Notre-Dame: Tragedy and new beginning
This week, we witnessed a tragedy in the making. On April 15, the world stood by and watched in bewilderment as the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris burned out of control — the building consumed by flames for more than 12 hours.
In addition to battling the flames, firefighters worked swiftly to remove religious treasures that have been objects of devotion for millions of Christians for centuries. Among these items were what is believed to be the true crown of thorns of Jesus, one of the authentic nails of the Cross of Jesus and a relic of wood of the same Cross.
The intense damage sustained at such a Christian icon was devastating and disheartening for many. New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan said on the “Today” show that it was like having lost a family member. He noted that looking at the fire and aftermath was like a funeral. The magnificent edifice has undergone much and endured many hardships throughout the ages, among them: the French Revolution, the Huguenot rebellions and two world wars.
Nonetheless, once the flames and smoke had subsided, amidst the rubble and charred remains, the heart and soul of the cathedral were found intact. The cross of the main altar stood unharmed and, alongside it, a majestic sculpture of the Pietà by Nicolas Coustou.
French President Emmanuel Macron promised that the cathedral will be rebuilt, vowing to have it back to its glorious state within five years. “NotreDame is our history, it’s our literature, it’s our imagery. It’s the place where we live our greatest moments, from wars to pandemics to liberations,” he said. “I’m telling you all tonight — we will rebuild this cathedral together. This is probably part of the French destiny.”
This is a wonderful paradigm for Christians as we celebrate Holy Week and Easter. Life is not about falling down but about getting up. Life is not about tearing down but about rebuilding. The Book of Ecclesiastes says: “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens — a time to tear down and a time to build.” Just when we think that we are destroyed and defeated, that’s the moment of a new beginning.
Something mystically unites us in tragedy and releases a hidden divine energy that motivates us to join forces to begin again toward a renewed future. For Christians celebrating these Holy Days, the presence of the Cross and that of the Blessed Mother is at the center of our faith and reassures us of our hopeful future — just as the Parisians will rebuild NotreDame around the central altar where the Cross and Pietà remain, unscathed, waiting for a new beginning.