# The Lonely Journey: praying for those in France and the world
*2019-04-15*

> Bill reflects on the loneliness of Jesus during Holy Week, connects it to the fire at Notre Dame, and invites listeners to pray for the suffering and for the rebuilding of the cathedral.

## Holy Week and the Theme of Loneliness

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. Today is Holy Tuesday, April 16, 2019. Our reflections come from *Turning to God*, the daily Lenten readings. The theme is “A Loneliness, the Lonely Journey,” with Scripture from Isaiah 49:1‑6 and John 13:21‑33, 36‑38. Joyce Rupp, in *Inviting God In*, reminds us that Holy Week Scripture shows Jesus’s profound aloneness: the agony in the garden, the disciples fleeing, Judas’s betrayal, and Peter’s denial. Only a few loved ones remain at the foot of the cross. This loneliness invites us to join Christ in his journey and to reach out to those who are suffering alone.

## A Modern Parallel: Notre Dame

The fire that devastated Notre Dame in Paris this week is a stark reminder of that loneliness. Watching the flames consume the steeples was frightening, yet we heard Parisians singing beautiful French hymns amid the smoke. Their praise turned the tragedy into a moment of worship, showing how even in disaster God’s people can lift their voices to Him. While the cathedral, a treasure of 850 years, will be rebuilt, the real focus is the people who felt abandoned and the need for our prayers and support.

## St. Fascinata’s Diary and the Call to Compassion

St. Fascinata’s diary entry (number 1600) from 1938 expresses a deep longing for union with Christ, describing how every approach to God awakens both love and agony. She writes that the “chosen souls” are like lights cast into the darkness, illuminating the world even when hidden. She urges us to go to confession with trust, for Christ waits there, hidden only by the priest, ready to pour out His mercy.

These reflections echo the Gospel: Jesus tells Peter, “You will deny me three times,” yet He still calls us to follow Him, even when the path seems lonely.

## Scripture Reading: John 13

In John 13:21‑33, Jesus announces that one of the disciples will betray Him. The disciples look at one another, uncertain. When Jesus identifies Judas, He says, “What you are about to do, do it quickly.” After Judas leaves, Jesus declares that the Son of Man will be glorified, and that He will go where the disciples cannot follow now. Peter protests, “Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times.” This passage shows even the closest followers experience abandonment.

## Prayer of the Day

Let us pray together, invoking the mercy of the Divine Heart:

Eternal Father, we offer You the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Your Son, Jesus Christ, for the sins of the world. May the fire that burned Notre Dame be transformed into a light of hope for all who mourn. Grant us the grace to be lights in the darkness, as St. Fascinata wrote, and to bring the mercy of Christ to those who feel abandoned. Holy God, Mighty One, Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.

*In the midst of our own loneliness, we are called to be lights for others, especially those suffering after the loss of Notre Dame.*