• Statement on the fire at Notre Dame

    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.

One response to “Odd”

  1.  Avatar
    Kelvin

    Re: Odd
    Hi,

    I happened by because I was googling o­n the word “thurible”.  I'm a US Episcopalian, and I'm currently in the Inquiry process about becoming a vocational Deacon… which, as you know, is supposedly a lay ministry. 

    But I know what you mean… we do a commissioning sort of a thing every year for our vestry and teachers, but it's all ad hoc and out of various slightly suspect books of supplemental rites.  It would be niceto have an approved liturgy for blessing a Lay Eucharistic Minister, for example.

    If you don't mind, I'll be about again… feel free to look at my blog, http://www.livejournal.com/users/lirazel/.

    I'm 50, with a lot of younger friends due to interests in Japanese animation and science fiction and such… so please pardon us of some of the language is even more opaque than is commonly the case when people from the British Isles and Amurrrricans try to understand each other.

    Regards (how appropriate for viewing someone's blog!)
    Lirazel

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