Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
In April 2019 the entire world watched in horror as fire devastated Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
There was a collective will to bring it back to life again.
Some have said that the destruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral became a symbol of Good Friday. As we watched the cathedral’s reconsecration last December, we saw a symbol of the Resurrection. It did come back to life again.
One of the most dramatic pictures from that tragic fire was the shining gold altar cross above the statue of Mary who is holding the lifeless body of her Son. The cross survived the disaster intact. It is now a centerpiece for the renovation of the cathedral.
The cross, shining in the light, is a symbol of hope. God took an instrument of death and made it an instrument of life. That cross, which survived the fire in Notre Dame Cathedral, is a sign that God will not be conquered; God will restore what was lost.
That is exactly what God did for Jesus who was dead in the tomb. Just when all seemed lost, and death seemed to have the upper hand, God raised up Jesus. God took the power of the cross to bring death and gave it the power to give life. That is why we are drawn to the cross — it gives us life by the restoring forgiveness that Jesus offers from it.
We preach a crucified Christ because he carries the wounds of our sins with him to the cross. But our sins could not keep him in the grave.
Nor will our sins keep us in the grave. Someday those with faith will rise, too. We will be like Notre Dame Cathedral was in 2019, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. And then God will renovate us, restore us, in fact resurrect our bodies out of the grave, new and shiny, even transformed in glory.
May we allow the power of the cross to lift us up today and always. And may we allow the Lord to give us his pardon and his peace — and come to life once more with him.
We worship a God who is very much alive.
He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!
Happy Easter everyone!