Recently I had the pleasure of watching a recording of the Dominican Vespers that took place on the Feast of St Catherine of Siena. The recording captured the beautiful singing rather well but did little to reflect the beauty of the Cathedral itself.

A visit to the Treasures of the Cathedral exhibition explained that the Byzantine style of the cathedral was chosen on purpose over the popular Gothic to reflect the early church. It certainly makes a great impression and the clear artwork strongly depicts the important figures in the church’s history.

Also, it brought great joy to see a mosaic of St Joan of Arc who has been an important presence in my life for many years. If you wish to see it, it can be found between the Vaughan Chantry and the Chapel of St Joseph.

While I was in the Lady Chapel, a wedding was going on in the main body of the church. As the couple went up to receive Holy Communion, the cantor sang Panis Angelicus; the sheer beauty of the hymn almost lead me to tears.

The detail and power of this cathedral is immense and I will never understand every aspect of it, but maybe that is a reflection of out experience of God and helps one to understand why this is the Heart of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

A side thought from the Bell Tower

The views of London from the top of the Bell Tower are certainly splendid but paled in comparison to what was on offer on the lower level. Skyscrapers blot out the views of green spaces and old churches and one cannot help but be reminded of the capitalist system that is spinning out of control. Naturally, this led me to think of the cost of the aforementioned treasures of the cathedral but even a cursory thought to the purpose of these expensive pieces of work leads to understanding. Building a skyscraper is a job for many people, but to craft, for example, a Pyx to safely carry the Body of Christ to those who are in need of Him, is a fulfilment of a Holy Mission that can be done with little strain on one’s conscience.

I do not have a gift for crafting precious objects, nor do most, but we all have some gift that can be used in devotion to Our Lord or to support those who preach the Gospel.