Duncan Hall: Chapel of St. Walter of Pontoise

“A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” (Isaiah 40)

As we ponder the beauty of Duncan Hall’s St. Walter of Pontoise chapel, let us focus our attention on the beautiful figures in stained glass above the altar. These three windows celebrate figures who are all voices that foretell the Lord’s coming in their own way.

In the center window, we see Mary whose acceptance of the will of God paved God’s way into the world through the incarnation. To the left, we see Patrick, who was the voice of God, bringing the Gospel to the spiritual desert of Ireland. Finally, the window on the right depicts Francis of Assisi, who was a prophetic voice working for reform and renewal in the wasteland of the church.

The voice of God came to these men and this woman in quiet ways they could have ignored, and they themselves were ignored and rejected by many.

Advent is a time of clearing our hearts and minds to listen for the voice of God. Where is the voice of God speaking to us today?