The darkest part of a cathedral is near the main doors. This is no accident. The Gothic architects intentionally constructed their buildings to remind us that our starting point, spiritually, is darkness. Then, as we stumble cautiously through the shadowed entryway, we emerge into an area illumined by huge windows. Architecturally, we experience the reality that those living in darkness have seen a great light.
Every cathedral has large, circular rose windows with ornate, geometric patterns.
Panes depict people or images from the Bible, and at the very center of the rose is always a picture of Christ. The point is to impress upon the viewer the centrality of Christ, that the Christian life is to be ordered around the person and work of Jesus. We find coherence, beauty and meaning when Christ is the focal point. Pilgrims who wander through a cathedral may not immediately notice that it is built in the shape of a cross. The vastness of the building prevents us from seeing the entirety of the cruciform layout.