“I am bound, as a pastor, by divine command to give my life for those whom I love, and that is all Salvadoreans, even those who are going to kill me.”
Two weeks after these words appeared in a local newspaper, Archbishop Romero was gunned down while celebrating Mass.
The Archbishop of San Salvador during El Salvador’s horrendous civil war, Romero was initially a rather “safe” and conservative prelate, but over time came to realize how his people were suffering. He became a tireless advocate of the poor – enough for him to be assassinated on March 24, 1980.
On the anniversary of this good man’s death, let us pray for all those brave souls who continue to fight against corruption and injustice.
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Dearest Lord Jesus, thank you for those who have imitated you in laying down their lives to show us God’s love for us. Thank for their example of faith, hope, trust, and love. In particular, thank you for Archbishop Oscar Romero, a man so devoted to you and to your beloved. May his life inspire us to be willing to lose our lives to save your people, not only in facing death, but also in facing the costs of love throughout our lives. Our hearts are filled with pride in such a faithful follower of you. Our hearts are filled with love for such a holy man. Just as we remember next week how you laid down your life for us, may we also remember and be inspired by Archbishop Romero and all others who joined themselves with you in the ultimate sacrifice. May the life of Archbishop Romero fill us with joy, praise, and thanksgiving, as well as sorrow. Amen.
Thank you for reminding us for this anniversary. It often shocks my students to know that there are still those whose lives are sacrificed for their faith, not only from before they were born but even now.
The injustices Archbishop Romero confronted still exist. We like he need to be transformed to see them and respond to them. It seems to me that that is at the heart of being a Eucharistic people.
Your post today 2/18 on your El Salvador visit is amazing and moving. One of your brother Jesuits in Chicago, the homilist at a Loy U mass of the spirit quoted Dean Brackley about serving the poor, heartbreak, the love and the ultimate transformation, but added “our goal in educating you is so that you know and once you know you can’t not know and are forced to act.” An amazing line for contemplation. I believe it probably drives JVC but is certainly an experience of us that are in the next phase of life, IVC.