Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Seventh Candle

Today after visiting the bones of my ancestors at St. Cuthbert's in Carlisle we toured along Hadrian's wall to Newcastle and down to Durham where we visited the Cathedral and Castle there. Durham Cathedral was built in 1083 and is the first to employ the ribbed archways that became so characteristic in the Gothic era.  It is the final resting place of St. Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.

For the seventh candle we prayed in the Lady Chapel where a modern statue depicting a rough hewn Mary transfixed at the annunciation stands in front of the tomb of the Venerable Bede.  Here I prayed for all historians and scholars of the Word that Our Lady of the Annunciation will send many graces and the Spirit will sustain the energies needed to persevere in study.