Easter Day

‍‘Resurgam’

There was a fascinating article in a recent edition of The Economist about the extraordinary restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which was ravaged by fire four years ago. Apparently the hope is that the restored cathedral will formally reopen later this year, well within the five year completion promise made by President Macron. What an amazing feat of reconstruction employing hundreds of expert restorers in various fields artistic expression, engineering and all-but-lost ancient crafts. At the time of publication specialist roofers were covering the exact replica spire, made from mature oaks felled from across France, with lead sheeting, putting the final touches to a feature that will soon once again grace the Paris skyline and announce the ‘resurrection’ of the iconic cathedral.

Fire is a powerful element for both good and ill.  Contained and tamed, it powers our homes, cooks our food, keeps us warm, cleanses and sterilises. It also brings new life.  When there is a forest fire, it leaves behind a trail of destruction, but it also burns up thickening and choking undergrowth allowing new seeds to spring forth and grow healthy in the air and light made possible by the fire. Botanists have found that the seeds of some conifers and other forest plants cannot germinate until they have been baked by a forest fire. Forests depend on fire for renewal and survival.

Our Easter celebrations begin with the dramatic lighting of a new fire symbolising the rekindling of the new life of Jesus in his resurrection. In his rising, Jesus is like the refiner’s fire, burning up impurities, cleansing of sin, and like the annealer’s furnace whose flames strengthen and toughen materials to make them fit for purpose. So too, Jesus rises from the dead to cleanse and renew us, strengthen and empower us and to fill us with the fire of his spirit and a burning desire for the God.

Notre Dame is not the only iconic cathedral to have been damaged by fire. St Paul’s cathedral was totally destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666 along with a vast swathe of insanitary housing and disease-ridden living accommodation allowing for better provision and a healthier environment for Londoners.  Christopher Wren was charged with rebuilding St Paul’s and one day, strolling through the blackened rubble feeling overwhelmed but excited by the challenge, he wondered if he could ever re-create the magnificent cathedral.  Then he came upon a piece of shattered stonework that had fallen in the intensity of the fire. It carried part of an inscription and the only word to survive on this fragment was the word in Latin ‘resurgam’ which means ‘I shall rise again’. This gave Wren hope that the church would rise again from the fire just as Jesus rises from the new fire today to bring new beginnings, new hope, new life and the promise that he can make something beautiful, awesome, amazing and magnificent to the glory of his name even from the ashes of our lives too because we have died to sin with Him and risen to new life in Him through the Baptism by which he shares his whole life with us here and hereafter.

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Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

CCC 638-655, 989, 1001-1002: the Resurrection of Christ and our resurrection
CCC 647, 1167-1170, 1243, 1287: Easter, the Lord’s Day
CCC 1212: the Sacraments of Initiation
CCC 1214-1222, 1226-1228, 1234-1245, 1254: Baptism
CCC 1286-1289: Confirmation
CCC 1322-1323: Eucharist

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