The Dharma Revelation

Chapter 28

Petra sat with the rest of the Osiris staff in one of the wooden pews in the church. Throughout the ceremony, she had a difficult time taking her eyes off of the various stained-glass windows. She had seen stained glass before, but the artistry on these windows was breathtaking.

She found Daniel's tribute to his friend moving, and was intrigued to see him in this light, at his job. It was a sad but beautiful ceremony. She felt that the Catholic traditions were wrought with symbolism. Daniel had explained some of these traditions to his new friends before the funeral. He wore white vestments, which symbolized resurrection and everlasting life, and he sprinkled the casket with water, which symbolized the waters of baptism, linking human flaws with God's power over our mortality. The music, the readings from the Bible, the lighting of the candles—including what Daniel referred to as the Pascal candle—all symbolized Jesus' conquering of sin and death. Despite all of her studies, Petra had never gotten the impact of these traditions.

"In closing," Daniel said, addressing the congregation. "I would like to thank everyone who came today. Thank you for sharing eulogies and memories of Troy. There are only a handful of people who come into your world and touch your life in a dramatic fashion. Troy is one of those people. His light shone on everyone who knew him. He will be sorely missed."

Daniel then recited a closing prayer over the casket. The pallbearers brought the casket to the hearse, which the close family and friends would follow to a nearby cemetery.

Everyone slowly rose from their pews and gathered their things. Petra found her purse and followed Vincent into the aisle. But instead of following him out of the church, she wandered toward the side, to get a better look at the stained-glass images.

"Petra?" Vincent said.

She looked back at Vincent, "I would like to stay a while, if that's all right."

"Sure," he said, noticing her interest in the glass art. "After the drive to the cemetery, we are all supposed to meet at Shea's for a small meal. I'll be outside with the others."

She nodded and looked back at the windows. Occasionally someone looked her way curiously, as if wondering why the windows were of any interest. But Petra was so lost in thought she didn't even notice the remaining people filtering out of the church. She slowly walked around the side aisle looking at each image. Despite her study of Christianity, she didn't know what all of the stories were behind these paintings, but she was sure they each had stories to tell.

She settled under the image of what appeared to be St. Patrick. He held a staff in his left hand and a clover in his right, and he stood near what appeared to be the edge of a small cliff. The expression on his face was very serene, despite a swirl of dark blue storm clouds overhead.

"Interesting isn't it?" Daniel said, appearing by her side suddenly.

Petra didn't jump, but she was startled.

"I'm sorry," he said with a smile. "I couldn't help but notice you looking at the windows."

"Oh," she responded. "I just love these pictures." She gestured to the window. "Look at the detail, Daniel. He stands before the water, near the edge of the cliff. There is a storm coming, and yet his face portrays an expression in such contrast to his surroundings."

Daniel observed the picture and frowned with interest, "What do you mean?"

"Look at his face," she pointed. "He is not reacting to his surroundings. Instead, he looks as if he is giving some sort of message or command to somebody else. Perhaps he is telling them to get to safety? Whatever he is doing, it is almost as if he is above the elements that surround him." She shook her head as if that weren't what she meant. "He looks—" she struggled with the thought.