The fire at Notre Dame Cathedral is a tragedy not only for Paris and the people of France but for the world.
Those who know the building will be unable to see the pictures of the fire without feeling heartbroken.
So many different things that make up the building are priceless – the medieval roof, the woodwork, the organ, the stained glass, the relics. But this tragedy is more than the loss of them all. It is the loss of the heart of Paris, the loss of a place of pilgrimage and the loss of a place of romance.
Every day this week, Christians will be reflecting on the heartbreak of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to whom Notre Dame was dedicated. Every day as we do so, we will be praying for the Paris its people as they face their own heartbreak.
Notre Dame means Our Lady. Notre Dame doesn’t just belong to Paris, it belongs to us all.
This was a building that is utterly associated with Paris. But it was an utterly priceless treasure for the world.
It was truly ours, and this tragedy is our tragedy.
Our Lady of Paris, pray for us and for all affected locally.
Our Lady of Paris, we pray for you.
Kelvin, Your thoughts and sentiments sum up so well what, I am sure, so many of us will be feeling at this time. So many irreplaceable treasures, that spoke to peoples’s hearts, minds and souls, lost to those who loved them and to future generations. A tragedy.
Beautifully put. What a heart-breaking loss, especially poignant this Holy Week.