Stop!

I will be away for the weekend at an Episcopal church workshop. I have received strict instructions to leave all electronic things that ring, beep, chime, chirp, buzz, and all other worldly distractions that command your attention at home. I think this means I won't have computer/laptop access! So, I'll be taking a bit of a 'stop' from blogging. See you next week.

Candles

During my month-long stay at Laury's house in the Lot, I was frequently greeted in the morning by candlelight. Laury is a very early riser (not by choice!) so even tho I was always walking down the stairs by 6:30am, she had already been up for a long time. She loved to light candles all over the living room, sit and journal by candlelight. By the end of the month those candles made the dark mornings feel warm and cozy. We'd sit at her dining room table, drinking our coffee by candlelight and watching the dawn arrive over the River Lot flowing outside her window. These candles are from the Notre-Dame-des-Anges (Our Lady of the Angels) church in Collioure. Every church I entered in France was illuminated by flickering candles, lit as intercessory prayer offerings to the Virgin or saint venerated in each tiny chapel.

I took these photos with candles in the Abbey Church in Conques. The Virgin had her own chapel among the many around the nave; the votive nestled in one of the many niches carved into the stone columns that hold up the great vaulted domes of the church. If you'd like to see my very favorite candle photo, you'll have to click over to Dona Nobis Pacem. I'm considering that photo for a Christmas card this year. Let me know what you think of that idea.

I love the soft light that candles bring to the space. I've decided that my house could use some of that same soft light this fall. This morning I ate breakfast by this candlelight.....

Elegant Beauty

I walked across the cobbled-stone parvis to the huge wooden doors under the tympanum. Pulling them open, I stepped into the dim entry to the nave of this Abbey Church of Sainte Foy. Light streamed into the high windows around the aspe bathing the stone walls and elegant, almost austere columns in a soft glow. The sight took my breath away! No Gothic decoration or multi-colored stained glass windows in this house of God, only simple, almost geometric windows and the clean, straight lines that identify this style as 'romanesque.' I explored the church walking up and down the ambulatory, wandering around the transept, sitting on the hard wooden pews. I imagined how it must have felt to sit here in the Middle Ages, worshipping in this mighty space, venerating Sainte Foy, and feeling God's presence in every stone, every column, every window...

The bells began to toll, and one by one, the white-robed Brothers hurried to take their places in the choir. As the last tolling bell faded away, the liturgy began in a sweet, pure tenor voice. When the brief office ended, one of the Brothers strode to the grand piano tucked away in the transept and began to play. I knew this church was special; I knew I needed to return here again.

Abbaye Sainte Foy

This beautiful Abbey Church dedicated to Sainte Foy anchors the village of Conques. The church was built in the 11th century on the site of a 10th century basilica and is a fine example of Romanesque architecture. The main body of the church and its cloister were completed by 1107. Almost destroyed by fire 1568 during conflict between Protestants and Catholics, the church fell into disrepair over the next two centuries. It was restored under the direction of Prosper Merimee in the late 1800's. If you click here, you can see an awesome photo of the backside of the Abbey and its round chevet.

This is a photo of the great doors opening into the church capped by its famous tympanum. It depicts the Final Judgement and was inspired by the Gospel of Saint Matthew. You can see that the stone still carries some of the color that once covered all the figures.

This is Sainte Foy being blessed by the hand of God. Her relics are venerated in this Abbey church and her treasure is on display in the cloister shown below. As beautiful as the outside of Sainte Foy's church is, the inside is even more stunning. I'll blog about it tomorrow, so check back.

Paris!

I stepped off the train in the Gare Austerlitz to the buzz of Paris. Throngs of people all rushing to get somewhere smacking right up against equally as many people who were lost, standing looking puzzled, not sure where the heck they were! The streets were clogged with cars, motocycles, and busses. I dodged both bicyclists and rollerbladers as I walked down Blvd. St. Germain. Ah, Paris! Dirty, messy streets, pushy people, bright lights, and the blaring claxons of police cars in hot pursuit. Ah, Paris! Everyone talking on their mobile phones, paying no attention to on-coming traffic...vehicular or pedestrian. Boys in packs; giggling, but stylish girls, tourists studying maps, dogs, street people begging...ah, Paris! Sidewalk cafes were filling up fast inspite of the cool, cloudy weather; art galleries were filled with wine-sipping art lovers; the Carrefour across the street from my hotel was bustling with shoppers eager to get home to fix dinner. As I relished my first sights and sounds of my favorite city, the bells of the Eglise St. Germain-des-Pres began to chime, calling the city to Mass. I slipped in and sat in the back row. The huge vaulted church was still except for the priest singing the liturgy and the congregation answering in song. The bells called and gifted me with twenty minutes of beauty and quiet uninterrupted by the crazy busy city outside the huge wooden doors. I left the church filled with peace. Ah, Paris!

La Toussaint

Without children around I don't do much for Halloween. Actually I haven't lived anywhere in the past 20+ years where kids even trick-or-treat! One advantage, I guess, of living in the country. I am intrigued, though, with the day after Halloween. In Mexico and in the Southwest, this day is celebrated as Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. These guys are representative of how Hispanic cultures celebrate the holiday. Several years ago I spent the holiday in Taos, NM and totally enjoyed all the festivities. Every shop window was filled with colorful displays of costumed skeletons, flowers, and skulls. The waitstaff at the fancy restaurant where I dined were fully in costume and into the celebration.

The French also celebrate November 1st as La Toussaint or All Saints' Day. It is both a legal and a church holiday. According to my Larousse dictionary, "in France on 1 November people celebrate All Saints' Day by laying flowers (typically chrysanthemums) on family member's graves. People often drive long distances to reunite with their families around the tombs of loved ones."

I will neither party nor visit the graves of my loved ones today; I will instead pray for all those I love tonight at church.

Mass on the Grass

Last evening my church held its annual Blessing of the Animals service. Dubbed "Mass on the Grass" this service is held on the weekend closest to the saint's day for St. Francis of Assisi. When I searched Google images for a picture of St. Francis, I found many, but this one 'spoke' to me. It looks like how I imagine the real Francis looked...thin, intense, aflame with the love of God, yet gentle and peaceful enough to hold a delicate bird in his hands. I think the artist truly captured the essence of St. Francis. The Blessing service at church, however, was anything but peaceful! There were at least 30 dogs and a half dozen cats present along with their owners. Every breed and mix was represented. I counted at least four standard poodles...not a breed you see much anymore. One couple came with three show-quality cocker spaniels in tow. There were several yellow labs as well as two gorgeous golden retrievers. Elizabeth, Mary and Milton, the three priests there to do the blessing, were thankful that nothing with scales showed up. Everyone mingled for a bit, then services began out on the lawn east of the church. All participants were VERY well behaved as we worshipped. While the human congregants passed the Peace, the priests blessed each animal present by touching them with the love of God and thanking them for loving their humans. It was a fun way to spend a beautifully warm, slightly breezy fall afternoon.

Lucie was a very good girl; she only barked once when she saw other dogs running with their children. She was exhausted, tho, when it was all over. It was a big day for her sniffing more doggie behinds than she's ever even seen before!

A Fundraising Salon

Last Sunday our church rector and her husband hosted a fundraising salon. The idea was to assist the Cedar Rapids Public Library re-build after the devastating floods in early summer. Most of the library's books were destroyed by water and even those on the second floor which were not under water were severely mold damaged. Since the floods happened in 2008, guests were asked to contribute $20.08 or multiples of this amount to attend. The two-hour event boasted wine and dessert, great jazz by George Cole-Duvall and his Flying Fish jazz band (all high schoolers and very professional!), and the opportunity to purchase art. There was pottery, pen-and-ink drawings by Milton Cole (the rector's husband) and some framed prints by Sr. Corita Kent, who was active in the anti-Vietnam war protests of the 60's and 70's. I purchased one of her prints that is hanging now in my office...a multi-colored spiral with a quote by Francis Bacon. The print pictured here is one of Milton's. I think it looks rather Picasso-esque. I have it and the one below hanging in my bathroom. Black and white goes with the decor.

Both of these drawings were done while Milton was assigned to a missionary project in Guam. While there, he presided over 8 small Episcopal churches. I love the faces in both of these prints. They are very different, yet both convey a sense of Guam to me. The salon was a very enjoyable way to fellowship with others in my church as well as contribute to a good cause. And I got some interesting art in the bargain!