I Saw the Crown of Thorns. Then Something Greater Happened.
A pilgrimage through France’s churches, shrines and sacred history culminated at Notre Dame — and in a renewed understanding of the miracle Catholics encounter at every Mass.
This summer, my oldest son and I had the opportunity to travel to France. We started with a family reunion celebrating the 100th anniversary of my great-grandparents’ marriage, and we did our best to connect with the 190 family members who attended. Then we visited places like Mont-Saint-Michel, Lisieux, the Marian apparition at Pontmain, the D-Day landing beaches and ended our whirlwind week in Paris.
As I stood in the ancient monastery at Mont-Saint-Michel, I began to feel the historical weight of this small island fortress founded on the insistence of St. Michael the Archangel in 708 A.D. You can feel the history and the struggle in the stones — from the Hundred Years War to the French Revolution to World War II to the return of the Eucharist only a few years ago.
Similarly, there was a solemn silence as my son and I walked among the graves of the 10,000 soldiers buried in the American cemetery in Normandy. I felt tension in my soul as I walked along the sandy shores, once filled with countless land mines that took thousands of lives, now a vacation destination for beachgoers.
In Pontmain, my family sat alone in the barn over which Mary appeared during the Franco-Prussian War, preventing the Prussian troops from advancing the next day. I had a mystical prayer time before the tomb of St. Therese in Lisieux, but the most memorable experience I want to share was in Paris.
On our last day in France, we began at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, where Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré. The peace was palpable as I felt embraced by Mary’s prayer and protection. That afternoon, we walked into Sainte-Chappelle, once the private chapel for St. Louis IX, who built it to house relics of Christ’s Passion acquired from Constantinople in 1239. The sheer enormity of stained glass takes your breath away. As I stood there, I felt connected to the saint and the place's history.
Then we walked to Notre Dame de Paris, where the Crown of Thorns is now kept and was on display that day for veneration. From the chapel to the crown, I experienced a deep connection to the Passion that moved me to the very core, even to tears. I stood up and wobbled back to my seat.
And then, the most powerful, radical, life-changing event of all happened: we participated in the Mass. During that liturgy, we did not just remember what took place two thousand years ago, as when I venerated the Crown of Thorns: I was actually present at the saving event of the Passion!
You see, every Mass is a bit of time-travel, a portal to Heaven, a mystery — to say the least. The priest repeats the words Jesus said and unites them with Christ’s so that Christ is truly made present. When Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” he didn’t mean that we would have nice thoughts about something that happened long ago. It’s not the same as remembering my wedding day or my tenth birthday.
The Greek word “anamnesis” means a memorial, which is not just a reminder but rather re-presents Jesus’ sacrifice to us in a sacramental way. God is outside of time, so our history is the present for him. When we are united to God, we are connected to these moments of Christ’s life and experience them in a very real way. The bread is now truly his Body given up for us. At every Mass, regardless of what church we are at, we are made present to the Last Supper, Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord.
At every Mass, we enter into a New Covenant. We aren’t sprinkled with blood as in the Old Covenant; rather, Jesus offers his Blood, and we drink it. Through this communion, we experience a bit of Heaven, a taste of the future that each of us is destined for, which is to be with God for all of eternity. In the Sacrifice of the Mass, we are present to the one eternal sacrifice in which Jesus offers his life to the Father, interceding and mediating on our behalf. And all throughout the week, we are to unite our little sacrifices to his, so that when we come to Mass, we bring our offerings as worship to the Father through Jesus.
And although this happens at every Mass, we can become a bit desensitized to the mystery. I found it was a more powerful experience after praying in the historic cathedral, having seen the Crown of Thorns, having walked in the chapel built to house it.
I have been pondering since then why place is so important to us. Jesus is present in beautiful and not-so-beautiful churches, yet the beauty of these places of worship spoke to me. Jesus is present in America, but France’s history and beauty drew me deeper into contemplation. Even my relationship with Mary was strengthened after sitting in places where she appeared, as if she were still present in a particular way there. I needed that physical experience to be reminded of her presence in my life.
Because of the Incarnation, because God united his divinity to our humanity and gave us a body and soul, place matters. Things matter, and sometimes going to a different place or a historical place — a place of pilgrimage — is important in the Christian life. We need to smell the incense, touch the stones and walk among the graves to connect with the history.
We need relics to sense this person's holiness at that time in history. As we reflect on their life and see the reality of death in their bones, we come face-to-face with our own mortality. When we contemplate their new life in Heaven, hope surges in us that we can attain the promised land, too. And then we gain a heavenly friend and intercessor to encourage us on our journey.
Miracles still happen through relics, intercession, pilgrimages and holy sites. And while physical healings do abound, the healing of the soul through a life of conversion is the greater miracle still. But the most miraculous of all is that Jesus comes to us in simple bread and wine, even to those who can’t afford to travel or do not appreciate the importance of place. God wants our hearts and will work through whatever means he can to reach us.
We have pilgrimage sites here in Denver that are easily accessible, such as the tomb of Servant of God Julia Greeley at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception or the holy grounds of Mother Cabrini Shrine. But regardless of what Church you are at, the next time you are at Mass, consider connecting with a place or physical experience that will help you enter more deeply into the sacrifice of the Cross and experience God’s love more fully. He is waiting there for you.
