My next duty

"So I will go to the altar of God [Ps. 43:4].  Here it is not a question of my minute, petty affairs, but of the great offering of reconciliation.  I may participate in that, purify myself and be made happy, and lay myself with all my doings and troubles along with the sacrifice on the altar.  And when the Lord comes to me then in Holy Communion, then I may ask him, "Lord, what do you want of me?" (St. Teresa) And after quiet dialogue, I will go to that which I see as my next duty." 

- St. Edith Stein, "Ways to Interior Silence", from Edith Stein: The Life of a Philosopher and Carmelite, ICS Publications.

Photo:  Chapelle St. Joseph, Le Mans, France.

Comments

[Clare Krishan]

As ever, today's visual doesn't disappoint - a feast for tired eyes, so to speak!

May I offer for your edification the following composite image, the second scene of which depicting the Holy Sepulcre in Jerusalem came to mind at first glance of your snapshot:

http://www.enid.uib.no/texts/laugerud_1/blikket2.jpg

taken from a neat URL on spirituality fed by imagery at ENID (European Network om the Instruments of Devotion, a colloquium of scholars, including an expert on that affront to poular piety, the stripping of the altars, Eammon Duffy)?

"Some remarks on the Sacredness or the Sanctity of Images ..." authored by Henning Laugerud, Bergen"

http://www.enid.uib.no/texts/laugerud_1.htm

Pray that Our Lady's images convey their miraculous gifts to the faithful in trepidation in the Holy Land today...
I ask this in her Son's name,
Amen.

[Teresa Polk]

Thank you, Clare. As usual, your comment contributes much.

The photo in this post is actually a sort of "re-run", and there are more photos with more information about that church in an earlier post from shortly after last October's trip to France:

http://blog-by-the-sea.typepad.com/blog_bythesea/2005/11/19th_century_fr.html

Funds to save the church in the photo from demolition are no doubt still being raised.