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Showing posts with the label Notre-Dame de Paris

'Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope!' Sunday Reflections, Easter Sunday, Year C

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The Resurrection of Christ , Rembrandt  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings ,  Easter Vigil  (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings ,  Easter Sunday  (New American Bible) Readings ,  Easter Vigil  (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings ,  Easter Sunday  (Jerusalem Bible) Gospel ,  Easter Vigil   Luke 24:1-12  ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,  but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.  The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he

The priest who saved the Blessed Sacrament in the Notre-Dame de Paris fire

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On 17 April Fr John Zuhlsdorf posted on  Fr.Z's Blog  a video interview with Fr Jean-Marc Fournier, a chaplain to the firefighters of Paris. Fr Fournier told of how he rescued the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament. Fr Zuhlsdorf translated what Fr Fournier said in French. Here is an extract, with my  emphasis  added. Everybody understands that the Crown of Thorns is an absolutely unique and extraordinary relic,  but the Blessed Sacrament is Our Lord, really present in his body, soul, divinity and humanity and you understand that it is hard to see someone you love perish in the blaze . As firefighters we often see casualties from fire and we know its effects,  this is why I sought to preserve above all the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ . Fr Fournier was telling clearly what the Church has always taught: in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by the power of the Holy Spirit acting through the priest, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of