The Soul
of France – Notre Dame
As the
embers of the tragic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris finally fade away
there are many lessons that can be learned.
On the one
hand, there are good things even in the face of adversity. Melchizedek teaches that we must “look for
the good in adversity” if we are to understand the will of God, for nothing
happens that is not part of the plan of destiny.
Many good
things an be found in the disaster of the fire.
There was the appearance of Jesus in the midst of the flames, as if he came
to make certain the raging inferno did not destroy the sacred Cathedral and all
the precious relics, priceless works of art, architectural French Gothic
wonders and historical impact.
It has
been nearly a millennium since the Cathedral was started in 1163, and 674 years
since finished in 1345. Built on the
site of two previous churches, and who knows how many pre-Christian temples, the
Cathedral was dedicated to the Holy Mother Mary. The translation of Notre Dame is “Our Lady.”
As for seeking
the good in adversity, consider these outcomes of the flames, some bordering on
miraculous. A fire alarm went off nearly
twenty minutes before the fire but was dismissed when no fire was found. Many people were still in the Cathedral when
the flames exploded on the roof yet everyone got out safely.
Then
there was the miracle of the chaplain of the Paris fire brigade rescuing the
holiest of holy relics perhaps in the world, the Crown of Thorns placed on
Jesus during his torture and crucifixion.
He knew the Crown was beyond priceless and perhaps the only relic on
Earth tied directly to Jesus.
For chaplain
Jean-Marc Fournier who is being hailed as a hero, he said the hardest task was
cracking the security codes to rescue its most precious relic.
Fournier
told Catholic broadcaster KTO on Wednesday that “the difficulty for us was to
find the person holding the security codes to open the safe where the holy
relic is kept.”
The
chaplain was also celebrated for tending to the injured and praying for the
dead in Paris’ Bataclan concert hall after the 2015 Islamic extremist attack
there. He also spent time in Afghanistan with the French military.
At the
same time a human chain was formed of firemen and Notre Dame personnel and priests
to remove the other sacred relics and historical treasurers while the fire
blazed in the roof overhead and scalding molten lead dropped from the ceiling
like surreal raindrops. Other
firefighters beat back the flames so the treasurers could be rescued. All put their lives at risk.
Then high
above them the three-hundred-foot spire suddenly buckled, then collapsed down through
the roof into the interior of the Church where the rescuers were frantically
working to remove the many artifacts, raining debris but resulting in just a
single fireman injured.
For
nearly twelve hours five hundred French firefighters risked their lives to save
not just the most iconic landmark in France or Europe, but of the entire world
as over thirteen million people visited the Cathedral every year.
While the
battle was raging inside the Cathedral, darkness magnified the blaze in the
night sky and suddenly hundreds, then thousands of the people of Paris and
tourists from around the world were drawn to the horrible tragedy unfolding,
the tourists anticipating spending the Holy Week in sacred ceremonies at Notre
Dame honoring the death and resurrection of Jesus, son of “The Lady”.
Slowly, the
people made their way to observation points around the La Seine River surrounding
the Cathedral, a surprising number of young couples and children, and stood in
stunned silence as the flames roared into the night sky. Then some fell to their knees praying while
other started singing Christian hymns.
Now the
fire was being fought from within the cathedral around the High Alter, on the rooftop,
and from the Bell Towers. Lowly the
ancient temple fought back refusing to succumb to the raging flames and searing
heat intent on sinking this venerable holy place into the darkness of oblivion. As the fire threatened to spread into the
Bell Towers and bring down the exterior walls of the Cathedral there was a
change.
Somehow,
perhaps because of the collective prayers of people throughout the world
watching the carnage on television, the outside walls of this ancient site
refused to accept defeat, just as it looked as if the flames and intense heat
along with millions of gallons of water used to fight the fire would be too
much for the beleaguered landmark to absorb.
Mysteriously,
perhaps a supernatural force sent by the hand of God came to the aid of the heroic
firefighters in response to those prayers.
Something broke the stranglehold of the darkness and rampaging spirit of
the flames and the ferocity of the inferno suddenly began to wane.
Perhaps
the spirit of France’s most iconic Saint returned to finish the task of saving
France from the darkness of the soul here in the most iconic Cathedral in the
world. Notre Dame and Joan of Arc had
unfinished business. The magnificent new
Cathedral opened just sixty-seven years before Joan was born. It dominated the landscape and was the center
of Paris.
Those not
familiar with the only teenage female warrior in history to lead the army of an
entire nation into war should know dear Joan.
Born in 1412, she answered God’s call to sacrifice her own life to save
France from moral self-destruction and at seventeen years old led a collapsing
French army against the English empire occupying Orleans as well as Paris and
Burgundy, and intent on ending French rule on the continent by the end of the
year.
Often
referred to as the Maid of Orleans she defeated the English around Orleans,
oversaw the installation of Charles VII as King of France and she was on her
way to Paris to drive the English out of France ending the Hundred Year war
between the enemies. By this time, she
was just eighteen and knew through divine voices she had one year to live.
While attacking
Paris her support from the King ended, and she was denied taking back Paris. She was captured and sold to the English who
feared her. With no opposition from the
French throne, Joan was charged and tried as a heretic under church law, excommunicated
by the church, condemned to death, and burnt at the stake in 1431, at nineteen
years of age.
Later
church authorities acknowledged she was betrayed by the church and would nullify
her excommunication, declaring her a martyr unjustly executed for a secular
vendetta. Her legend would grow from
there.
When Joan
fought to save France the army was despondent, defeat seemed inevitable, and
the people were losing faith in the Catholic church and the teachings of Jesus. Immorality was rampant much like the caustic
attitudes and moral bankruptcy of today.
Dissent, animosity,
hatred and division were eroding the moral character and contaminated the
people and bloodlines of royalty. Joan’s
sacrifice of her life helped lead the French people out of the darkness and
despair. Today, nearly six hundred years
later, a statue of the beloved Joan of Arc stands proudly in Notre Dame.
In a
strange irony, Joan of Arc became the most beloved of all French saints and
when it was finally time to recognize her sainthood, she was beatified April 11
1909 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, finally finding her rightful place in
history by completing her last battle in life.
She was canonized in 1920.
Joan of
Arc is the only figure in our history ever to be both condemned and canonized
by the Catholic Church.
Her long-deserved
battle to save Paris and France from falling away from God and the teaching of Jesus
is here. She was stopped by the King
before, but God is letting her finish her dream during Holy Week of 2019 by
saving the beloved French icon of Notre Dame from the fury of the dark side.
There is
no irony or coincidence behind the near destruction of Notre Dame and the
miraculous saving of the Crown of Thorns of Jesus, the relics and priceless art
work, the framework of the Cathedral, the Bell Towers, the Rosette stained
glass windows, the sixteen sculptures of the spire, or the High Alter in the middle
of the carnage.
When the
firefighters finally got to assess the damage and could open the doors to the
Cathedral, through the fallen timbers, debris, smoke, haze and water, the brilliant
Gold Cross above the High Alter illuminated the dark interior radiating hope
and life to the astonished firemen.
No
greater sign could be given to the world than the raging inferno and eventual saving
of Notre Dame. The rising of the damaged
Cathedral from the ashes to even greater glory in the future, thanks to the
also miraculous raising of over one billion dollars to restore Notre Dame in
less than forty-eight hours after the fire.
We have
been given the opportunity to wake up.
To do this we must acknowledge that we have lost our way, all over the
world. We have forgotten God’s plan, forgotten
God sent his son to die for us in order to teach us the path of death,
resurrection and ascension to Heaven.
Nearly
six hundred years ago Joan of Arc was also called by God to sacrifice her life
to remind us we lost our faith. We must
follow the teaching of Jesus to find the path of salvation. Joan finally got her chance to fight the
forces of darkness in Paris and again save Christianity and restore faith by
honoring the sacrifice of Jesus and the love of God the Father for us.
The Holy
Mother Mary, patron of Notre Dame, was certainly involved in protecting the
greatest international symbol in the world dedicated to honoring her because of
the sacrifice of her son through his death and resurrection.
Paris and
France again will have the greatest icon in the world in the new Notre Dame
standing as a beacon for all God’s children as it is renewed, resurrected and
restored for the next thousand years of humankind.
People of
the world were stopped for a moment in time by the Notre Dame fire, pause from
the chaos, hatred, and animosity sweeping the world, as they watched the
heroes, prayers, singing, Jesus and Joan of Arc save Notre Dame to inspire
future generations to find their way to God.
The seeds
of salvation have once again been sown, by Jesus and now it is up to us to awaken
and find our way out of the darkness engulfing the world and back to the
message of joy, hope, faith and salvation for all of God’s children.
Once
again Divine Providence has found it necessary to intervene in human
affairs. As Holy Week draws to a conclusion
this weekend, we will remember the teaching and example of Jesus, as
demonstrated through the loyalty to God of Joan of Arc.
As
Melchizedek says, our Creator will never turn his back on his Creations.
