Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent

Five years ago the world watched in horror as flames all but destroyed Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral. As fire ravaged the cathedral’s roof and spire that day, few could imagine then what we saw this past December 8th: the doors of Notre-Dame reopening to welcome the public.

For the past five years, thousands of architects, designers, carpenters and artisans have worked to rebuild and restore Notre-Dame — but the most critical part of the restoration is largely unseen. At the outset of the restoration, the decision was made to employ the same construction techniques and materials that were used to build Notre-Dame eight hundred years ago.

One technique used is called “scribing” — in French, trait de charpentre. The process starts with creating a full-scale pencil drawing of each of the trusses that will support the cathedral roof. The sketch is then laid out on the floor of the huge workshop. The pieces of oak outlined on the sketch are then cut and fashioned by hand and placed directly on the drawing. Each truss is then assembled using pegs (medieval carpenters did not use screws). The “scribing” process is designed to make sure each piece fits perfectly and troubleshoot any problems before they are installed on site. Once all the trusses are assembled and tested, they were shipped to Paris.

Thousands of hours of careful craftsmanship providing the structure for Notre-Dame’s soaring magnificence remain hidden above the church’s limestone vault.

Notre-Dame Cathedral stands today as it has for eight centuries because of the stability and integrity of the unseen oak beams supporting it. These oak trusses might inspire us this Lent to stop and consider the values and beliefs we hold in the “unseen” interior of our hearts and souls that give integrity to the lives we live and the faith we profess. In the event we have come to call Jesus’ “transfiguration,” Peter, James and John “see” the divinity — the very life and love of God — that exists within the person of Jesus. A similar spark of divinity exists within each one of us, as well: God is present within us, animating us to do good and holy things, guiding our steps as we try to walk justly and humbly in the ways of God.