14
Piano notes waft through the church, floating up to the vaults of the ceiling and echoing off the stained glass and limestone of the sanctuary. The scent of incense pervades the space; decades and decades of smoke curling up to God. Racks of votive candles flicker and dance from invisible drafts, and high above the altar, an oculus window made of clear glass reveals a circle of bright blue sky.
Sunlight slants in from the clerestory windows and bathes the life-sized figure behind the altar in light and shadow.
We walk slowly up the center of the nave, passing the dim recesses of the transepts and then stepping into the choir, where the monks stand to pray and sing. We are the only ones here—save for the brother practicing on the piano—but it feels holier for its emptiness, even mo
