Charred & Scarred

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Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris - BBC

Notre-Dame de Paris has burned. No one was physically harmed by the fire. The fire has seared the souls of all lovers of beauty, truth and goodness, i.e., all those who love God and the works inspired by His gift of salvation in Christ.

Notre Dame Cathedral will be rebuilt. France and the world need it. France, especially, needs it in ways that many people may not immediately understand. The Cathedral is not merely a national treasure nor a tourist attraction nor a museum piece. It incarnates the mystery of salvation in Christ. It tells the truth of the Holy Gospel. It is a tabernacle for the living God; the Cathedral is a dwelling place for Jesus Christ present, the Holy Eucharist. The Cathedral is a sign of hope for a world that languishes in the shadows of despair and materialism. That hope is vigorous, indefatigable, and will fuel the efforts to rebuild just as it did fuel the efforts to raise the Cathedral in the first place. People need hope and beauty and truth. The Cathedral points to the One Who offers hope and life eternal.

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