The prayers that live in these walls

I had a seminary professor years ago that used to talk about the prayers that lived in the walls of the chapel. I always found this an intriguing idea…that all the years of prayers that were prayed in that room lived inside the walls of that place, where held, and were part of the prayers that I said in the same place.

I spent Saturday morning exploring Dublin and visited places that reminded me of these living prayers. First stop was the Book of Kells exhibit at Trinity College. This ancient book, assembled over 1000 years ago, is a testament to the faith of our ancestors. Each vellum page, each drop of ink and paint, the quills – all carefully made by hand. Each page hand crafted by a scribe – attending to each word of the gospels, illuminating the word. Exquisite and powerful.

The book itself is kept in a separate room from the exhibit, so that the conditions can be observed and monitored carefully. No pictures allowed in order to preserve it. Only four pages displayed from two gospels, and those are changed every three months, again for the sake of preservation. Just to be in the presence of it was deeply moving.

The second stop for the morning was Christ Church Cathedral. Constructed 800 years ago and the home church of royalty and dignitaries of all kinds. The combined choirs of Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Dublin were the first to perform Handel’s Messiah. Oh, the prayers these walls contain! I spent some time exploring each alcove and chapel, even the crypt! And when I had finished the organist began practicing, so I just sat, and let the music wash over me and found great peace in that place.

Each day at Noon they offer a prayer for peace. So, I stayed and prayed, and then greeted my fellow worshipers, people from all over the globe, people I’d never met and will never meet again, with the peace that surpasses our understanding, the peace of Christ. And now my prayers live in those walls, along with centuries of prayers offered by my kin in Christ.