British painter, Milly Childers, (1866-1922) painted this, Girl Praying in Church, while touring France with her father. This is an old church - see the damaged pillars on the right. It is a poor church - the walls are mildewed and the floor uneven.
That's a wooden credence table on the right, where the wine and water cruets are placed for Mass. There is even a wooden step a little altar boy might use to better his reach. The statue of Mary is crowned, and she holds the Infant who wears a blue fabric cloak.
The little girl is poor as well; her dress is plain; perhaps shabby. The altar cloth looks as if it could do with some ironing. The only opulence is the bone china flowers under the glass domes that money-ed people have placed over the years, perhaps when the church knew more comfortable times. The domes serve to keep dust off the "flowers" and to protect them from breakage. These ornamental flowers can be contrasted with the few real stems the child holds and will likely leave on the altar when her prayer is completed.
What might her prayer-thoughts be? Is there trouble at home or at school? Is her world at war or peace? Is she hungry, lonely, fearful? Or is she counting her blessings before the Mother of God, lamenting or complaining about nothing, just thanking. I am reminded of Paul Claudel's very tender poem:
At midday I see the church open,
It draws me within.
I come, Mother of Jesus Christ,
Not to pray.
I have nothing to bring you,
Or to ask of you.
I only come, O Mother,
To gaze at you,
To see you, to cry simply out of joy,
Because I know that I am your child,
And that you are there...
