This is my home altar…

It’s pretty simple. All located on a small stool. The computer to watch the mass, a small bowl with holy water, a crucifix, a St. Michael relic stone, and a blessed candle.

We have always had holy water in the house and we had just filled a water bottle from the baptismal font at St. Martha’s Catholic Church before Lent. For mass, I “fill” the dish with one capful of holy water for the five of us to share. Trying to conserve!

The crucifix is modeled after the pastoral cross of St. John Paul II. We have had that blessed also. I often wonder if there is a significance that the cross is shaped with a bent crossbar. I did some research and discovered Pope Paul VI commissioned it from Italian sculptor Lello Scorzelli in 1963 and used it for the first time December 8, 1965, at the official closing of the Second Vatican Council.

The St. Michael relic stone is from Santuario S. Michele Arcangelo, located in Mount Gargano, Italy. I read the story about the St. Michael Cave several years ago and sent for a relic stone directly from the basilica. There are many articles about the apparition online. Two that I found informative are at Aleteia.org and ATXCatholic.com.

I am lucky in that I live close to my parish deacon. He graciously agreed to bless my candle.