Good morning: the second ‘virtual’ day in Chartres is a quiet day. A retreat day, assisting at Mass in Notre Dame de Chartres then a time of quiet in the Lady Chapel and la Belle Verriere (see yesterday). This ‘virtual’ pilgrimage should reflect the spirituality of Catholic pilgrimage as far as possible and it would be missing the point to be chatting here each day without some structured times of silence.
May I also invite you to a time of quiet? I have added below, a “Romanesque Meditation.”
(Previous posts: Day 21 I’ll be here until Judgment Day.” Day 20 Arrival in Chartres)
I shall walk all of those 1,625 kilometres and add them to the distance walked from Worcester already.
The virtual pilgrimage continues after Chartres
towards Bonneval – Chateaudun – Vendôme
COMMENTING IS BACK ON … Talk among yourselves.
I shall keep silence on the exit from Chartres until the weekend.
Romanesque Meditation
If you would like to join this meditation, please arrange not be disturbed for the next half an hour.
(Thank you Georges Meisner, for permission to use images from compostela.co.uk in this blog series.)
Quiet time and meditation. (30 minutes)
- Look at the figure of Christ in this majestic picture. What are your feelings about Him?
- Open the page https://compostela.co.uk/great-portals/the-great-portals/ (It will open in a new tab.)
Go to the video of the Romanesque tympanum at Saint-Pierre de Carennac, expand it to full page and watch it (3 minutes). Then return here. - Again look at the Christ above, with His hand blessing you. What do you think about Him? Spend a few minutes, whatever you like, answering that question and if you have no concrete thoughts do not be troubled. Just look at the picture and be still.
- Keeping the picture of Christ on your screen, say quietly and repeat as many times as you like:
Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God,
have mercy on me,
a sinner. - Turn off or pause your computer and take a break from it. Spend the rest of the half hour saying that prayer in your familiar surroundings (or if at work say it silently). End the time with a simple, Amen.
Equus Asinus 
Good evening, pilgrims.
My ‘virtual’ quiet day in Chartres was very rewarding. I turned commenting back on, but I shall continue in silence, as already indicated, until the weekend or Friday at the earliest.
Leaving Chartres after early Mass I shall head south and climb the gentle gradient again onto the plain of Beauce, looking back to see the spires of Notre Dame de Chartres recede behind me. Heading south I shall think about my own journey, but also the journeys so many have made on this route, and what they also brought with them from Chartres in spiritual nourishment. A silent invisible community of the faithful down the ages, on this road.
If you have used the opportunity of this page to enter into the “Romanesque Meditation”, there will be more to come. Georges Meisner‘s photographs and videos will be a focus for further visually-based spiritual exercises, as he has allowed me free use of these remarkably evocative photographs to support this virtual pilgrimage. As we head south we will be guided by the history and the spirituality of the route.
“Thanks Gareth
Best wishes in all your endeavours”
– Georges
compostela.co.uk
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