Initial Footage from the destructive fire that consumed Notre Dame struck me to my core. France, for centuries was known as the mother of the Church when Rome was in its decline. For centuries it “held” together the Petrine tradition until St Catherine of Siena rightfully called the pope to retire to the home of the Chair of Peter. But France and Paris in particular was the center of theological scholarship. Imagine, St Thomas Aquinas was at the university of Paris while Notre Dame was being completed in the 12th century.
As I reflected in this inferno, it seemed to resonate with my feelings about what is going on in our Church today. It seems like it is on fire…and nothing seems to be putting those flames out. Sexual sin and abuse, evil cover-ups, betrayals of trust and blatant lack of moral courage have nearly broken our morale and spirit.
But then there is the Cross. That picture of the Cross in the midst of the smoke and subsidizing flames of Notre Dame. Still standing aloft in the midst of all the rubble and destruction is the cross. That stumbling block and obsurdity St. Paul wrote about. (1 Cor 1:23).
As we walk this Holy Week there is no way to bypass the Cross. There is no way to pass go and collect $200. We need to make the trek and ascend the wood and be nailed to the cross beams. There is no escaping the cross.
Thank God! For without it, we would just be cinder and ash.
