Lilian Schmid, National Coordinator of Prayer Strategy for Spheres of Influence writes that each month is dedicated to prayer for the spheres of influence in society. The month of July was dedicated to the sphere of Art.
All of God’s creation is miraculous. God’s initial action in the creation of the cosmos was miraculous. And all he has made continues to be marvelous in its diversity, complexity, and function. If we truly believe in God’s providence through his continual action of creation, we have no choice but to be continually in awe.
When we pray we close our eyes to see the beauty of God’s creation. For hundreds of years, the Church used painting, sculpture, stained glass, and sacred architecture to inspire and instruct. The role of the arts in supporting these functions was crucial in times when vast numbers of people were illiterate. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola recommended a form of meditation wherein the person praying imagines him or herself immersed in the scene with God.
Please uphold all these areas of the Arts in your prayers while meditating on the scriptures.
Eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love him” (based on 1 Corinthians 2:9)
Lilian Schmid
prayerstrategy.org