the first time i visited
the cathedral basilica
of st. augustine,
i only peeked inside
for a second or two.
i mostly stayed outside
and photographed the statues
in the courtyard.
when jeff was here in september,
we entered the church
through the heavy wooden doors,
stepped inside
to the sacred sanctuary
and gazed in awe
at stained glass windows,
ornate wood carvings
and crosses.
we stopped in front of the prayer candles
and lit a votive together,
the way couples light a unity candle
during a marriage ceremony...
two sepeparate flames lighting a single candle.
as we were leaving
a priest said, "bless you"
and even though we're not catholic,
we were touched by the words
and each squeezed
the other's hand a little tighter
as we went on our way.
every once in a while,
out of the blue,
one of us will say
to the other,
we were blessed by a priest
in saint augustine.
when jeff was here again
a couple of weeks ago,
we visited the cathedral
for a second time.
we lit another candle,
sat quietly in pew
and listened
to the sounds
of priests singing
off in the distance.
in the absence
of a blessing,
we felt the unspoken blessings
of this holy place
as we made our way
out into the bright light of day.
back in st. augustine
again this week,
i visited the cathedral
with a friend.
heads were bowed in prayer.
statues were draped in purple.
pews were drenched in prisms of color.
wanting to be alone
with thoughts and memories
of how dear holy week
was to her mom,
my friend found a seat
and i made my way
to the candles.
i stood there
for a little while,
chose a special candle,
and set fire
to the match.
i said a prayer
for my niece
who will be born
within the next few weeks.
i asked that she have
a blessed journey
and safe arrival.
and then i sat in a pew
and thought about
all the prayers
being offered,
all the hearts
being comforted,
all the beauty
being appreciated.
and again
felt blessed
as i stepped
out of the sancutary
and into the rest
of a sunny afternoon
in st. augustine.
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