I watched a documentary on the restoration of Notre Dame yesterday. It could have been the most depressing of viewings and the early pictures of the fire were very sad indeed. However most of the account was filled with hope and enthusiasm from the numerous experts and workers who were at work on the building. In the process of the restoration they had discovered so much that the 13th century artisans and others later had left behind to help them. They were fascinated by their ancestors. From the fossils in the damaged stonework they could match the stone they needed and went down into the catacombs below Paris which were the original quarries. They were learning how to rebuild. The man in charge spoke of the work evoking a faith in them all, even the most atheist of them. St. Peter in today’s readings speaks of our waiting for the ‘universal restoration’ and indeed we are, but all around us there are signs of resurrection, new life, rising out of darkness from which we should always take heart and have hope.
Kendal Catholic Priest 