Imitate Notre Dame’s Hero Priest

“Tragedy exists to teach us faith and heroism,” Gregorian editor Tom Hoopes writes at Catholic Digest. “In the wake of 9/11, the natural faith that people have was unleashed. … The same thing happened in France.”

in his New Testament letter, St. Jude gives advice to Christians who live in times like ours: “Convince some, who doubt; save some, by snatching them out of the fire.”

There are no better examples of this than the hero priests of 9/11 and the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, writes Hoopes:

Fire chaplain Father Jean-Marc Fournier is being hailed as a hero in the French press for rushing into Notre Dame cathedral to save relics that are of key importance to every Christian’s life this week — but wouldn’t otherwise have been noticed by most Parisians: The Crown of Thorns, a nail from Christ’s crucifixion and a relic of the true cross. …

Follow Father Fournier’s example this Holy Week.

When Father Fournier entered the burning cathedral, his goal, said French Catholic journalist Etienne Loraillere was “to save the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament.”

There are terrible battles raging in the world. Walk through the flames and take the passion of Jesus and his Real Presence with you. Protect them in your heart and in your family like priceless treasurers. Don’t let them be lost in the chaos of our times.

Then look for people who will still heed the warning, and show them where safety can be found.

Read the whole thing here.