I love places that make you realize how tiny you – and your problems – are.  –Anonymous

At times in our lives, we find places that touch our souls, where we feel at home, where we have a sense of joy and peace. I’ve found what I call my Soul Places in a number of spots around the world – ranging from my own gardens to a special beach to a number of sacred structures including Notre Dame in Paris. When I’m in those places, I feel rooted, peaceful, a sense of belonging and of being “home.” Those places recharge my batteries and hold a spiritual significance for me.

It’s interesting that I felt a connection to Notre Dame long before I ever went to Paris. Perhaps it was my high school French teacher who lived in Paris during the summer and showed us photos of every corner of the City of Light. I even found a book about the history of the lengthy building of Notre Dame, which was in existence since 1180 and completed in 1260. I read every word of that book – knowing implicitly that I was somehow connected to that monumental Cathedral.

So when I started going often to Paris, I would immediately go to the Ile de la Cite, the island in the middle of the Seine River. I couldn’t wait to see the exquisite beauty of the Cathedral of Notre Dame with its intricate carvings representing the history of the church and its tall, breathtaking spire and flying buttresses.

Sadly, the Cathedral caught fire during Holy Week in 2019. The world watched in horror as the orange flames leapt through the roof. It felt unreal. I’m sure many of us wondered how a stone church could burn. And when the beautiful spire fell, I found myself weeping with the people of Paris.

Often when I visited Notre Dame, I walked in the gardens behind the Cathedral – one of the most peaceful places in Paris. I will always remember sitting in the garden and looking up at the buttresses and feeling very small next to them.

I’ve heard people describe Notre Dame as the beating heart of Paris. Inside the church, the air is filled with centuries of prayers, incense, songs, joys, sorrows. On one of my visits I prayed for a dear friend who was suffering from a very aggressive cancer. I could almost feel the Cathedral lifting my prayers to heaven.  

For me, Notre Dame is a Soul Place that feels like it will always be there. Although the spire fell, and the roof burned, Notre Dame still stands. The building is very important to me because it holds many memories for me and for others. It’s probably why Parisians wept and sang near the cathedral, even if they hadn’t set foot in it for years. It’s likely why people around the world, many of whom never worshipped there, started looking at their own memories. Yes, Notre Dame will always be a Soul Place for me. And I believe it stands as a work of praise to God.

* Do you have places that touch your soul?

* Do you think of them often and try to get to them from time to time?

Beloved Soul Maker. Thank you for the gifts of Soul Places in our lives. May we unlock our hearts and minds to them and to their healing touch for us. May we be open to other places that can touch us deeply. Lord, we give You thanks for Your endless gifts of Soul Places in the world. May we be worthy of recognizing and receiving them. Amen.

Joy Carol

www.joycarol.com