The ecumenism of blood.
When I quote the psalm, "there is no saint left" - it might be because there are martyrs ...
In the San Bartolomeo Basilica on the island in the Tiber in Rome, an unusual icon can be found: that of “the great tribulation” depicting the “contemporary martyrs.” It does not so much point to heaven as it does to earth, directing our eyes to some of the darkest and most inhumane moments of the 20th century.
The icon features a multitude of scenes ranging from the Armenian genocide to the genocide in Rwanda. - Zeger Polhuijs
The icon shown above is stunning and seems to echo the words of Pope Francis, “today there is an ecumenism of blood." The saints left are those whose struggle against sin and whose witness of faith endures to the point of shedding blood.
This gives me hope. It gives me strength... and courage.
Again, as Pope Francis remarked reflecting upon the martyrdom of Blessed Oscar Romero:
“This gives me strength. Only God knows the stories of those people who have given their lives, who have died, and continue to be stoned with the hardest stone that exists in the world: language.” - Pope Francis
..."continue to be stoned with the hardest stone that exists in the world: language." WOW. So profound!
ReplyDeleteOne can apply that wording to our Holy Father himself these days it seems as well.
DeleteI read about this beautiful icon on Aleteia. The details are beautiful and like Terry has said, "this gives me hope. It gives me strength... and courage"
Amen, Terry ... amen!