The Stations of the Cross form a 14 part devotion often said in Lent or Holy Week. The cycle of prayers and scripture readings reflect on the last day of Jesus’ life before he was crucified. On the East Wall of the Nave, Canterbury is blessed to have a singular set of iconography by Ruth
Read MoreI stand at the edge of this wilderness Weary with the journey to get here. So long ago we left our lives in Egypt. Some days, I can still taste the bread and delicious fruits watered by the Nile. At the beginning, the journey was exciting. There was the pillaging of the Egyptians After the
Read MoreHe came up from the Jordan. Still damp from his cleansing passage, He wandered into my rocky wastes, His footprints vanishing as wind blew over sandy ground. He seemed in no hurry to get somewhere. Soon he was covered with my dust His sweat made marks like tear tracks on his face. When He grew
Read MoreA fragile clay pot— Broken becomes worthless. But Gather up the scattered fragments. Mend the cracks with care and love that Trace healed wounds with golden scars. Imperfection revealed as beauty— The ordinary becomes holy. Ruth Meredith 9/7/2019 This poem reflects the Japanese aesthetic of kintsugi, which is the art of embracing damage. The word
Read MoreMy journey into the solitude of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert began in a series of fits and starts several days before the early Friday morning when I was to leave. During that week, I prepared, pasted together, assembled and distributed the final draft of my Masters thesis to my committee. Completing this
Read MoreWithin the pond, fish flow in fluid dance, Scaled shapes shadow its depths with fire Their liquid grace reflects the touch of water Which changes stiff fins to silken wings. The pond accepts the gesture of my open hands But it troubles the subtle harmony of fish Outstretched fingers seem like a net to fish
Read MoreRuth Meredith writes about the set of Altar Icons she created for liturgical use at Canterbury: Christian Icon painting is rooted in the theology of the Incarnation (Christ being the eikon of God). During most of Christian history, most people could not read, and icons served as teaching tools. The images tell the story of salvation and
Read MoreAround the Feast of Michael and All Angels, which occurs on 29 September and is also known as Michaelmas, the Nave is brightened by the addition of four Archangel Banners. These dramatic and stately portraits were created by Ruth Meredith in circa 1985. They envision St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and St. Uriel. Angels
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