Bonjour!

Since Day One of the podcast, I have had a faithful listener tuning in from Clichy in France.  Bonjour!  I want to thank you for your support this year and pray the podcast has been a blessing to you.  

We Fell in Love with France

My husband and I visited France in April of 2019 and over the course of that 2 weeks, we fell in love with the country.  Much of our time was spent in Paris, though we did take a 3-day side trip to Normandy to explore the WWII landing beaches and to tour Mont Saint-Michel.  

Part of our trip-planning always includes where we will attend church while in a foreign country.  We were in Paris on Sunday and decided to attend mass at St. Sulpice, a Roman Catholic church in the Latin Quarter.  No, we are not Catholic.  And no, we did not participate in communion, because we do not believe in the Transubstantiation.  But we did pray with the other believers there.  And we listened to beautiful singing by the choir and even more impressive music from the grand organ there.  Also, the priest gave a sermon in both French and English, which was an extra bonus!

St. Sulpice is the second-largest church in Paris, only slightly smaller than the Notre Dame Cathedral.  Mitch and I were fortunate to have rented an apartment on the south bank of the Seine River.  We had a magnificent view of Notre Dame, especially spectacular at night when it was all light up by floodlights.

We toured the cathedral together on the first full day of our visit.  It was magnificent inside, more glorious than I had imagined.  It was filled to the gills with throngs of visitors, all gawking at the massive columns and high stained glass.  My husband went back a second time early in the morning on the day we were to leave for Normandy. He had the place practically to himself for over an hour.  He said it was a solemn and moving experience.

Notre Dame on Fire

On Monday, April 15th, we had just returned from Normandy back to Paris. While shopping on the Champs-Élysées, we received a text message from our daughter, informing us that Notre Dame was on fire.  We looked to the east and saw the black smoke rising from the cathedral.  It was heartbreaking.  The next day, we joined the thousands of others on the south bank of the river to view the grey, smoldering shell of the church.  There was almost a hush on the crowd, as if we were all in shock…and mourning.

Of course, the cathedral will be rebuilt.  My husband and I hope to be present when it re-opens to the public.  I suppose it is easy to say that it is just a building, and the “Church” of Christ is the body of believers who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  I understand this completely and believe it with all my heart.  Still, Notre Dame is a beautiful symbol of Christianity that has stood for almost 1000 years.  It is my hope that, after the renovation, it endures until Christ comes again.

Do you listen to my podcast from a country other than the United States?  Are you my treasured listener in France?  Please take a moment to let me know at Lifting Her Voice, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.