"I See His Blood upon the Rose"

I See His Blood upon the Rose

by Joseph Mary Plunkett

(1887-1916)

I see His blood upon the rose 

   And in the stars the glory of His eyes,

His Body gleams amid eternal snows,

   His tears fall from the skies.

I see His face in every flower;

   The thunder and the singing of the birds

Are but His voice -- and carven by His power

   Rocks are His written words.

All pathways by His feet are worn,

   His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,

His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,

   His Cross is every tree.

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The Scandal of Evil is No Match for the Cross of Christ

In my latest article at Catholic Exchange, I share some of my favorite quotes that soothe my heart in the face of evil.

Here's a snippet:

We’ve all been victims of pain, hurts, other peoples sins, and our own.  And yes, we are victims of evil. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) calls it “the scandal of evil” since it derails the providence of God that we are meant to know.  In fact CCC 309 boldly states:

There is not a single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the question of evil.

A few passages in the Catechism bring me great comfort in regard to evil and the reality of the devil in our world. Oh, by the way, the Catechism reminds us that the devil exists too. (Though his marketing campaign would have us believe otherwise.) 

Read the rest here.