For those who are yearning for silence

For those who are yearning for silence

 …Three hours later, I’m still in my pajamas. The coffee has grown cold, and so has the room. I have no appetite for lunch. Not because I lost track of time while reading, but because I felt called by my deepest name. Awakened.

I had visited before. But as I was led once more through the unique Cathedral of Chartres by the texts in this book, I realized that I didn’t need those memories of my past visit. Nor does it necessarily prompt a future visit: this book (re)builds an inner Chartres, akin to the journey Teresa of Ávila invites her readers to take through an inner fortress. The colors, the windows, the symbolism, the play of light, the labyrinth—they’re all there, growing within and around me. This immaterial structure expands, becoming a dialogue and a prayer that stretches to encompass both heaven and earth.

By the time I step outside in the afternoon, I’ve made a journey across time and space that continues to touch me deeply. Having finished the book, I rarely feel so encouraged and ‘midway.’ So opened. Part of a living, breathing Port-Royal.

Désanne van Brederode – writer and philosopher

The story of this cathedral seems to find me, I notice. As I read, I glance upwards or am drawn down into the earth. As I read, I often recall the faces of homeless people I encounter in my work. While reading this book, they were warmly welcomed.