Thoughts on Notre Dame

I was shocked and saddened to see the headline and video images of the Notre Dame Cathedral burning yesterday.  It was like someone had punched me in the stomach.  As a young man, I lived in Paris for three years.  I had visited Notre Dame and walked through it's magnificent structure many times, marveling at the architecture of the building and the relics it held within.  Even though I was not a Catholic at that time in my life, I was a Christian, and I understood the significance of that great church and what it meant to Paris and to Christians around the world.  So again, I was deeply saddened to see Notre Dame burn and witness the destruction that most likely could never be replaced, even if it was to be rebuilt.  Ironically, this happened at the beginning of Holy Week, a time when Catholics and Christians will remember the sadness, betrayal, trial, torture, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  My prayer is that this tragedy will bring some people back to the church.  That this loss of a historical church will touch someone who has left the church, to come back to the church.  What was lost, can be found.  Our Lady, pray for us!