Lights from the bell tower shine into the inky blue night, a beacon.
Long pews slowly fill with needful souls, their silence instinctive and total.
The cathedral is vast yet intimate. It is both gloriously ornate and a comfortable, well worn home.
The air swells with the first notes of sacred song. Saint Cecilia, patroness of music, smiles from a gold sun monstrance, an antediluvian relic, as the chanters sing Magnificat!
A copper vessel smokes on the altar. I kneel there, the smell of the incense slowly curling its fingers into my nose. I breathe deep the fragrance of ancient spiced wood. It moves through me and the thoughts on my heart swirl gratefully into it, like leaves swept aloft on an earth-scented wind. I exhale a prayer.
I open my eyes to see the purls of smoke rising from the altar. The prayers float gracefully, lingeringly. They are sheer, visible, rising.
The choir is singing like angels as the massive organ exhales in timbral, triumphant psalmody.
Luke I - The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Indeed I give thanks...
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Americans - Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
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16 comments:
Beautiful post...Happy Thanksgiving!
Loved the fact the organ is "massive", fantastic choice of word!
Happy thanksgiving, can't wait to see what you cook.
You really have a way with words. Beautiful, holy words.
The post and the pictures are amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us.
And Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Malia
Beautiful! Happy Thanksgiving Amy.
I embrace my denomination...but sometimes I feel we are missing out on the mystical elements of religion you describe here.
Bravo for using "antediluvian" in a post!
Frau - Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Mo - Dude, you made me laugh out loud you dirty old man! You need to go to church, asap.
rubbish - I have to have you to dinner sometime rubbish. You're all about the food!
Malia - Thanks so much sweetie! Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Felicia - Hello there!! Miss you! We need to figure out how to get together soon!
Jessie/Vanderbilt - An editor would appreciate that! How often is there a perfect fit for that word? Almost never! I'll probably never get to use it again. I was not raised with these mystical things and I love them. It one of the great gifts I received from the Church.
Beautiful.
Happy Thanksgiving Amy and family! Beautiful photos and words for this season.
I love incense and stained glass windows and chanting. And your post.
I was SO there. Lovely writing.
Beautiful post. I love the pictures...and the words.
Happy Thanksgiving!
as do I.......
that was lovely. Tell mo to get his mind out of the gutter. AGAIN.
Happy Thanksgiving:)
Happy Thanksgiving. This tells me of all I'm missing when I visit great cathedrals only as a tourist.
This was so evocative.
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