A Pilgrimage to Canterbury

This candle burns perpetually as a reminder of prisoners of conscience and all those who suffer unjustly for their beliefs and actions.  "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing."

My DH asked at dinner "what are you going to write tonight?". I told him I had no idea but I hoped inspiration would hit.  It is not for a lack of it.  Today we made our way to the bus station and hopped the local stagecoach to Canterbury.  The bus we hopped was not direct but it sure was fun to drive through all the little villages and see the countryside.  Since the bus had the top level we ascended so we could see the scenery better.

It was mostly green fields dotted with livestock.  Baby lambs were very much in evidence.  At the restaurant this evening lamb was on the menu...and I just could not even stomach the thought!  

The first thing I see is this little lamb statue

But I digress.  Canterbury is a bustling city and once we reached our destination we hopped off and began to wander around.  We knew we would have no problem locating the Cathedral since it towered over the city quite spectacularly.  

We arrived at the visitor centre to pay the entrance fee.  Today was a discount day because we could not go into the nave of the church since there were graduation ceremonies taking place in there.  We could visit the crypt and chapels and some of the garden.

As we wandered around the parts where we were allowed and read interesting bits of history about the Cathedral and some of the clergy my DH pondered that neither of us likely thought we would ever be here to walk through this building, see the majestic beauty of it and literally walk the stairs that so many did over such a long period of history.  I teased my DH about checking out our new house on the grounds and then I said to him this is far too grand I am a mere peasant from the colonies!  Never mind they have never had a female clergy.  Better start them gently--that won't be me!!

While we had a few good laughs as we wandered about there were times of reflection and prayer.  How could there not be in such a place?

 

A section of the cloister.  

The ceiling of the cloister halls contain bosses which represent an array of late medieval English heraldry

Some of the arches of the cloister have rich coloured glass.  From the arches you look out on the graves of some of the archbishops and the floors of the cloister halls are all stones engraved with the names of who was buried there.

One of the many chapels

As you stand to one side of the church and look up!  

The chapel of Saints and Martyrs of our own time.  

Notice the sculpture off to the side and see the picture below for a closer look

The inscription for this chapel says

"In this chapel we thank God for the sacrifice of martyrdom, whereby truth is upheld and God's providence enriched.  We pray we may be worthy of their sacrifice."

Looking back toward the Nave.  The candle burning here is where the shrine of Thomas Beckett was before it was forcibly removed.  He was killed by the King's guards because, despite their friendship,  he did not side with the king but rather the church.  

Trinity Chapel

Ruins of the infirmary that was destroyed after an earthquake

This seemed to be the lodgings...

Since this was the Dean's door!

Some of the passages and their various door ways

Just a random shot of the grounds

A garden area on the grounds

Another section of this massive structure.

People were bustling about everywhere.  Some rushing others strolling and pausing.  Some kneeling in prayer.  Whatever brought each person to this building today there is no doubt we were all seekers and pilgrims.  

Notice how worn the step are in places from

 so many years of use.

“Faith is a belief in things that your senses have not experienced and your mind does not understand, but you have touched them in other ways and have accepted them. It is easy for one to speak of faith; it is another thing to live it.”
— Peace Pilgrim