A Prayer for Easter Sunday & Notre-Dame
We pray in solidarity with the citizens of Paris as they mourn the devastation of the cathedral of Notre-Dame. We pray in solidarity with Christians around the world as we mourn the devastation of God’s creation.
Devastated.
Devastated, we watched the burning; watched something we believed indestructible being destroyed.
Crowds looked on in stunned disbelief: hands raised, mouths covered, heads bowed. So, too, we look upon our world, while violence, poverty, and prejudice destroy the fabric of so many lives.
Deliver us, we pray.
Flames assaulted the centuries-old building; eating away at the structure from inside. As we painfully experience ourselves, eaten away from the inside by envy, anxiety, resentment or fear.
Rescue us, we pray.
Smoke billowed into the sky, as fire filled the spire, until it too collapsed. Just as life brings us down; when illness, grief or loneliness erode the structure of our lives until we too collapse.
O God, extinguish our pain.
Devastated.
Devastated, but saved.
God, you sustain us in our darkest hour, bringing hope out of the embers of our lives.
On this Easter Day, the sun rises over Notre-Dame, over Paris, over hope.
Despite the heat, the Rose Windows are spared. Light streaming through the stained glass, letting peace stream into our hearts.
Despite the instability, the cathedral bells are unharmed. Each one of them named, as you God call each of us by name, holding us forever in your care.
Despite the danger, the Crown of Thorns was spared. A precious sign of faith and remembrance of your sacrifice; that we affirm here in our worship and praise.
And throughout it all, the cross still stands. The cross, glowing, undiminished in the midst of the ruins.
Devastated, but saved.
Devastated, but saved, because you God are with us.
We can endure the chaos of life, because you God are with us.
We can rebuild from the ashes of our dreams, because you God are with us.
We give thanks that out of flames can come rebirth; that in the midst of sadness, we still have joy; that beyond despair and death, we find the risen Christ.
Today we rebuild the spirit of Notre-Dame, as we proclaim all that this sacred place represents:
The faith of past generations, affirming the trust we place in your goodness.
The hope of future believers, witnessing your mercy and grace.
The eternity of your love, given for each one of us.
Amen.
Inspiration and credits
“If history teaches us anything, it’s that out of flames can come rebirth” — a quote from the illustrator, Bob Staake.
“Devastated, but saved” — a headline on France’s leading news channel, reported in The Atlantic.
“When something you believed was indestructible is destroyed” — a quote from The Atlantic by Rachel Donadio.
“ The challenge now will not be to rebuild the structure but what it represented: the security, the safety, the eternity” — a quote from the Washington Post by James McAuley.
