today was a free day, and i went with the group to a couple of good 'ol English bookstores. one of them was the W&H Smith (where i found a couple of Doctor Who books) and the famous Shakespeare and CO. (where i found a book of Victor Hugo poems in English and in French). then i went with Karla and Eryck over to Notre Dame (which translates as "our Lady") to look around. well, since it was Sunday, they were having Mass about the time we got there and so, wanting the experience, Karla and i stayed for Mass. the big cathedral was full of people; some were worshiping, others were just passing through to have a look, but, beyond the people and the chanting, the cathedral had an air of mystery. to me, it felt like the cathedral, although it is hundreds of years old, will never be fully discovered. the gargoyles outside protect the spiritual mystery inside, and none can break that barrier.
something else i learned that day was about Saint Denise (or Dennis). apparently, when he was scheduled to be executed, he wanted to die on holy ground. his executioner, however, said no and Saint Dennis was executed in the square like everyone else. the story goes that after his head had been removed, two angels came down and allowed Saint Dennis to pick up his head and walk over to the church that way he could die on holy ground. now his statue is flanked by two angels, and his head rests comfortably in his hands.
No comments:
Post a Comment