Holy Week began with a tragedy, a fiery tragedy.
A massive fire broke out at the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
It was a devastating fire that burned away the whole roof of the cathedral.
We watched the shocking videos of the tall spire collapsing under the flames, and we can imagine the nightmare of the people who were there watching the tragedy.
It was a terrible tragedy for France and for the Church, and more so with this happening just before Easter.
And as the roof of the cathedral was engulfed in flames, firemen dashed into the Cathedral to save the priceless relics, among which was the most precious and revered Crown of Thorns.
Among the firefighters who rushed into the burning cathedral was Fr. Jean-Marc Fournier, the chaplain of the Paris fire service.
As the firefighters hurriedly remove the precious relics like the Crown of Thorns and the Tunic of St. Louis, Fr Fournier headed straight towards the tabernacle.
He quickly removed the consecrated hosts from the tabernacle and kept them safely aside before continuing the rescue work.
While the media focused on the number of relics that were rescued, not much was mentioned about how Fr. Fournier retrieved the consecrated hosts from the burning Cathedral.
To say the least, the consecrated hosts or Blessed Sacrament is not a relic. It is much more than that. It is the Body of Christ, which Christ has given to us, the Church.
And in this Mass of the Institution of the Holy Eucharist, we are reminded that at the Last Supper, Jesus gave Himself, Body and Blood, to His Apostles and to us for our salvation.
Fr. Fournier saved the Blessed Sacrament from the burning Notre Dame Cathedral. But in truth, it is the Blessed Sacrament who will save him and grant him eternal life.
So it will be for us too, as we humbly and reverently partake of the Blessed Sacrament, the Body of Christ.
So what has the washing of feet, which we heard in the gospel, got to do with the Eucharist? (and later we will also re-enact the washing of feet)
Jesus offers us the Eucharist for our salvation. We who are saved must in turn offer our service for the salvation of others.
Fr Fournier and the firefighters ran into the fire when it is most dangerous to do so.
That is service, be it saving relics or retrieving the Blessed Sacrament. Or it may just be going down on our knees and do something that nobody else wants to do.
Jesus gives us the Eucharist, and to partake of the Eucharist is to do as Jesus did, so that, more than saving relics, we will continue the work of Jesus who came to seek and to save the lost, the least and the last.