Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Public Prayers


Paris is a noisy city with few places of respite. But the numerous churches provide a welcome space for peace and quiet amidst the hectic streets. I went into St-Germain-des-Pres recently. It's not too far from my apartment. I saw that on the columns next to statues of several saints, the church had posted large sheets of white paper so that people could write out their petitions (that's St. Anthony in the photo). I had never seen this before; maybe they do it elsewhere. Still, I thought it was noteworthy because not only can you leave a lighted candle as your prayer but also a little note to God. Others might read it too, of course. I guess it's another form of public prayer.

Psychologists say that expressing your feelings is very helpful because it prevents them from being bottled up inside. And writing them down has been shown to be a very effective form of therapy. Apparently, it's good theology too.

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