Unfortunately, my time in Cologne equaled less than a day. Even more unfortunate is that my limited time was handicapped by the weather, my exhaustion, and my very blistered feet. However, I did get to walk around the Cologne Cathedral for a good hour and a half, attend Sunday Mass, and eat a hearty German meal with some of Cologne’s own Kölsch (which I found so much better than Berliner– sorry, Berlin!).

The first word that comes to mind to describe the Cologne Cathedral is massive…

And even that’s not a good description. It is understandable why people flock to the church– it being a UNESCO World Heritage site is a big reason. It’s the type of tour that you walk around with your mouth wide open because you cannot believe your eyes. I had planned to attend an evening Mass. I was a little hesitant because of the language “barrier”. For a moment I thought, what can I really get out of a Mass I do not understand? Luckily, I did not let that stop me.

About half an hour before Mass the cathedral was closed to visitors. It was incredible how quiet it became. Mass began with what could have come out of a movie– the biggest sound from the organ that filled every nook and cranny twice over! I was stunned by the end of the Mass by how much I actually got out of it– even though it was all in German. I witnessed firsthand the universality of the Catholic Church. The spoken word is an earthly barrier. I’ve had a few times so far my trip that speaking to another has not been as efficient as sticking to body language and eye contact. But today was the ultimate language equalizer- coming together and celebrating Mass in the most spectacular cathedral I have ever had the privilege to be in.

During Mass I remembered this part I had read in The Alchemist: “There must be a language that doesn’t depend on words…He realized, If I can learn to understand this language without words, I can understand the world.” I’ve come to marvel at how true this is.