNA)