Since our homes are, or should be, the first and most important churches in our lives, we need to think about how we practice the presence of God in our homes. If we do not feel the presence of God in our homes, chances are we will not feel His presence anywhere else. We must make a deliberate and concerted effort to create a sense of the presence of God at home.

How can we do this? One way is by having signs and symbols of our faith in our homes. Do you have icons in your home? Do you have a cross? Is a Bible visibly present somewhere in your home? If not, why not! They are concrete signs of our beliefs in a God Who is eminently in our world. If you have pictures of your family members and friends in your home, why don’t you also have icons of Jesus and Mary? We believe that they are a part of our lives, that they are as close to us as our family members. Remember these symbols are great reminders of God’s presence, of our faith, and help make God real.

If none of these signs are present in our home, does it not convey the impression that we are ashamed of our beliefs? Someone asked me, What will people think if they come to my house and find icons? I answered, they will think you are a person who believes that God is real and believes in Him.