Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic

Scandal of Evil: No Match for the Cross of Christ

April 18, 2011 by Pat Gohn

Continued from Page 1

The Catechism acknowledges the battle: "the ways of [God's] providence are often unknown to us. Only at the end, when our partial knowledge ceases, when we see God 'face to face' will we fully know the ways" God has guided us. So we must persevere. (See Catechism, par. 314.)

We are helped in our struggles by the example of the saints, but we are truly saved by "fixing the eyes of our faith on him who alone is its conqueror." (Cf. Lk. 11:21-22; Jn. 16:11; 1 Jn. 3:8.)

In other words, Jesus is indeed the answer.

For God did not abandon us. He sent us a Messiah and Redeemer in Jesus Christ. By his glorious Passion and Death, Jesus who is God and Man, does battle with the power of evil in all its hideous creaturely forms. Remember, the power of Satan cannot prevent the building up of God's reign.

Many people are bothered by the scandal of the Cross—its messiness, its intensity, its brutality, and its total annihilation. It really was, however, the only answer to the question of sin and evil and the death that came with them.

The Catechism declares that Jesus' death on a cross "makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience of Adam" (Catechism, par. 411). That's a good word to hold on to for our meditation for the remainder of Lent: superabundantly.

What's more, St. Leo the Great taught: "Christ's inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon's envy had taken away."

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "There is nothing to prevent human nature's being raised up to something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good."

And so as we will hear in the Exultet sung at the Easter Vigil this year, we just might harken a little more carefully to the words: "O happy fault . . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!"

Here's one of my favorite quotes from the Catechism that is worth memorizing:

The victory that Christ won over sin has given us greater blessings than those which sin had taken from us: "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20). (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 420.)

Jesus does everything superabundantly.

When I cling to that superabundance through grace, it soothes my scandalized heart every time.

This article was previously published at CatholicExchange.com.

Page: 2 of 2

4/18/2011 4:00:00 AM

Catholic

Catechism

Death

Evil

Saints

sin

Suffering

Satan

Christianity

Roman Catholicism

more at patheos

The Fellowship & Fairydust of Avellina Balestri

Mark Wilson

AI-Ready Regions And Teams Are Redefining Tech Strategy

Gleb Tsipursky

On Christianity and aliens (part 1)

Fred Clark

Is Forgiveness Unfair? Why Gratitude May Be the Key

Jocelyn Soriano

About Pat Gohn

Pat Gohn is a Catholic writer, speaker, and the host of the Among Women Podcast and blog. Her book Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood is published by Ave Maria Press.

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos